EVBox, a Dutch charging infrastructure provider, is set to drastically scale down its operations after incurring significant losses. The company, which has been under the ownership of French energy giant Engie since 2017, has posted total losses of €800 million, forcing it to close most of its branches and lay off the majority of its workforce. Only 30 out of approximately 700 jobs are expected to be retained, according to a report by Het Financieele Dagblad.
The closures will affect EVBox’s locations in the Netherlands, Germany, and the United States, while the factory in Bordeaux, France, has been sold. Engie, which had been seeking a buyer for EVBox for several months, confirmed to Dutch media that two bids had been received but neither was sufficient to prevent the company’s closure. “The closure reflects the challenges we faced in finding a suitable buyer,” Engie stated. The buyer of the Bordeaux facility remains undisclosed, leaving the future of charging station production at the plant uncertain.
EVBox, founded in 2010, has supplied 500,000 charging points worldwide, including a 480 kW fast charging station used in the newly launched lorry corridor between Paris and Lyon. However, the company’s struggles are part of a broader trend in the DC charging market. Recent months have seen other providers, such as Austrian manufacturer EnerCharge and Brandenburg-based start-up ME Energy, face insolvency due to market challenges and overcapacity.
Dutch media have suggested that political factors may have influenced the outcome, with Engie potentially prioritizing French interests during its search for solutions for EVBox. This claim is supported by the fact that only the Bordeaux plant will remain operational while sites in the Netherlands, Germany, and the U.S. are set to close. However, no official assessment has been made regarding these allegations.
