IONITY is continuing its rollout of high-power charging (HPC) with the completion of its latest site.
The station – the fourth to be open to the public in Great Britain – is located at Leeds Skelton Lake Services. It is the first UK station to have six of IONITY’s new 350kW chargers, which feature a new design and improved functionality.
The new chargers use halo lighting to provide customers with information about the charging status of the battery, with illumination to make use in darkness easier. They also have a new position and design of charging cable to make attaching to the car easier than the current units.
IONITY ordered 324 of the chargers from manufacturer ABB in January, with plans to roll them out across 24 countries by the end of 2020.
IONITY also plans to open a further seven HPC facilities with Extra MSA – which operates parts of the UK’s motorway network – during 2020, with the deal between the two announced last year. The other locations have already been selected, with two being the M40 J2 Beaconsfield and M25 J9-J10 Cobham Services.
The network is closing in on its goal of deploying 40 HPC stations in the UK, and has also made deals with those such as Shell and Motor Fuels Group.
“The reality is that 50 kW chargers no longer offer customers fast enough charging on motorways and key travel routes and will therefore not facilitate the transition to e-mobility,” Marcus Groll, COO of IONITY, said.
“IONITY’s chargers are prepared for the advancement of battery technology and EVs of the future. Our network makes long-distance e-mobility a seamless experience.”
Groll also assured that IONITY is offering its full service to customers during the COVID-19 pandemic in order to enable essential journeys, and advised drivers to follow government regulations on social distancing and hygiene measures whilst charging.
The company also recently announced it was switching up its payment structure, removing its flat rate of £8 per charging session and changing to a price-per-kWh model across its European network.