IONITY was created following Shell’s acquisition of charging company NewMotion – one of the largest charging providers in Europe – and builds on the portfolio of Shell Recharge fast chargers already located around the UK.



It’s the second example of a major oil company investing in electric vehicle charging, after BP’s takeover of Chargemaster in 2017. IONITY is a joint venture initially involving Daimler (parent company of Mercedes), BMW, Ford and VW Group brands Audi and Porsche. Hyundai and Kia became shareholders in September 2019.

At the same time as bringing Hyundai and Kia on board, IONITY also debuted a new design of charging station for its network, dubbed the 'High-Power Charger'. The unit promises an improved user experience, incorporating an LED light ring to act as a 'beacon' at night, making it easier for drivers to find stations. The ring indicates the chargers' availability by its colour, as well as providing a well-lit area for drivers charging their cars during darkness.

Each station features between four and six charging points, although most of IONITY’s sites have contracts for 10 years, which could see them expand as demand for public chargers rises. All sites receive 24-hour support – both remote and on-site – with a network of 2,400 points across Europe planned. The number of live stations had reached 150 in 20 countries by June 2020.

Recently, IONITY announced a new kilowatt-hour-based metered pricing structure for its 350kW electric-car charging points. Previously, IONITY had charged a flat fee of £8 for all charging sessions, regardless of how much electricity drivers consumed. This change comes partly in response to the UK government recently calling for card-payment capability at rapid chargers to become mandatory.

Since 31 January 2020, IONITY customers without contracts have been charged an ad-hoc rate of £0.69 per kWh, or €0.79 per kWh for locations on the continent. Those who access the network through manufacturer contracts from the likes of Audi, Mercedes, BMW and Porsche get a cheaper rate.

The ad-hoc fee translates to a 0-100% charge cost of approximately £27 for a 40kWh Nissan Leaf, or around £41 for a Tesla Model 3 Long Range, although rapid chargers like these are more commonly used for topping up in smaller increments, with full charges completed on home wallboxes overnight.