V2C in Le Point: why the charging station is becoming a true energy tool

Is the charging station still just a charging station? As the electric mobility market evolves rapidly, usage is changing as well. Charging is no longer just about powering a vehicle: it is gradually integrating into a broader energy ecosystem.

It is around this evolution that Harry Seacombe, Country Manager France of V2C, spoke with Nelson Monfort in an interview published by Le Point.

A conversation that allows for a broader perspective on the transformations in the market, user expectations, and the technologies that will shape the charging of tomorrow.

From charging to energy management

Just a few years ago, choosing a charging station mainly involved comparing a few criteria: charging power, price, type of connection, or available features. Today, expectations have changed. A station must be able to integrate into the electrical installation of a home or business, adapt to the available power, utilize solar energy when available, and optimize charging costs.

The question is no longer just: “How fast can I charge my car?” It becomes: “How can I charge more intelligently?”

This evolution is what V2C has been supporting for several years. The station is gradually becoming a true energy management tool, capable of communicating with its environment and adapting to the user’s needs.

Charging that adapts to each installation

Every electrical installation is different. Each user also has their own consumption habits. Some want to charge their vehicle at the best price. Others want to maximize the use of their photovoltaic production. For businesses, the issue can be even different: managing multiple vehicles, controlling available power, and planning charges while minimizing costs.

The challenge is therefore to offer a charging solution that can adapt to these different uses. At V2C, this approach is based in particular on dynamic power management, integration of photovoltaics, and intelligent charging control.

The goal is simple: to use the available energy in the most relevant way possible, without adding unnecessary complexity for the user.

Photovoltaics also change the way we charge

The development of photovoltaic self-consumption further reinforces this evolution. When a household produces its own energy, being able to use it directly to charge its electric vehicle gives a new dimension to charging. The station no longer simply receives electricity to transmit it to the car. It becomes an element of the home’s energy system.

It is particularly in this logic that V2C develops solutions capable of adapting to photovoltaic installations and prioritizing the use of locally produced energy. This approach meets an increasingly strong expectation: to better control one’s energy and reduce the costs associated with charging.

And tomorrow, will we still talk about “charging stations”?

This is one of the questions posed by Nelson Monfort to Harry Seacombe during the interview.

A question that summarizes the ongoing transformation well.

The coming years should see the development of several technologies that will further expand the role of electric charging: increasingly advanced integration of photovoltaics, optimization based on energy prices, enhanced connectivity, and the development of bidirectional charging. With this last evolution, the electric vehicle could gradually become an integral part of the energy system. Energy could then flow in multiple directions.

The car would no longer just be a vehicle that we charge, but could also become an energy reserve capable of interacting with its environment.

Electric charging thus enters a new phase: one where the vehicle, the home, the building, and the grid begin to communicate with each other.

France, a strategic market for V2C

This transformation is particularly interesting in France, where the electric mobility market is experiencing significant acceleration. For V2C, this dynamic is directly reflected in its development. In just a few years, France has become the second market for V2C, behind Spain, where the company has been established since 2015.

This progress is based in particular on the alignment between the solutions developed by V2C and the needs of the French market: smart charging, integration of photovoltaics, dynamic energy management, and support for professionals.

But V2C’s investment in France is not only reflected in the growth of its activities. It is also based on a team that is growing and gradually gaining autonomy, with commercial, technical, and marketing skills, as well as increasing support from R&D. An organization that allows V2C to stay close to the realities of the French market, respond more quickly to the needs of customers and partners, and develop more solutions and innovations tailored to local specifics.

This dynamic is primarily based on a committed team that supports the daily development of V2C in France and is fully invested in meeting the growing expectations of the market.

The company aims to continue this dynamic in the coming years with a clear ambition: to make France its primary market by 2028.

Software takes a central role

This market evolution also transforms the way a charging station is designed. Hardware remains essential, but it no longer solely constitutes the charging experience. Software, connectivity, and associated services now play a decisive role.

At V2C, this ecosystem allows users to manage their charging, track their consumption, and better utilize their energy. For installers and professionals, supervision and support tools also become essential to simplify the installation and monitoring of equipment.

This complementarity between hardware and software is at the heart of V2C’s approach.

Advanced technology, but it must remain simple

The more technology progresses, the more simplicity becomes important.

For the end user, energy management should not become a new source of complexity.

Smart charging should work in the background, adapt to needs, and allow everyone to take advantage of the possibilities offered by new technologies without needing to be an energy specialist.

This is also one of the challenges that V2C aims to address: developing solutions capable of integrating advanced technologies while remaining accessible and intuitive.

A vision focused on the coming years

Harry Seacombe’s interview in Le Point ultimately raises a broader question than that of simple car charging.

How will we manage our energy tomorrow?

As electric vehicles develop, photovoltaic installations multiply, and energy prices become an increasingly important criterion, charging will naturally take on a growing role in this equation.

At V2C, our ambition is to support this evolution by developing solutions that go beyond simple charging. Smarter, more connected solutions capable of integrating into an increasingly complex energy ecosystem.

Because tomorrow, charging may no longer just be a matter of electric cars. It will be a matter of energy.