Guillaume Noblet, sales director at Virta, gives us valuable information about electric vehicles. The charging technology has been the focus of attention during this exchange.
Can you present how the sector of electric charging solutions is evolving and the trends that are currently noticeable in France?
I am Guillaume Noblet. I am the sales director for Southern Europe. This includes the countries of France, Spain, and Italy. I lead the Virta team in the South, which consists of about 12 people. Most of them have sales functions. Our job at Virta is to provide innovative electric vehicle charging solutions to companies and large public actors. We do not deal with individual charging for homes. We are more specialized in charging for public actors or companies.
The sector of electric vehicle charging infrastructure (IRVE) is experiencing impressive dynamics, with significant investments from both the public and private sectors. By the end of last year, France had set an ambitious goal of deploying 100,000 charging points. Today, this milestone is not only reached but greatly exceeded, with over 125,000 operational charging points across the country. This rapid growth is the result of a collective effort that combines government initiatives, subsidies, and partnerships with private companies. This enables the provision of an increasingly dense network, essential for facilitating the adoption of electric vehicles, particularly in rural areas or less densely populated regions.
A notable advancement concerns French highways: the network is now fully covered, with a 100% availability rate of charging points at service areas. This coverage continues to evolve, particularly with the installation of high-capacity chargers capable of rapidly recharging a vehicle, thus strengthening the energy transition while offering a smooth and hassle-free charging experience for drivers.
For Virta, a key player in this sector, these advancements are crucial. They not only help strengthen the infrastructure but also integrate intelligent solutions. For example, the implementation of connected charging points allows for better management of energy consumption peaks and optimizes costs for companies while ensuring rapid and efficient charging. These smart systems play an essential role in the decarbonization process while addressing specific corporate needs in terms of flexibility and energy management.
What are the main expectations of electric mobility actors, both regarding security and the reliability of infrastructures?
The expectations of electric mobility actors vary greatly depending on the type of vehicle use. Take the example of a fleet of trucks used for last-mile delivery: these vehicles have specific charging needs. The availability of chargers then becomes a critical requirement. Indeed, for a transport company, every minute of unavailability of a charger translates to a loss of productivity, or even delays in deliveries. The uptime of charging infrastructures becomes a key performance indicator. A defective or inaccessible charger could jeopardize the entire logistics operation.
Conversely, for a company that provides charging stations in its own parking lot for its employees, the situation is less urgent. Users can tolerate occasional outages, as the impact on business is less direct. However, reliability remains a fundamental criterion. Even in this context, companies want to ensure that the chargers are functional and accessible, as the trust of employees in these infrastructures plays a major role in the adoption of electric vehicles. It also improves their employee experience.
Can you present the opportunities that the energy transition offers to companies specializing in electric vehicle research?
More and more companies are adopting electric vehicles. While the environmental aspect is often at the heart of the decision, other factors also play a significant role. The desire to comply with regulations on fleet greening, particularly those imposed by European and national laws on reducing CO2 emissions, drives many companies to switch to electric. But beyond this legal obligation, there is an important economic issue: the reduction of operating costs. Indeed, electric vehicles offer a maintenance cost much lower than that of thermal models. Fewer moving parts, no oil changes, and significantly lower fuel costs thanks to electricity, which remains a more economical energy source in the long term.
I emphasize a crucial point: the energy transition also allows for significant savings on energy consumption, especially with the evolution of charging technologies. Smart charging points optimize energy management by adjusting charging power according to the company’s needs, thereby avoiding costly energy consumption peaks. Some companies go even further by using load management solutions that take into account the variable electricity rates to limit costs by charging vehicles during off-peak hours when tariffs are lower.
For certain sectors, particularly logistics, the transition to electric vehicles is seen as a way to improve quality of life at work. Indeed, electric trucks and utility vehicles are often more pleasant to drive than their thermal counterparts: less noise, less vibration, and increased driving comfort, especially over long distances. This can have a direct impact on driver motivation and productivity while enhancing the company’s image as a modern and responsible actor.
Thus, the adoption of electric vehicles by companies is not limited to an ecological imperative. It is also motivated by economic and social considerations that, in many cases, make the switch to electric a strategic choice for companies.
How are you adapting to the new requirements of NIS 2?
The NIS2 directive, which came into effect in 2021, imposes strict cybersecurity requirements and now applies to an increasing number of essential sectors, including electric vehicle charging infrastructures. As such, these charging systems are now considered critical components of a country’s digital infrastructure, placing them under increased scrutiny regarding cybersecurity. For Virta, this represents a major challenge but also an opportunity to differentiate itself in terms of data security and infrastructure resilience.
