Carmakers form IONITY

FRANKFURT: A group of mainly German carmakers said yesterday it had formed a joint venture to build out a pan-European network of 400 fast charging stations for electric vehicles (EVs) by 2020.

The venture, called IONITY, was backed by BMW AG, Daimler AG, Ford Motor Co and Volkswagen with its Audi and Porsche brands, they said.

Anxiety over whether batterypowered cars have the range to reach their destination is inhibiting some drivers from switching from traditional petrol- or dieselpowered models.

But with the United States allelectric challenger Tesla stealing a lead, established brands are teaming up to ensure that EVs can get quickly back on the road after hooking up to a High-Power Charging (HPC) station.

“The first pan-European HPC network plays an essential role in establishing a market for electric vehicles,” said IONITY chief executive officer Michael Hajesch.

He added that the fast-charging stations would also offer digital-payment capability.

IONITY, to be headquartered in Munich, will open its first 20 charging stations to the public this year in Germany, Norway and Austria. These would be 120km apart, and run in partnership with Tank & Rast, Circle K and OMV.

The network will be expanded to 100 stations next year.