Free charging for EVs with IONITY was officially relegated to the history books today: As of now, the HPC coalition of vehicle manufacturers BMW, Daimler, Ford and Volkswagen and its subsidiaries Audi and Porsche will begin charging €8 per charge.

If this flat-rate will be the long-term price, was not immediately mentioned in the IONITY statement. The only mention was that this introduction period begins today, during which the price for a charge will be 8 Euros, Swiss Franks or British Pounds, depending on location. After further inquiry, the company admitted that the introductory period would likely last until the end of the year. How the pricing model will look in the future was not mentioned.

The payment method will be processed via a smart phone app, using a QR code mounted on the chargers. The charging process can also be started using the Plugsurfing key or app. IONITY boss Michael Hajesch is convinced that the venture is well on its way towards eliminating one of the biggest barriers to e-mobility today: The set up of a reliable charging infrastructure outside of major cities. A flat price rate across Europe would only help lower the entry barriers for EV drivers.

IONITY plans to set up a total of 400 HPC locations across Europe, utilizing 350 kW chargers. IONITY has picked up several international partners recently to help make this happen: The Spanish oil company Cepsa (Compañía Española de Petróleos) will help set up 100 HPC chargers at their gas stations in Spain and Portugal, while a similar agreement was struck with the Italian energy company Enel.

Currently IONITY is operating eight charging locations with a total of 20 charging stations: three in Switzerland, two in France and Germany, each, and one in Austria.

ionity.eu