Ionity opens ultra-rapid charging station

Ionity has opened its first 350kW ultra-rapid electric vehicle (EV) charging site in Wales.

The chargers in Magor, Monmouthshire, near Newport, are in a key location just off the M4, close to the Prince of Wales Bridge.  

The next site following Magor will open later this year in Holywell, North Wales, alongside a new drive-thru Starbucks off the A55, with several more sites in the pipeline throughout Wales.  

Ionity’s country manager of UK and Ireland, Andreas Atkins, said: “We are pleased to open our first IONITY site in Wales, for the benefit of local electric vehicle owners and those travelling to visit.

“The charging site will be an asset to commuters and locals alike and we hope it will encourage further adoption of electric vehicles with the assurance that they can easily and quickly charge their vehicles on the go.” 

Ionity has a partnership with green energy provider Octopus throughout the UK to ensure all energy powering its ultra-rapid chargers is 100% renewable.  

The chargers have a capability to fast- charge at up to 350 kW. The charger automatically optimises its charging power to the maximum a specific car model can handle, therefore always providing the fastest charging experience.  

Wales minister for climate change, Julie James, said: “We are committed to working with the private sector to provide high-quality, ultra-rapid charging facilities across Wales so that electric vehicle users can confidently access charging when and where they need to.

“We welcome the progress that Ionity is making in this area.” 

Ionity was founded in 2017 and is a joint venture of the car manufacturers BMW Group, Ford Motor Company, Hyundai Motor Group, Mercedes Benz AG and Volkswagen Group with Audi and Porsche, along with BlackRock’s Global Renewable Power platform as financial investor.