AMPECO is expanding its presence in Southern Europe by appointing Yaron Piazza as the region’s Business Development Director. Based in Italy, Yaron will lead our business development efforts across Italy, Spain, and Portugal, strengthening our commitment to serving these growing markets.
Experience in EV Charging and AMPECO’s Platform
Yaron’s journey in the e-mobility sector began in 2019 when he joined one of Italy’s largest utility companies. He later moved to Free to Move Solutions in 2021, where he gained firsthand experience with AMPECO’s platform as a client. This unique perspective gives him valuable insight into both the challenges facing charge point operators and the capabilities of our software.
“What impressed me most about AMPECO is how the platform empowers charge point operators with a comprehensive and future-proofed software platform,” Yaron explains. “For utilities and CPOs looking to enter the EV charging market or upgrade their existing systems, AMPECO offers a sophisticated alternative to in-house development, which can be resource-intensive and time-consuming. The platform provides the flexibility, scalability, and advanced features these businesses need to accelerate their EV charging operations and maintain full control of their brand and customer experience.”
Understanding the Southern European Market
The Southern European EV charging landscape presents both challenges and opportunities. According to Yaron, while EV adoption in the region has been slower compared to Northern European countries, there’s an apparent acceleration taking place.
Italy has made the most progress in EV readiness among the three markets. By the end of 2024, the country had 58,189 public charging points across almost 20 thousand locations, and it’s making strides in its charging infrastructure, with €740m from the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) dedicated to installing 21,400 ultra-fast charging stations in urban and motorway areas by 2025.
The neighboring Spain currently boasts 50,000 charging points, but nearly 23%—around 11,500—are inoperable due to permitting issues, maintenance backlogs, or regulatory delays. While Spain has doubled its ultra-fast charging network in recent years, it still has only 3,255 high-power charge points (150 kW and above) nationwide, barely meeting the needs of long-distance EV travel routes.
Portugal’s public charging network is experiencing impressive growth, with the current infrastructure already boasting over 8,000 charge points—remarkably, almost half of these are high-speed DC chargers. This strong foundation, combined with collaborative efforts between public and private sectors, positions Portugal well to accelerate toward the government’s ambitious target of 15,000 charge points by 2025. The high proportion of DC chargers demonstrates Portugal’s commitment to quality infrastructure that provides faster charging times for EV users.
The cultural context also plays an important role. “Culturally speaking, Southern Europe is more conservative,” Yaron notes. “Scandinavian countries have made more progress on environmental issues, but southern countries are increasingly aware of the challenges and taking steps to catch up.”
Despite slower consumer adoption, the CPO landscape is active and growing: “Every year, new CPOs are entering this market, and everyone is trying to find their piece of land where they could install their charging network.”
AMPECO’s Advantages for Southern European Operators
Based on his experience as both an industry professional and former AMPECO client, Yaron highlights several key advantages our platform offers to Southern European operators:
“The most important feature is the flexibility. AMPECO allows operators to optimize pricing, billing, and monetization strategies easily,” he explains. “Having all the data in one platform helps CPOs avoid using multiple software systems for different functions.”
He emphasizes our Dynamic Load Management (DLM) capabilities for utilities: “The DLM is one of the few features that is very important for them. A platform that can easily manage charging loads would be invaluable, and it’s not quite easy to find in other competitors’ platforms.”
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Strategic Focus Going Forward
Looking ahead, Yaron plans to focus on building partnerships with existing CPOs and utilities while keeping an eye on emerging opportunities.
“I would prioritize closing partnerships with the CPOs and utilities. I would also try to reach the new CPOs emerging in Italy, Spain, and Portugal,” he explains. “Even if they start small, I wouldn’t underestimate the new players. A new CPO launching today could grow quickly, adding a substantial number of charging points over the years.”
As the EV charging industry evolves, Yaron anticipates several key technological trends, including more intelligent charging solutions with AI-driven optimization, enhanced user experience, deeper grid integration with vehicle-to-grid capabilities, and greater interoperability through standardized protocols.
“In the next years, we will see V2G entering the market and being used on a regular basis,” Yaron predicts. “The software will need to be aligned with this new grid capability.”
A Partner for Southern Europe’s EV Charging Growth
Yaron’s appointment strengthens our commitment to the Southern European market and our mission to empower EV charging providers with innovative technology tailored to regional needs.
Explore tailored EV charging solutions for Southern European markets and discover how AMPECO can support your business.
