Recharging your electric car as quickly as filling up with gas will soon be possible in Europe. New, high-power charging stations will be installed this summer. They promise to be a revolution for long journeys.
In China, some electric cars already charge in five minutes. This type of ultra-fast charging, long reserved for a few demonstrations, is now arriving in Europe. The operator Ionity, supported by manufacturers such as Volkswagen, Mercedes, BMW, and Hyundai, will deploy stations that are much more powerful than those currently available on the continent from the second half of 2025. The goal is clear: to reduce downtime to a few minutes to recover several hundred kilometers of range, thus making long-distance journeys easier. Today, Ionity already manages more than 5,000 charging points capable of delivering up to 350 kW. But its future stations, based on Alpitronic's HYC 1000 technology, will go even further. They will be able to send up to 600 kW to a single car, almost double. This power would add up to 300 km of range in just 8 minutes. To date, no mass-market vehicle sold in Europe is capable of supporting such a level, but several upcoming models are already preparing for it. In the meantime, these stations will be compatible with all current vehicles, adapting the power automatically.
Ionity is launching 600 kW stations in Europe capable of charging 300 km in 8 minutes
Each station will consist of a central cabinet capable of delivering up to 1,000 kW, distributed among several stations. A site will thus be able to charge eight cars simultaneously, thanks to liquid-cooled cables. The power is adjusted in real time according to the capacity of each vehicle. For example, the Porsche Taycan or the Hyundai Ioniq 5 will benefit from more than 200 kW, while the more modest Fiat Grande Panda will receive a lower power, but optimized for its battery.
This deployment is accompanied by an even broader project: the Spark alliance. Ionity is partnering with Fastned, Electra and Atlante to create the largest ultra-fast charging network in Europe. More than 1,700 stations and 11,000 terminals will be accessible from a single application from summer 2025. For drivers, this means less waiting, more compatibility, and much smoother charging on major roads.
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