The French start-up Zeplug announced this Wednesday the raising of 240 million euros from a British fund to develop in the promising market of charging stations for electric cars in buildings. Intermediate Capital Group PLC invested in Zeplug through its infrastructure investment fund ICG Infra, the operator said in a statement.
At the same time, Zeplug acquires one of its main French competitors, Bornes Solutions, which was in the ICG Infra portfolio. Founded in 2014, Zeplug intends to use the capital raised from ICG Infra to accelerate its rollout in France and launch in neighboring countries (UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Switzerland), but also in the United States, where it opened an office. Nicolás Blanchet, general manager of Zeplug, told AFP.
Zeplug and several of its competitors, such as EDF, Waat or Park’n Plug, offer solutions to simplify the installation of terminals in condominiums or companies. They generally support the installation of collective infrastructure, such as cables and sometimes common meters, then bill for the installation of the terminal, which is heavily subsidized, as well as its maintenance and recharging.
2% furnished condominiums
Despite the right to plug in 2011, which allows each co-owner to install, at his own expense, a plug for his vehicle, the number of equipped condominiums remains minimal, around 2%. This lack of private terminals in collective housing continues to be a major obstacle to the electrification of cars, an important brick in the fight against climate change.
“Many companies are active in this thriving market. But among the players tackling the private cargo sector, there are few players of significant size,” said Ludovic Laforge of ICG Infra fund.
Zeplug is also a partner of 18 car brands that have enhanced their electric catalog and offer their offer to their customers, including Audi, BMW, Volvo and Volkswagen. The company has 120 employees in France and Bornes Solutions around a hundred.
Source: BFM TV
