Star Charge's Overseas Breakthrough
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As the car-to-charger ratio in the domestic market reaches 2.5:1, range anxiety among new energy vehicle users is easing, and achieving further growth has become a new challenge for many charging pile companies.
"Seeking growth overseas" is gradually becoming a consensus in the industry.
With the increasing adoption of new energy vehicles, European and American countries are ramping up the construction of public charging stations. For example, the French government's goal is to have 400,000 public charging stations by 2030, about twice as many as by the end of 2024; the UK aims to have at least 300,000 public charging stations by 2030, roughly 3.5 times the number in 2024.
This has attracted active participation from many domestic enterprises.
Since 2018, Wanbang Digital Energy Co., Ltd. (hereinafter "Wanbang Digital Energy") has been exploring overseas expansion with its core charging pile brand StarCharge, entering the international market under the "StarCharge" brand. It has gradually established a product sales and service system covering nearly 70 countries and regions, and its overseas business has shown good overall growth momentum.
Localized adaptation is the keyword for StarCharge’s overseas expansion.
In April 2025, the joint venture company SCHNEIDER ESTAR HOLDING B.V., formed by StarCharge and Schneider Electric, began operations to jointly explore the European market.
In terms of products, StarCharge adopts differentiated strategies for different markets.
At the recently held 11th SNEC (2025) International Energy Storage and Battery Technology and Equipment (Shanghai) Conference & Exhibition, StarCharge specifically launched a 2.5MW/5MWh string-type energy storage system for the European market. It features wide temperature range operation, suitable for -30°C to 55°C, meeting the demand for stable operation under harsh climate conditions in high-latitude regions of Europe. It also adopts a low-noise design, making it suitable for noise-sensitive areas such as hospitals, schools, and residential districts, meeting strict local requirements for quiet operation.
However, new challenges have emerged.
On one hand, the power infrastructure in developed countries in Europe and America faces problems of aging lines, and infrastructure construction may, to some extent, limit the deployment of charging piles.
Goldman Sachs analysts Lina Thomas and Daan Struyven point out in their latest research report that the average operating time of the European grid has reached 50 years and 40 years in North America, both approaching the end of their service lives.
On the other hand, due to uncertainties such as geopolitical factors, how to expand overseas is also key.
On this basis, Wallstreetcn·Xinfeng had a conversation with Fu Huiliang, Vice President of International Division at Wanbang Digital Energy (StarCharge), breaking down the solutions to the infrastructure and compliance challenges faced by charging pile enterprises from a practical business perspective.
Fu Huiliang is currently Vice President of International Division at Wanbang Digital Energy (StarCharge), fully responsible for the company’s strategic planning, market development, and ecological cooperation in overseas business; leading the rollout of PV-storage-charging projects in regions including the Middle East, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and Europe, and completing brand and channel layout in more than 30 countries. He has established strategic cooperation with international partners such as Schneider Electric, BP, and EDF, promoting China’s charging technology, operation platform, and integrated PV-storage-charging solutions abroad.
Xinfeng: Recently, the looming end-of-life issue for power grid infrastructure in Europe and the US has drawn much market attention. How does the company view this challenge?
Fu Huiliang: Each project requires case-by-case analysis.
Take the US as an example, the eastern region’s power grid infrastructure is relatively fragile, but many of our projects are in the more developed western areas, where this problem is not so severe.
Additionally, if our projects in eastern US encounter issues like aging lines, the project owners will undertake necessary line upgrades.
For example, if we are to build a charging station, it’s the owner of the charging station who will upgrade the lines, while we act as the technology and equipment provider, offering assistance. But it does indeed increase, to some extent, the cost of building charging stations.
Xinfeng: Are there power grid infrastructure challenges in Southeast Asia’s emerging markets?
Fu Huiliang: In fact, grid infrastructure problems in Southeast Asia can be more pronounced.
Although Europe and America face aging problems, they have strict entry policies and high compliance standards, so at least quality is assured. Even if issues arise, local owners in Europe and America are cautious; they will upgrade power lines before starting a project, not proceeding forcibly.
But Southeast Asia is different. Despite shorter operation years, there are more pronounced quality control issues in their grid lines. Combined with some freedom on the local owners’ part, it’s possible that infrastructure not up to standard is still used to install charging piles forcibly. Our projects strictly prohibit such behavior.
However, the cost of upgrading power lines is indeed high, so we equip them with energy storage systems, such as PV-storage systems, to reduce reliance on the grid.
Xinfeng: In April this year, the joint venture company (SCHNEIDER ESTAR HOLDING B.V.) formed by StarCharge and Schneider Electric began operations. How is this collaboration progressing?
Fu Huiliang: Actually, our cooperation with Schneider has a long history. It’s precisely due to this trust that we established the joint venture to explore the European market together. Currently, cooperation has gone well, our European team has merged into the joint venture, and collaboration is smooth.
Xinfeng: So in the future, will all StarCharge’s European business operate through this joint venture?
Fu Huiliang: Yes, within the business scope agreed in the contract. But for some cooperation with car companies, we will still pursue it independently.
Xinfeng: In your international business, what is the proportion of partnerships with car companies vs. joint ventures with Schneider and other foreign companies?
Fu Huiliang: In terms of absolute volume, car companies account for less than half, but overall both are equally important.
This is because some car companies’ overseas business is quite large and global. For instance, our partner Vinfast from Vietnam operates not only in Southeast Asia but worldwide, and they are also a charging station operator. In such cases, our cooperation tends to be diverse.
Xinfeng: What is the progress on StarCharge’s self-built production sites in overseas markets? How do you consider cost issues?
Fu Huiliang: Mainly in the US and Southeast Asia. Currently, our US base is operational, and in the future we will also build factories in Southeast Asian countries.
Costs in the US are certainly higher, but our operational efficiency is improved, and the overall cost is reasonable.
Xinfeng: How does AI contribute to improving StarCharge’s global operation and maintenance management?
Fu Huiliang: AI is indeed an important tool for improving operational management efficiency. One aspect is supporting our charging pile business; AI definitely helps. In addition, for customer service, we use AI tools, such as virtual power plant forecasting capabilities.
Xinfeng: Is it difficult to promote virtual power plants overseas?
Fu Huiliang: There are indeed challenges, since the energy business in every country has its own regulatory requirements, especially in data supervision.
Xinfeng: Looking to the future, what other growth opportunities can StarCharge explore beyond the hardware market?
Fu Huiliang: For example, we help foreign charging station operators run their apps, so the charging pile app you see abroad may seem unrelated to us, but actually we are operating it behind the scenes.
Maintenance services are also an area we're exploring for growth. Equipment usually comes with warranties, so subsequent maintenance and upgrades of charging stations are all services we can provide.
Because if the owner handles maintenance and upgrades themselves, the subsequent burden will be great. Currently, some of our orders include maintenance services for up to ten years, so now overseas orders generally include both hardware and follow-up maintenance services, not just hardware sales.
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