Since 2018, ChargeGuru has been providing electric vehicle charging solutions for individuals and businesses. Currently, the company is focusing on deploying charging points at Paradores hotels and restaurants.
Adrien Castagnié, Managing Director Iberia of the company, shares details of this success story with Mobility Portal Europe.
In this regard, he explains that the project involves the installation, commissioning, legalization, management, and maintenance of 297 charging points at 88 Paradores locations.
Additionally, they will implement technical assistance and customer support services.
This network will be deployed throughout the entire Spanish territory.
To achieve this, the company won the bid in May to install a network of 22 kW alternating current chargers at 277 locations, as well as 50-kilowatt direct current chargers at 17 points.
The latter will be located near highways and high-traffic areas.
The project consists of two phases.
First, they will add chargers at 41 locations by 2023. In the second phase, there will be 47 additional chargers, with completion expected by 2024.
“The installation will be carried out within a period of a year and a half,” describes Castagnié.
An estimated budget of 4.2 million euros will be allocated for this plan.
They have recently completed the initial planning stage and have begun the electrical project phase.
However, the acquisition of permits is being delayed because many of the buildings where they plan to install the chargers are listed as heritage sites.
“The biggest challenge is to design the installations carefully to respect the architecture and aesthetics of the historic hotels,” he emphasizes.
The second challenge is related to subsidies, an aspect that Castagnié believes should be a priority.
Especially concerning the Moves Plan, which ends on December 31, and it has not yet been confirmed if it will be renewed. This uncertainty is causing concern in the sector.
“The Moves Plan should be a direct and guaranteed aid, which is not currently the case,” he remarks regarding the reforms that should be implemented.
He also emphasizes that these policies should focus on the purchase of electric vehicles rather than the implementation of charging points.
Additionally, the Managing Director suggests updating the regulations for outdoor infrastructure installation, as the current process of legalization is “very cumbersome.”
“The engineering of this project costs more than the installation itself, and for this reason, the implementation of the charging point must be delayed,” he says.
ChargeGuru is responsible for both the installation and the supervision, management, and maintenance of its charging infrastructure.
The French company has been operating in Spain since 2020.
Their strategic plan includes countries such as Portugal, Germany, Italy, Belgium, and the United Kingdom.
Locally, they have completed more than 1,500 installations, while in other countries, they have already surpassed 10,000.
Specifically, eight people are working on this project, including engineers, marketing professionals, technical service personnel, and trade experts.
They also have approximately 15 installers distributed throughout the national territory, responsible for carrying out the installations and maintenance.
“We are committed to ensuring excellence in the service we provide to our customers at the Paradores,” he highlights.
Given their extensive experience in the hotel sector, ChargeGuru is committed to providing guidance to its users.
In this context, they offer recommendations regarding the required power and additional services that should be considered.
However, he points out that there is a shortage of “skilled labor” to meet the growing demand for work they have and will have in the coming years regarding the installation of charging points.
Read more news about electromobility in Spain at Portal Movilidad España
