The British company InstaVolt, which specialises in providing rapid charging infrastructure for electric vehicles, has started its expansion in Spain and Portugal as part of its internationalisation process. At the time of the announcement, it had already signed agreements to install 245 points, 120 of them in Spain and the rest in the neighbouring country.

InstaVolt's goal is to install 5,000 ultra-rapid chargers in Spain and Portugal by 2030. Construction of the first of these will begin shortly in order to meet a demand that still outstrips supply in many regions of the peninsula.

Recruitment of engineers
The company, owned by the investment firm EQT Infrastructure, will hire engineers from all across the region, as well as a team ready to diagnose and troubleshoot problems remotely. In addition to installation, InstaVolt owns and maintains its infrastructure.

InstaVolt chargers provide 99% reliability. They operate on a model that is open to all drivers, and without the need for a subscription or membership card. The company describes the process as quick, easy and uncomplicated. Payment can be made using any credit or debit card.

Beyond the big cities
The land on which the chargers are located is rented. The first example to be seen in Spain will be next to the Sucre cinemas in Vic (Barcelona). With this location, the company is emphasising its aim to extend its network beyond the major cities. It is, however, easily accessible and close to other businesses, such as a restaurant and a supermarket.

InstaVolt supports its decision to expand in Spain with data from the Business Association for the Development and Promotion of Electric Mobility (Asociación Empresarial para el Desarrollo e Impulso de la Movilidad Eléctrica – AEDIVE), which points to a growth in public charging infrastructure by 2024. The number of public access points in operation in Spain did in fact exceed 34,000 at the end of the first half of the year  1,905 were installed and activated between April and June, with an average of 20 per day. The fastest-growing were the high-powered ones (between 50 and 250 kilowatts), which experienced an increase of 10%.

InstaVolt CEO Delvin Lane describes Spain and Portugal as “two key markets for transitioning to electric mobility in Europe”, and justifies the early construction of the first 245 ultra-rapid chargers as “a decisive step in our commitment to provide high-quality charging infrastructure capable of responding to growing user demand”.

^{Photo: InstaVolt}