Ionity scores big partners in push to cover Europe with EV chargers
What better place to add EV chargers than gas stations?
Ionity is the name for a group of automakers that intend to deploy a high-speed EV charging network across Europe. But they're not building these sites in the middle of nowhere.
Ionity announced today that it has formed strategic partnerships with multiple site partners, including Shell, OMV and Circle K, for its pan-European EV charging network. Each partner will help Ionity establish charging sites in an effort to provide a solid backbone for the future of electric vehicles.
Shell will partner with Autobahn Tank & Rast in Germany, which runs more than 700 gas and service stations across the country. OMV will cover Austria, Slovenia, Hungary and the Czech Republic. Circle K will help Ionity expand in Denmark, Estonia, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway and Sweden. Finally, a partnership with Shell will cover Belgium, France, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Poland and Slovakia. All together, these partnerships cover 18 countries in Europe.
You didn't think Ionity was going to just start digging holes in the middle of nowhere for these chargers, did you?
Ionity's core membership comprises BMW, Ford, Daimler and Volkswagen Group. This collective hopes to establish 400 fast-charging stations across Europe. The chargers will be capable of 350-kW charging speeds, nearly three times that of Tesla's Supercharger network. Vehicles aren't able to use those speeds just yet, but that's expected to change in the next couple of years.
The project is kicking off with 20 stations in Germany, Norway and Austria, and Ionity intends to have 50 stations established by the start of 2018, expanding to double that by year's end. Ionity's doors are open, welcoming any automaker that wants to help foster EV adoption by increasing access to fast, reliable sources of battery charge.
