A group of primarily German automakers will open ultra-fast electric vehicle charging stations this year and plans a pan-European network of 400 by 2020, intending to narrow Tesla’s lead.
News about the effort, first flagged a year earlier, had been long expected as governments push for improvements in infrastructure that would encourage motorists to switch to electric vehicles.
IONITY, a joint venture of BMW, Daimler, Ford Motor and Volkswagen with its Audi and Porsche brands, prepares to open 20 stations to the public this year in Germany, Norway and Austria. They will be 120 km (75 miles) apart and operate in collaboration with Tank & Rast, Circle K and OMV.
“The first pan-European HPC network plays an important role in establishing a market for electric vehicles,” IONITY’s CEO Michael Hajesch stated on Friday. He included that the fast-charging stations would likewise use digital-payment facility.
IONITY is still in talks with charging station providers and a decision is anticipated soon, a spokesperson stated, refusing to mention how much the joint venture would invest.
Setting up thousands of High-Power Charging (HPC) stations worldwide will require billions of dollars in investment and provide an opportunity to producers. The automobile consortium’s new fast chargers will cost about 200,000 euros ($233,000) each, sources stated formerly.
Companies ranging from engineering corporations such as Siemens to small professionals like ChargePoint are hoping to contribute.
IONITY will extend its network to 100 stations in 2018, each one making it possible for numerous motorists of different automobile brands to charge their vehicles at the same time.
