The Spanish charger manufacturer, Wallbox, has revealed its investment plans for Latin America.
During the event broadcasted through Portal Movilidad channels, Diego Martins, Regional Manager Latam at Wallbox, emphasized, “The Latin American market is beginning to awaken to electromobility.”
The company understands that one of its roles is to offer and provide the support that the market needs in line with each country’s development.
Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, and Costa Rica are among the countries that Diego Martins considered to be developing rapidly with growth figures surpassing more mature markets.
“It’s a positive sign,” he remarked.
Given that the European markets where Wallbox operates have robust regulations regarding charging infrastructure, the company believes it has the opportunity to bring products to Latin America that are already successful in markets like Norway and Germany.
For this reason, the main European product launches are now making their way into the region.
So, what are the plans for each country?
Brasil
“It’s in an interesting evolution; in 2024, we will see electric vehicle manufacturers in Brazil. One of the electromobility hubs is being established there,” Martins commented, providing a market assessment.
The company has three partners in the country with whom they are very satisfied.
However, Diego Martins acknowledged, “We don’t just provide chargers as hardware; we offer a 360º solution.”
The Brazilian market is growing more than Wallbox had anticipated for this year.
It’s worth noting that Brazil has one of the cleanest energy matrices in the region. In this regard, Martins stated, “The future of electromobility in Brazil completes a sustainability ecosystem.”
Mexico
In this country, Wallbox finalized one of its biggest partnership agreements, in collaboration with Evergo. Initially, they began with centralized fleet solutions.
“We’ve started to have interesting projects in Mexico,” Martins admitted, citing the installation of nearly 600 chargers for a fleet as an example.
He also acknowledged, “The growth plans in Mexico are quite significant.”
However, Mexico has a particularity that differs from Brazil: the lack of connector standards. Nevertheless, Wallbox was able to adapt to this mix, primarily in AC charging, by offering products with GB/T, Type 1, and Type 2 connectors to meet this demand.
“We have the smartest GB/T charger in the market in Mexico,” he affirmed.
Colombia
In this part of Latin America, Wallbox partners with Los Coches.
Agreements are progressing in an introductory phase for AC chargers primarily aimed at fleets. The future plan is to expand into DC charging.
Chile
Wallbox collaborates with Copec Voltex as its partner in Chile.
“It’s a market that is maturing much faster than others,” explained Diego Martins, citing that progress in government initiatives is happening more quickly than in other countries.
Various solutions are being introduced here, such as the recently announced one by Grupo Astara.
How to establish partnerships with partners?
This collaborative effort has a preliminary phase that includes discussions, knowledge transfer, meetings, planning, and so on.
During Wallbox Day, Diego Martins recalled how the relationship with Evergo began.
Diego approached Norberto Cusatti Sousa, Commercial Manager at InterEnergy Group/Evergo Panama, at an event in Panama and, in a businesslike tone, inquired about their involvement in electromobility matters.
“That’s where the contact with Norberto started, and then with the team from the Dominican Republic,” Martins remembered.
Subsequently, visits by Latin American representatives to Wallbox’s European factory and vice versa were arranged for in-person meetings, avoiding virtual encounters for a more natural interaction.
“We’re not only working on marketing chargers but also on something bigger that will come in the future in Latin America,” acknowledged the Regional Manager Latam at Wallbox.
The Wallbox Day event is available below:
