Currently, the primary concern for most European Charging Point Operators (CPOs) is improving the user experience during the charging process for electric vehicles (EVs).
Many of them focus on providing greater reliability and more competitive charging prices.
However, according to Laura Goncalves, General Manager in Spain for Powerdot, these are not the only concerns of EV users, but location is a factor that “is increasingly becoming more important”.
This fact is noteworthy, especially considering Portugal has an extensive network.
It is also important to mention that the average estimated cost for a 100-kilometre trip is 3.99 euros, according to data from the public company MOBI.E.
In addition, Powerdot’s charging network has been successfully introduced in private spaces but public access to facilitate charging at destination, one of the pillars of the company that aims to enable people to charge their vehicles without the process affecting their routine.
This has been achieved by installing charging points in establishments such as restaurants, supermarkets, shopping centres and hotels to offer this service.
This is the reason Goncalves mentions to explain why users start prioritising location over other aspects.
A study conducted by Electromaps, claims that, for example, in Spain, 37 per cent of respondents chose to recharge their EVs in supermarkets or shopping centres for their daily out-of-home recharging.
Similarly, the most common activity while charging an electric car away from home is shopping, with 33.55 per cent.
In this regard, Powerdot is also at the forefront.
The CPO has accumulated several success stories in installing chargers in all the aforementioned locations.
One of them is the Amoreiras Shopping Center, located in Lisbon. In collaboration with them, the company has developed an area dedicated exclusively to electric vehicles within the parking lot.
This space has been adapted with special paint and signage to highlight its exclusivity.
Since its launch in June 2019, thousands of charges have been carried out at this location.
On average, each vehicle charges 12.5 kilowatt/hour, and approximately 25 per cent of users have performed more than one recharge.
The standardisation of payment methods at the 8,138 points in Portugal’s public network is a notable aspect of its extensive national deployment.
Users only need a contract with an energy provider for electric mobility and a card or app to charge their EV battery.
Although there are 94 CPOs and various apps available, the administration has managed to create a single market by providing a public network managed by private operators.
This means that, despite the variety of apps, all are interconnected and allow their use throughout the network.
It is also relevant to note that between 2016 and 2020, charging at public points was free, aiming to encourage the acquisition of electric vehicles.
This incentive has contributed to the country currently having a fleet of over 228,140 EVs, of which nearly 92 per cent are cars.
Thanks to the incentives provided and the government’s encouragement of eCar adoption through VAT exemption, a significant proportion of monthly registrations are electric, hybrid, or plug-in hybrids.
As for Powerdot, the company does not have its own application but has over 12 million users through the integrated apps, which are the country’s main ones.
Looking ahead to 2024, its strategy will focus on integrating into more apps, but this time they will concentrate on local and smaller ones to “achieve 100 per cent coverage.”
What will be Powerdot’s roadmap for this year?
As the General Manager anticipates to Mobility Portal Europe, in the short and medium term, the company will focus on providing the best possible user experience.
To achieve this, it will emphasize improving interoperability, promoting autocharge “so that the user doesn’t have to do anything,” enhancing quality, and continuing its growth.
Regarding this last point, Powerdot has recently received an additional investment of 100 million euros from its current investors.
In total, Powerdot will invest 30 million in Spain until 2025.
“This further consolidates our position as an operator,” she says.
