THE company behind the largest open brand high-power charging (HPC) network in Europe is bringing its electric vehicle infrastructure model to Northern Ireland.
The manufacturer-backed IONITY plans to invest £3 million by opening two new high-power stations - one at the Kennedy Centre in Belfast and the other at Toome service station.
Kennedy Centre will open with six 350kW HPC chargers and later extend to 11 chargers, while at Toome there will be 12 HPC chargers from the beginning.
And IONITY, one of the few networks currently operating 350kW ultra-rapid chargers, plans to expand both sites to 18 chargers in the future.
At those speeds, the latest electric cars like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 can recharge their batteries from 10 to 80 per cent in less than 18 minutes.
The IONITY network (www.ionity.eu) had previously charged a flat fee of £8 for all charging sessions, regardless of how much electricity drivers consumed.
But as of June, customers without contracts have been charged a rate at 74p per kWh, though those who access the network through manufacturer contracts from the likes of Audi, Mercedes, BMW and Porsche get a cheaper rate.
IONITY’s UK and Ireland country manager Andreas Atkins said: “Our mission is to build a comprehensive charging infrastructure throughout the UK and Europe, to enable a fast and seamless charging experience for EV drivers.
“The investment in Northern Ireland’s EV charging infrastructure is a key milestone for us. As well as helping the EV community to access conveniently rapid charging based renewable energy, we will also help to increase both businesses day to day with new customers at both sites.”
He added: “The openings of both sites in Toome and Belfast are just the tip of the iceberg as we continue to help the EV drivers of Northern Ireland access long-distance travel without the concerns of queues whilst they charge their vehicles”.
Kennedy Centre manager John Jones said: “Partnering with IONITY fits in perfectly with our long-term environmental strategy. It will certainly improve the service to the ever-growing number of EV customers that visit the centre.”
Tony Wan, project director of Endeavour Investments, which owns the Toome facility, said: “We are delighted to work with such an expansive and technologically important company. IONITY is a game changer for us that puts our Toome motorway service station on the map and gives EV customers confidence to travel across Northern Ireland.”
Founded in 2017, Munich-headquartered IONITY is a joint venture with car manufacturers BMW, Ford, Hyundai, Mercedes Benz and Volkswagen Group with Audi and Porsche, along with BlackRock’s Global Renewable Power platform as financial investor.
