Alpitronic to cut back hypercharger production

Alpitronic will soon scale down production of charging stations due to falling demand. While the official statement has not been released, due to the source of this information, the adjustment of production can be considered certain: The statement comes from Alpitronic CEO and co-founder Philipp Senoner.

Senoner told the German publication WirtschaftsWoche that revenue growth of around 80 per cent had been expected for 2024 – in other words, constant growth, as in previous years. In reality, growth was significantly lower; according to the CEO, Alpitronic expects an increase of “ten to 20 per cent” for 2024 as a whole, but Senoner spoke of a “very strong first half of the year”. Production will continue in the second half of the year “at a stable, lower level, which we also see for 2025”.

In fact, there have recently been rumours in the industry about a growing stock of hyperchargers – customers had secured access to large quantities via framework agreements, but had not called them up in full. Alternatively, customers have filled their own warehouses with hyperchargers that were already purchased but not yet installed and are therefore ordering fewer new products. Senoner himself cites the “sluggish sales of electric cars” as a reason for this in the report.

In Germany in particular, the expansion of the fast-charging network at motorway service stations is currently at a standstill until a verdict is reached in the legal dispute between Fastned and Tesla against the federal government’s Autobahn GmbH. However, the proceedings are not expected to be concluded before spring 2025. Until then, there will hardly be any new fast chargers at motorway service stations. However, the construction of charging stations and charging parks near motorways will continue. In addition – after the first charging park in December 2023 – more and more locations from the German network will now go into operation.

In 2023, however, Alpitronic had a market share of over 50 per cent for fast chargers in some countries and 30 per cent across Europe. It remains to be seen whether the company from South Tyrol will continue to hold such a dominant position, as Senoner also states that “greater competition” is being felt. And there is also pressure on sales prices, as “the entire ecosystem around electric charging must become cheaper”. Nevertheless, Alpitronic’s CEO is confident and is targeting a turnover of just over one billion euros in 2024, after Alpitronic was still just under the billion euro mark in 2023.

wiwo.de (in German)