In March 2022, the drafting of Digital met Wattpark, a French start-up created in 2017 by Bertrand Lepage. Its business model was simple: connecting owners of charging stations (individuals and professionals) and drivers of electric vehicles. But beyond the simple role of matchmaker, Wattpark had the ingenious idea of designing its own charging stations, with a power of 3.7 kW and equipped with an in-house communication system.
Second originality of Wattpark, the possibility given to the owner of a Wattpark charging station to sell his charge via a reservation in a free mobile app. This allows remote payment, but also the opening of the terminal and, if necessary, the barrier to access it. The charging price is generally set at €1/h, or even €0.90/h.
Objective 100,000 terminals per year
After France, Wattpark aims to “to become one of the leaders in AC (alternating current) charging in Europe”, but also to expand into the Middle East. For this, the company aims to produce 100,000 charging stations per year over a chandelier.
Since the original plant in Saclas (Essonne) was undersized (maximum 3,000 units/year), Wattpark joined forces with MMT-B (Manufacturing the Mobility of Tomorrow in Bordeaux), owned by the investment fund Mutares and which has a site in Blanquefort. The factory with 700 employees specializes in the manufacture of transmission boxes, whose orders for Ford will end in 2025. It was therefore urgent to find other outlets.
In addition, the relay factory in Saumur (Maine-et-Loire) “will also host a new mobility service” which will be presented “shortly“,
The partnership with Wattpark provides for the deployment of a “production and assembly line, as well as a secondary line dedicated to second life, allowing the reconditioning of Wattpark charging stations”.
Today, the terminals offered offer power up to 3.7 kW, but will be phased out in favor of 7.4 kW (single-phase) terminals. A three-phase version should appear by the end of the year.
It was after the misadventure experienced by his father, Marc Lepage (on the right), that Bertrand Lepage (on the left) embarked on the Wattpark adventure. © Watt Park
Interviewed by our colleagues from echoesMarc Lepage, the founder of Wattpark, said he had “commercial contacts with 18 countries with quantities from 2000 to 5000 pieces” (paid item).
Additional annual income of €192
Currently, the park is estimated at more than a thousand terminals, the cost of the new terminal (7.4 kW) and its installation starts from 990 €, excluding tax credits. The annual revenue generated by a Wattpark terminal would be around €192, according to the French start-up, which charges a 10% commission.
© Erick Fontaine / Digital
The operating principle is based on a dedicated mobile app (iOS and Android). It allows you to geolocate, book and connect to Wattpark terminals made available by the community. The idea is to do away with the many cards in your wallet: your mobile phone becomes a remote control to open and access terminals.