Electra relies on AWS to ensure the reliability of its ultra-fast charging stations

Electra's mission is to boost electric vehicle ownership by creating a network of ultra-fast charging stations in urban and suburban areas, where most users live. Unlike its competitors, who focus on major roads, Electra has chosen to establish itself in areas where charging is most frequently required, enabling full charging in just 15 to 30 minutes.

Electra's objective is to provide a reliable and pleasant experience, with satisfied users being able to convince other motorists to switch to electric vehicles. 'Our ambition is to make sure that going electric is no longer an open question. If we deploy an extensive and reliable network, the adoption of electric vehicles will become a matter of course’, explains Thomas Franquelin, the company's CTO.

Electra's network consists of 350 stations, with a total of 2,200 charging points. Apart from the many connected devices (screens, speakers, barriers, etc.), each station is equipped with a local network that plays an essential role in guaranteeing reliable connections and real-time monitoring. 'We run a network that people rely on to get home. Having downtime because our cloud provider fails is out of the question', explains Thomas Franquelin.

Electra ultimately plans to deploy a remote ‘brain’ at each station, enabling optimised control of operations. This IoT infrastructure provides seamless management of connected devices on site, guaranteeing continuity of service. Scalability was also an important factor in Electra's choice, given the need to be able to grow its network without constraint.

What really weighed in the balance was the operational width of Amazon Web Services (AWS): ‘We have a complex technical stack, covering the backend, mobile applications, IoT operations on station, and soon AI. We don't exactly know what we're going to need tomorrow, but with AWS, we can be sure that we won't be closing any doors’, points out Thomas Franquelin. AWS gives Electra the flexibility it needs to anticipate the future and integrate new technologies without limitation.

CPOs (Charge Point Operators) are considered critical players in terms of cyber security because of the possible consequences of an attack on the energy grid. Given the high power of some charging stations, poor power management or a malware attack could lead to grid instabilities or even blackouts. This is why Electra is required to comply with regulations such as the NIS 2 directive and the Network codes.

With this in mind, Electra has chosen to rely on AWS. ‘AWS infrastructure security is well proven and widely recognised by professionals’, explains Thomas Franquelin. AWS provides a wide range of tools and best practices that are well known to cybersecurity professionals. The reliability of the AWS infrastructure and the reputation of its cybersecurity solutions ensure that Electra can concentrate on its core business while benefiting from the best possible protection.