By Leslie Auzèmery
Published on L’Automobile et L’Enterprise
TSG, a key player in the deployment of new forms of mobility on French and European road networks, plays an essential role in the energy transition. This European mid-size company, specialized in technical services dedicated to responsible mobility solutions, has made a major strategic shift in 2019, moving from single energy to multi-energy.
Since then, the company has recorded an exceptional performance, with growth of 22% in 2023, including 200% in electric mobility. “We still install pumps for service stations, an essential strategic activity for the country, but it no longer represents more than 40% of our sales today,” explains TSG Group CEO Jean-Marc Bianchi. “Our growth has largely come from new mobility energies: electric, gas and hydrogen. From sales of 3 million euros in 2019 in electric vehicles, we are now up to 300 million euros. Across Europe, we have installed 45,000 electric charging stations, some of which we maintain. We multiplied this activity by 100, with a clear positioning: B2B in several secure fast and ultra-fast charging segments in service stations, charge point operators or corporate fleets.
B2B services…
This success confirms the relevance of the company’s strategic decision to focus its activities on responsible mobility. To expand its global footprint, TSG is forging strategic partnerships with manufacturers of charging stations and electric vehicles, electricity grid operators and municipalities. These alliances enable TSG to provide solutions tailored to the specific needs of each market. “We’ve chosen not to become a manufacturer – that’s not our business. On the other hand, we are partners with all the big names in charger manufacturing, because the market is still largely immature. TSG installs and maintains them. Our service business is supported by 4,500 technicians, whose territorial coverage means we can be on-site with our customers in less than an hour,” explains Jean-Marc Bianchi. In recent years, TSG has made many acquisitions, mainly in the electrical sector, followed by gas and payment systems. As a result, 1,000 employees have joined the Group, and a further 1,500 have been recruited on a net basis.
… to plant financing
To better support its corporate customers, the technical services specialist has also diversified and regrouped its offerings. Jean-Marc Bianchi continues: “For fleets, we saw the need for completely integrated ‘full package’ offers that go beyond electrical charging stations. The ‘must have’: installing protective shades equipped with photovoltaic panels, which has also become an obligation for outdoor parking lots with a certain number of spaces. Demand is increasingly moving towards stationary batteries for energy storage with the option of re-injecting it into the car or into the grid at peak consumption times, which is financially attractive. But in these cases, budgets are much higher than for the usual investment in a charging station. That’s why we’ve set up a partnership with BNP Paribas Leasing Solutions. The aim is to offer customized financing based on the leasing principle. This turnkey solution, covering both technical and financial aspects, brings real added value to the company, facilitating investment in new energy infrastructures for mobility.
Photovoltaics, a new strategic pillar
Last but not least, TSG Group has recently developed a new business line dedicated to photovoltaics, to meet the new requirements for parking lot equipment. “Over the past year, through two acquisitions, we have achieved sales of €20 million in this segment. Over the next four years, we’re aiming for 100 million euros. This is an important market to seize, with a supply that is still insufficient,” asserts Jean-Marc Bianchi. At a time when the Group’s strategy is to double in size every five years, solar power adds another engine to the TSG rocket!
