As an independent ultra-fast charging operator in the Iberian Peninsula, Powerdot continues its European expansion.
The company is already the market leader in fast and ultra-fast charging points in France and holds second place in Portugal and Poland.
To consolidate its position in Spain, Powerdot has committed €26 million in investment, with an additional €67 million allocated for Portugal by 2025.
Its growth aligns with the expansion of the eMobility market, with:
• Over 60 stations in an advanced stage of installation
• More than 30 ready to begin operations
Laura Gonçalves highlights the company’s commitment to maintaining its leadership position:
“Our expectation is to continue growing, and if everything goes as planned, by 2025 we could have a significantly higher number of operational stations.”
New Charging Hubs and Deployment Challenges
A key milestone in Powerdot’s Spanish expansion was the recent inauguration of its largest charging station in Castilla-La Mancha.
This new hub features:
• A dedicated transformation centre
• 28 charging bays, including 16 fast and ultra-fast chargers
This scalable model has already been replicated in other locations and will be implemented in upcoming stations.
However, charging infrastructure deployment is not solely dependent on operators. One of the biggest challenges remains reducing development timelines.
Powerdot is actively working to shorten these timeframes without compromising installation efficiency.
“If we exclude administrative procedures and permits, the pure installation time for a station is relatively short. However, when factoring in the full legalisation and grid connection process, the timeline extends significantly,” explains Gonçalves.
To accelerate implementation, the company is continuously evaluating new technological solutions:
“We are actively seeking various strategies to optimise the process and speed up deployment.”
Powerdot’s eMobility Financing Strategy
The development of ultra-fast charging infrastructure requires substantial investment, and Powerdot has successfully established a sustainable financial model based on private investment.
“Thanks to our scale and presence in Europe, we have achieved an economy of scale that allows us to operate faster and more efficiently. This also makes us more attractive for investment and financing,” notes Gonçalves.
In 2024, Powerdot secured:
• €100 million from investors Antin Infrastructures and Grupo Arié
• €165 million in green financing from a banking consortium
While private investment remains the core of its strategy, Powerdot also recognises the importance of public incentives in expanding charging infrastructure.
“At Powerdot, we ensure our growth through solid financial mechanisms, such as the €165 million in recent bank debt financing from six banks, including Santander, BNP, and ING. Although our model does not rely on subsidies, we remain attentive to public funding, which could further accelerate our infrastructure deployment,” clarifies Gonçalves.
The Impact of Moves III and Market Trends
Spain’s EV charging infrastructure has expanded significantly in recent years. Between 2022 and late 2024, the number of charging points doubled, reshaping market dynamics.
However, Powerdot emphasises the need to promote EV adoption through direct incentives for consumers.
The recent veto of the Omnibus Decree and the end of subsidies under the Moves III Plan have created uncertainty for the private sector.
Despite this, demand remains strong, with a clear focus:
“The key now is to provide greater incentives to end users, making EV purchases easier through direct subsidies.”
Compared to other European countries, Portugal offers more direct incentives, leading to faster adoption:
“There, 20% of new cars are electric, while in Spain, the figure is only 5%.”
This could serve as a model for future subsidy programmes, which the Spanish government is reportedly working on.
Meanwhile, the industry awaits further developments and explores alternative strategies to prevent a sharp decline in zero- and low-emission vehicle registrations.
