IONITY has been rapidly expanding its ultra-rapid public charging network in the UK, with over 700 chargers and ambitious plans for 1,000+ by end-2026. What have been the biggest operational challenges in scaling at that pace, and how have you navigated them?
“IONITY GmbH is fully funded, engaged and poised to further expand. Scaling the network at pace brings practical challenges. Grid capacity, planning timelines and rising energy costs are the most common – which is to say it’s often the bureaucracy around sites, rather than actually installing them, that can delay things.
Overcoming these issues requires us to commit capital early, investing in sites that we know will see increasing demand over the coming months or years. It also requires us to work closely with distribution network operators and local authorities from the outset, as well as specialist partners in the legal and grid-side sectors that can help us accelerate the contracting, permitting and planning processes.
If you wait until utilisation peaks, you are too late. Planning and grid processes can slow deployment, so starting early and building in advance of demand is critical and makes a real difference both to us and to our users.”
Recent deployments include more urban-centric sites like your Birmingham location, compared to traditional motorway hubs. How do you balance investment between these different use cases, and what insights are shaping your urban strategy?
“Ultra rapid charging serves different needs depending on location. It’s a common misconception that high-powered charging (HPC) in general is only specialised for long-distance travel.
In reality, HPC in more densely populated urban areas support fleets such as taxis and other local business drivers, alongside residents without access to home charging. HPC will become ever more critical as the availability of more powerful cars improves – and I’m certain we will see these vehicles become increasingly accessible to consumers in the years to come.
Our Birmingham site reflects this shift from IONITY toward higher density areas where EV adoption is accelerating, and where analysis of things like utilisation data and traffic flow indicate an appetite for local charging. Motorway charging hubs will always be essential, but urban hubs offer convenience and resilience for local users. A mature network needs both – IONITY Urban is coming to a city near you soon!”
IONITY now partners with brands like Hilton and Village Hotels to host charging hubs. What makes for a successful site partner, and how do you prioritise locations that deliver both driver convenience and commercial viability?
“A great site partner understands that the best sites are those that drivers can stop at for more than just charging. If you can offer a strong customer experience across a number of amenities that drivers are likely to use anyway, you’re much more likely to see customers return.
With that in mind, we prioritise locations with 24-hour access, a strong portfolio of consumer services, and sites in close proximity to major routes or population centres. Hotel partners such as Village Hotels and Starbucks Drive Thru franchise owners work particularly well because drivers can charge while they rest, eat and drink, or stay overnight – increasing both charger usage and the revenue for those amenities.
These partnerships see cross-pollination of customers that create mutual value. Drivers receive reliable, convenient charging whilst being able to enjoy the amenities that make their trip genuinely enjoyable, turning charging from a purely functional experience into one that they can genuinely look forward to.
For site partners, hosting a charging hub not only future proofs their own business but also means increased footfall from EV drivers, many of whom then spend time and money on-site. Done well, these partnerships turn charging hubs into destinations that support a seamless driver experience, bring more revenue into into local businesses, and increase engagement for the host location – all of which creates more funds to invest back into improving that site.”
With evolving tariffs and competition in the UK market, how is IONITY approaching pricing to balance sustainable operations with driver affordability, especially for those without home charging, and for the early mainstream, looking to switch to electric?
“Electricity costs and fixed standing charges in the UK directly affect public charging prices. However it is not the only cost. Pricing reflects the real costs of energy, land, grid connections, construction and maintenance.
I work hard to ensure efficiencies across all aspects of our business to drive down cost and ensure we can offer the driver the most competitive process possible. But in addition to this, it’s essential that the pricing is transparent and clear for our customers, so both the charging experience and its financial impact are easy, clear, and stress-free.
That makes it our job to make things as clear and simple as possible for customers as possible. We focus on clear pricing through our app and at the charger itself, with a wide variety of subscription options to deliver the right price for frequent users. We’re conscious that for drivers without home charging, public infrastructure must remain an affordable and simple alternative. Driving an EV and fuelling with electric gives more stability on fuel price that petrol or diesel can. Since its entrance into the UK in 2018, IONITY has only changed its headline contactless price five times in those seven years, in total an increase of only 17%. For context, during this same period of inflation, compounded, is over 31%, and fixed costs in the energy bill have risen an incredible 463%.
This has been the main motivation for introducing subscription options at IONITY. Designed to reduce charging costs for frequent users, this is particularly important for drivers without access to home charging and who therefore rely more heavily on public infrastructure. But in addition, an app customer enables us to communicate with the driver directly. This is essential for future real-time pricing events such as plunge pricing on sites with low usage at a particular time of day, and/or dynamic time-of-day pricing.”