Compliance with the NIS2 directive is a strategic imperative for all companies in the sector. In practice, this means that Virta has had to constantly strengthen its internal cybersecurity processes. This includes implementing real-time cyberattack detection solutions, adopting data encryption protocols, and ongoing training for teams to meet the rapidly evolving threats. Cybersecurity incidents are now managed proactively, with emergency response plans and regular testing to ensure effective management in the event of a crisis. These efforts are essential to protect user data and to ensure the continuity of service for charging points.
The NIS2 directive also imposes strict obligations regarding the notification of security incidents. In the event of a cyberattack or major incident, companies must inform the competent authorities within a very short time, typically 24 hours. This adds a layer of responsibility, but also of transparency, allowing regulators to track threats in real-time and enhance the protection of critical infrastructures at the European level.
Moreover, non-compliance with this directive can result in severe penalties. Companies that fail to meet cybersecurity standards may face fines of up to 10 million euros or up to 2% of their annual global turnover. This prospect encourages industry players to invest heavily in cybersecurity, not only to avoid financial penalties but also to ensure the trust of users and partner companies.
Has the ISO 27001 certification helped you anticipate and respond to the various obligations established by the NIS2 directive?
Virta benefits from ISO 27001 and SOC2 certifications, two references in terms of security and data management, which help it comply with the strict requirements of the NIS2 directive. The ISO 27001 certification, for example, is a globally recognized standard focusing on information security management. It requires the company to adopt a rigorous management system to protect sensitive data by implementing access controls, risk management processes, and information encryption protocols. This standard ensures that Virta adheres to high safety standards, minimizing the risk of data breaches and ensuring the confidentiality of information processed by charging points.
On the other hand, the SOC2 certification, specifically focused on security management in cloud environments, allows Virta to prove that its practices regarding security, availability, confidentiality, and privacy of data meet the standards of the best market practices. By obtaining this certification, Virta demonstrates its ability to maintain a reliable and secure cloud computing infrastructure, essential for managing the data of charging point users while ensuring continuous and efficient service.
These two certifications are not only guarantees of trust for Virta’s clients, but they also impose a strict framework for governance and annual audits. Each year, the company must undergo external audits to ensure that its security systems and internal processes remain compliant with the requirements of these certifications. These audits help identify potential vulnerabilities and provide necessary improvements to maintain rigorous security standards, particularly in the processing of sensitive user data, such as payment information or personal data.
How do you ensure the security and resilience of your infrastructures against cyber threats?
We work with AWS for data management, and they certify the redundancy of the information for us. They must also comply with the NIS 2 standard regarding the criticality of our data. You see, it’s important not to go with just any provider. They must help ensure that you comply with the standard as well.
Can the convergence between cybersecurity and electric mobility accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles and strengthen consumer trust in France?
I see the convergence between cybersecurity and electric mobility not only as a strategic issue but also as a real opportunity to reinforce consumer trust in electric vehicles and charging infrastructures. As the adoption of electric vehicles progresses, users are becoming increasingly sensitive to the security of their personal data and the reliability of associated services, especially in the context of connected charging infrastructures.
One of the major challenges lies in compliance with strict standards, such as the NIS2 directive (Network and Information Systems Directive), which requires companies in the sector to ensure the cybersecurity of their networks. This necessitates constant vigilance and the adoption of robust security solutions to protect data exchanged between vehicles, charging points, and management platforms. For Virta, this translates into implementing high-level information security practices, such as data encryption and real-time monitoring of charging infrastructures to prevent any intrusion or cyberattack.
But beyond cybersecurity, I also highlight the importance of interoperability between charging points from different industry players. Today, users are looking for solutions that allow them to easily charge their electric vehicles, regardless of the brand or network to which the charger belongs. This interoperability, facilitated by open standards and common protocols, is crucial to avoid market fragmentation and enhance the user experience. The fact that charging infrastructures can effectively communicate with each other, without users having to worry about system compatibility, is an essential factor in reassuring consumers and encouraging the large-scale adoption of electric vehicles.
By combining strict security requirements with enhanced interoperability, Virta is actively participating in the modernization of the charging sector. This approach not only improves the efficiency of services but also reassures users about the security and reliability of infrastructures, which are essential elements for maintaining the momentum of the energy transition.
