The electric vehicle is a reality that continues to advance, but sales can only continue to grow if an accessible and affordable charging infrastructure is created, with both private and public access solutions. According to Danish startup Monta, which specialises in electric vehicle charging, more than 90 million new chargers will be installed worldwide by 2030.

In order to position itself in this market, Monta has closed an investment round of 80 million euros that will allow it to accelerate the deployment of charging infrastructure and strengthen its presence in Spain, where it has already set up 6,400 charging points out of a total of 600,000. At least 2 million euros will be spent on adapting its solutions to heavy goods vehicles.

New employees at the Barcelona hub
Shortly after arriving in Spain, in 2023, Monta opened a hub in Barcelona that will become the centre of operations from which it will pilot its growth in Spain. Part of the funding will be specifically earmarked to strengthen its operations in the Spanish market, which will mean expanding the hub's workforce by 270%.

Monta's solutions include an electric vehicle charging platform and integrated software that facilitates the process for its customers and for hardware manufacturers, operators and companies. An unspecified part of the funding received will be used to strengthen R&D operations.

As Monta CEO and founder Casper Rasmussen explained, “Our differentiator is that we take on the entire value chain of the EV charging market with a tool that streamlines and simplifies charging operations for all participants, bridging the gap between energy suppliers and end users”.

Strategic investment and global trade agreement
Barcelona is also home to the headquarters of Wallbox, another young company that designs electric vehicle charging and energy management systems. The recent signing of a global commercial agreement with Generac Power Systems has been a major endorsement of its proposition, complemented by a strategic investment by the US energy technology company.

The investment, although a minority one, includes the addition of a Generac representative on Wallbox's Board of Directors. The commercial agreement will in addition enable it to provide Wallbox's charging and energy management solutions to its customers and its distribution network.

Distribution network in the United States
Wallbox solutions include home chargers and a bi-directional charger. For the Spanish company, its partnership with Generac opens up a valuable distribution network in the United States. Together with the installation services provided by the US-based Coil, which Wallbox acquired in 2022, this will enable the company to accelerate the development of charging points in commercial establishments with public access, such as supermarkets, shopping centres and restaurants.

Generac President and CEO Aaron Jagdfeld explained, “Our first joint effort will accelerate Generac's entry into the electric vehicle charging market with leading technology, including the commercialisation of a bi-directional home charger under both brands. Our plan is to further integrate technologies between Wallbox and Generac and leverage the combined strength of our brands to offer a broader line of both residential and commercial solutions.”

For the co-founder and CEO of Wallbox, Enric Asunción, “Adding Generac, the leader in auxiliary energy sources in the United States, to our distribution network will provide us with a level of accessibility that does not yet exist in the market”.

^{Photo: Wallbox}