Petrotec Group announces the installation of an electric vehicle charger factory in northern Portugal

Petrotec Group announces the construction of a new production facility in Póvoa de Lanhoso, dedicated to manufacturing fast and ultra-fast electric vehicle chargers. This €4 million investment strengthens the company's position as a key player in the sustainable mobility sector. This facility will produce equipment for the Group's startup, Hellonext, as well as supply other significant commercial partners. Production is expected to begin in the second half of the current year, with 90% of the output intended for export. This new factory, which represents Petrotec Group's fifth industrial unit, will create approximately fifty new jobs in the short term.

Since its founding in 1983, the Petrotec Group has emerged as a European leader in the production of equipment and services for the fuel industry. With 100% Portuguese capital, subsidiaries in eight countries, and representation in 84 countries across four continents, the company employs over 1,200 people and partners with some of the world's largest companies and retailers, with equipment installed in more than 200,000 service stations.

However, since late 2018, the Petrotec Group has positioned itself across the entire mobility value chain, with the Hellonext brand driving the strategy for transitioning to a new energy paradigm by offering the market a wide range of innovative and sustainable solutions in electric vehicle charging, green hydrogen, and distributed energy resources.

The installation of a new electric vehicle charger factory in Póvoa de Lanhoso reinforces the Petrotec Group's commitment to the sustainable mobility sector.

Immediately, with about fifty employees, the new Petrotec Group factory – the Group's fifth – will produce electric chargers. Production is scheduled to begin in the second half of this year. “The construction is underway and progressing according to the outlined plan,” acknowledges Nuno Cabral, CEO of the Petrotec Group. According to him, “in the first phase, the unit will be prepared to manufacture 3,000 fast and ultra-fast chargers annually, primarily for markets such as the United Kingdom, Spain, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Estonia, Iceland, Lithuania, and Romania.”

The factory being installed in Póvoa de Lanhoso also aims to accelerate Hellonext's positioning as one of the leading European brands in the sector. “Our aspiration, by 2030, is to occupy a central position in the European market for ultra-fast electric vehicle chargers. A new industrial unit is a decisive step in that direction, as it enables us to respond more quickly to the market,” emphasizes Hugo Rigor, General Manager of Hellonext.

This project benefits from a strategic partnership between the Petrotec Group and the Taiwanese multinational Zerova for the co-development and distribution of electric vehicle chargers. In terms of equipment, for example, the gradual incorporation of Petrotec Group’s market-leading technologies is planned, including payment systems, content management, fleet management, and communication with point of sale (POS) systems, among others.