As charging standards and user expectations evolve (e.g., Plug & Charge, app integration), what innovations are you most focused on to improve the customer charging experience across your network?
Customer expectations around EV charging are evolving quickly. At IONITY, our focus is on removing friction from the entire charging journey through the use of technology and digital tools that make charging simpler. We’re proud to say that IONITY is now the largest ‘open to all’ Ultra Rapid Charging network in Europe and the only one with Plug and Charge enabled across its entire network. The fewer obstacles that get in the way, the more comfortable users will be in using us, and the wider EV ecosystem.
The IONITY app plays a key role in that experience. It allows drivers to plan routes, locate stations across our network, and receive real-time updates on the availability of charging points at the desired site. The app also notifies users when their car has reached optimal charge, whilst providing seamless and secure payment in-app options. Everything comes back to knocking down obstacles before the user experiences them.
Of course, the charging hardware itself plays a fundamental role in the customer experience. In April, we integrated Alpitronic’s HYC1000 chargers into our network, futureproofing against the rising capabilities of new EVs to charge at increasingly rapid rates. This new charger enables users to charge up to 200km of range in under eight minutes, providing our customers with access to some of the fastest and most advanced charging technology available today.
As EV adoption continues to grow, investing in the right technology will be key to delivering the speed, reliability and convenience that drivers expect. By combining ultra-fast technology with smart digital tools, we’re focused on building a network that supports the next generation of electric mobility.”
IONITY chargers are powered by 100% renewable energy. What challenges and opportunities do you see in coordinating with grid partners and local utilities as charging demand grows?
Ultra-fast charging sites require significant power capacity, so engaging early with grid partners is essential. Acting early also carries risk, and charging infrastructure often has to be built ahead of demand. But without forward investment, the network wouldn’t be ready as EV adoption grows.
Developing a site requires the aligning of grid connections, extensive planning permissions, and infrastructure installations – each with their own timelines and processes. As demand grows, coordination with partners may become more complex in terms of securing sufficient capacity in the right locations. The relationships between HPC providers and grid partners and/or local utilities will be crucial to working through these difficulties as demand increases.
At the same time, these partnerships create opportunities to better integrate renewable energy at scale and develop charging networks efficiently. IONITY is already exploring how it can lean further into the energy markets itself for its own generation and storage, This not only insulates us form energy price shocks but gives us far greater flexibility on end customer price offerings and more sophisticated dynamic pricing.”
How do UK government policies, incentives, and regulatory frameworks influence IONITY’s investment decisions? Are there specific areas where industry and policymakers could improve alignment to accelerate EV deployment?
“Government policy plays a significant role in shaping our investment strategy – so it’s good to be able to say that the current government has done a lot for EV ownership in recent times. The extension of the the Electric Car Grant is one such example, with £1.3bn of state funds earmarked to continue the discount of up to £3750 discount on selected electric vehicles. This helps sustain consumer demand, providing a greater confidence for CPOs investing in charging infrastructure.
However, there are still many areas within the sector that need more attention and would massively benefit EV adoption. The first is the equalisation of VAT, which would allow CPOs to lower the cost stack for public charging. Operators can then pass that reduction onto the customer, making EV mobility more accessible.
There’s also a need to address the electricity price in the UK, specifically addressing the fixed portions of the bill – capacity and standing charges are portions of the energy bill that have seen increases of 463% over the past 5 years. When HPC providers build new sites, they need to accommodate for demand they might not see for years, meaning that high prices are invested without the revenue to absorb them.
Alongside initiatives that continue to promote the customer demand for EVs, these two elements would go a long way to reducing the cost barriers that CPOs face in securing and activating new sites. In doing so, they would accelerate the pace at which EV infrastructure scales across the UK.”
Looking ahead to 2030 and beyond, what role do you see ultra-rapid public charging playing in the broader EV ecosystem, particularly as battery ranges increase and new charging technologies emerge?
“Ultra rapid public charging will remain central to the EV ecosystem through 2030 and beyond, and become a much more conventional option for the everyday consumer. As battery ranges increases and cars themselves develop much quicker charging capacity, drivers will expect an experience that reflects the capabilities of their vehicle as standard.
We expect in particular to see more ultra-rapid public charging in urban areas to accommodate commercial vehicles such as taxis and ‘last mile’ delivery fleets, in addition to those residents without access to off street parking.
This shifting sentiment will see a blend of home, destination and ultra rapid public charging continue to develop across the UK – all of which will underpin mass EV adoption in the years ahead.”
