Powerdale: the secrets of successful electromobility

Simplification and security

The Belgian scale-up PowerdaleOpens a new window got it right by facilitating the electrical transformation of our companies' fleets. The idea is to simplify the energy and operational management of plug-in electric vehicles through connected stations and smart cables.

“The challenge is to be able to exploit the full potential of M2M technology without compromising data security in the face of an exponential volume of data and a growing number of users connected to the platform”, stresses Hughues D'Haeyer, co-founder of Powerdale.

Cockpit - dynamic management

In order to support and consolidate Powerdale’s solution, Proximus has designed Cockpit – an M2M platform for activating, deactivating and managing SIM cards. 2G, 4G and private APN technology. To D’Haeyer's mind, everything is planned. “This co-creation also involves fiber connectivity between our datacenters and our various operational centers. It’s the last part of the puzzle that we need to boost our own platform. The result is dynamic management for the driver, the fleet manager, but also the building manager.”

Hughues D’Haeyer, co-founder of Powerdale

Value for money

Powerdale is neither a network operator nor a charging station manager. The ambition of D’Haeyer and his team is to provide an infrastructure that is operated by the ecosystem. ‘To achieve this, our platform requirements were clear: excellent value for money, unparalleled technical service, flexible SIM card management and an uncompromising security partner. This is what led us to Proximus.”

Fiber connectivity

Now is the time for the charging solutions provider in Rhode-St-Genèse to consolidate the platform and production processes. "4,000 SIM cards are currently activated and I want to ensure stable performance when the platform has to handle ten times that amount.” A goal that requires well thought-out connectivity. “Until now, our data has passed through our servers. Today, the network communicates directly with the datacenter via fiber . This is a must considering the increasing volume of data.” D’Haeyer is also eagerly awaiting 5G to enable two-way communication between the stations and the platform.

Stephan Atsou, Sales & Marketing Manager at Powerdale

This is not a station.

With electric fleets comes charging station infrastructure. Powerdale is also innovating in this area by offering stations where the charging module is not located in the station itself, but rather in a central technical cabinet. "Less risk of an accident in the event of damage to a station and, above all, a more permanent solution as well as efficient maintenance due to a concentration of infrastructure" explains Stéphan Atsou.

Serving the mobility plan

More and more organizations are signing up to ambitious mobility plans. Electromobility is, of course, one of them. The objective is therefore to facilitate the transition and administrative management. “Our smart solutions fit perfectly with the deployment of the new mobility plan from Proximus .

In keeping with the ecosystem, our platform is interconnected with that of Vaigo, chosen by Proximus to centralize the mobility budget of its employees", explains Stéphan Atsou, Sales & Marketing Manager at Powerdale. Our smart cable makes it possible to charge a vehicle at home, at the office or even in the public network, and the data is automatically transmitted for automated payment”

Discover the sustainable mobility plan of Proximus

Transition in progress

In 2019, Powerdale and VUB studied the socio-demographic profile of electric car users. Two years later, Stéphan Atsou noted that the electromobility market has moved into a second phase: “The one where the 'early adopters' are taking control. So electric vehicles continue to be adopted, driven by eco-friendly awareness, attractive legal and fiscal standards and a CTO that is closer to the thermal vehicle. We are now advocating for technological standardization and a seamless user experience.”

Electromobility: the three success factors according to Powerdale

1. Communication by design: make sure that the charging points communicate with each other and to a platform for efficient use of data.
2. Energy management: take into account the amount of energy AND power required within your infrastructure / fleet.
3. The public network as an exception: equip your fleet with smart charging solutions at home and at the office.