Tell us a bit about yourself, and about IONITY
I’m Country Manager UK & Ireland at IONITY, where I lead the growth of our ultra-rapid charging network across both markets. My role focuses on expanding our footprint, building strong partnerships, and creating the infrastructure needed to support the rapid growth of electric mobility.
IONITY itself was founded to make long-distance electric travel simple, fast, and reliable - though we’re increasingly moving into urban areas with dense populations, too. We operate one of Europe’s largest open-access high-power charging (HPC) networks, with sites across 24 countries. Our chargers deliver up to 400 kW, enabling drivers to recharge quickly and get back on the road with minimal disruption.
A key part of what we do is ensuring accessibility. Our network is open to all vehicles, regardless of brand, with all of our charging powered by 100 percent renewable energy. Ultimately, our goal is to remove barriers to EV adoption and make electric travel a simple, fast and seamless experience, whether you’re driving across countries or charging closer to home.
IONITY’s growth has been rapid, but scaling infrastructure often comes down to grid, planning and legal contracting timelines rather than installation. What’s been the hardest constraint to manage, and how are you staying ahead of demand?
IONITY is actively pushing ahead with its expansion, but there are inherent challenges when it comes to growing the network.
Limited grid capacity, slow planning timelines, and rising energy costs are all common barriers; the regulatory and administrative processes that go on behind the scenes often create the biggest delays.
To combat this, we need to invest early. This means developing sites in anticipation of future demand, rather than reacting to it. It’s now vital to be able to identify locations where usage will grow and then invest in advance.
It also requires early and ongoing collaboration with distribution network operators, local authorities, and specialist design, planning and legal consultant and partners who can help navigate the contracting and permitting requirements more efficiently.
The reality is that waiting until demand peaks puts you behind. Because grid connections and planning approvals take time, we must think two years ahead and proactively build the infrastructure that users will require down the line.”
Delivering ultra-fast charging with 100 percent renewable energy at scale isn’t straightforward. What are the key challenges in aligning energy supply, grid capacity and future demand?
Bringing ultra-fast charging to customers requires us to precisely time grid connections, planning approvals, and infrastructure installations - all of which operate on different timelines. As demand increases, guaranteeing sufficient capacity in the right locations becomes more complex, which is part of what makes strong, early collaboration with partners increasingly important.
However, taking early action carries risk. Sites need to be built before demand fully materialises, but without forward investment, the network simply wouldn’t be prepared for the pace of EV adoption.
However, forward investing in such land acquisition also then opens up new opportunities to integrate renewable energy more effectively and at scale. IONITY is already looking at how it can help this transition, focusing on energy generation and storage to not only help decarbonise UK energy, but help reduce price volatility for customers through flexible and dynamic pricing.
With energy costs, standing charges and infrastructure investment all feeding into pricing, how do you strike the balance between transparency, affordability and sustainable operations?
At IONITY, we aim to offer our customers affordable and competitive prices. This is especially important for those without home charging and therefore heavily reliant on public infrastructure.
Public charging prices are directly affected by fixed standing charges and electricity costs, but these aren’t the only factors. Pricing is strongly reflected in the real costs of energy, land, grid connections, construction, and ongoing maintenance.
The focus is then on improving efficiency across all of these areas to keep costs competitive for drivers. This has been a particular focus for us since IONITY’s entrance into the UK in 2018. Throughout this time, we’ve only increased the price by 17 percent - in fact, we’ve only increased prices five times in the eight years since. For context, inflation compounded is over 31 percent and fixed costs in the energy bill have risen an incredible 463 percent in the same period.
Our aim to keep prices low and competitive for customers is also the driving force behind our subscription-based pricing. This not only helps to make electric vehicles more accessible but also allows us to directly communicate our prices to customers and keep them as informed as possible as to the actual cost of electric travel.
As you’ve said, charging infrastructure often has to be built before demand fully materialises. How do you approach that investment risk?
Beyond the early engagement with partners we’ve already mentioned, continuous communication and partnership will help reduce risk when proactively investing in charging infrastructure.
In many ways distribution network operators, local authorities and specialist partners are all on the same team. Being transparent about the difficulties you face, and the potential solutions available to you and others, will ensure that you’re all aligned to resolve any potential obstacles.
The pricing of these sites is also a powerful tool to accelerate demand to the levels predicted during our analysis phase. Experiments with dynamic pricing, and subscriptions designed for certain kinds of usage and time of day, are two examples.
Ultra-rapid charging is no longer just about motorway journeys. What’s driving your shift toward more urban and high-density locations, and how does that change the role of HPC in everyday use?
It’s a common misconception that HPC is solely designed for long-distance travel, and whilst motorways remain a key part of our network, we’re seeing a shift in the demand and use of ultra-rapid charging.
In urban and high-density areas, HPCs are increasingly supporting a range of users from taxi fleets to commercial users who may not have access to home charging. As EV adoption rises and technology continues to evolve, HPCs will begin to play a much broader role within the market.
This is a large motivator of our expansion into densely populated urban areas. We’ve already mentioned our new site in Birmingham, with work ongoing in London, Manchester, Glasgow and Edinburgh too. It’s a reflection of where EV adoption is accelerating and where infrastructure can have the most immediate impact.
Motorway hubs will remain essential for long-distance travel, but HPC in urban areas offers flexible, accessible and resilient day-to-day charging opportunities. Any successful network is going to require both.
User expectations are rising quickly. What is IONITY doing to improve the user experience at your chargers?
Expectations around EV charging are moving fast. Our priority is to make the entire experience as seamless as possible.
At IONITY, the use of digital tools has been a key means of removing friction from the user experience. Our app allows drivers to plan routes, locate stations across our network, and receive real-time updates on charger availability. Once they’re charging, it updates continually, flagging when their car has reached optimal charge. We’ve also provided seamless and secure in-app payment options, all of which work to remove any throughout a journey.
At the same time, physical charging infrastructure is just as important. We want to ensure that our customers have access to the newest and fastest charging hardware, such as the rollout of Alpitronic’s HYC1000 chargers on the continent, capable of up to 185 miles of range in under eight minutes.
All of this has allowed IONITY to develop Europe’s largest open-access ultra-rapid charging network with access to Plug & Charge available across all sites, helping to operate a user-focused and reliable network designed around the needs of today’s drivers.
You’ve partnered with brands like Extra Motorway Services, Starbucks, Hilton, and Village Hotels to host sites. What turns a charging location into a destination?
The most successful locations go beyond simply offering charging. They provide a strong customer experience that offers access to the amenities that drivers want to use, whether that’s food and drink, rest facilities, or even an overnight stay.
Accessibility is also key, so sites with 24/7 availability and proximity to major routes or busy urban areas tend to perform best. That’s why partnerships with brands like Village Hotels or drive-thru operators work so well - they empower drivers to make productive or enjoyable use of their time while their vehicle charges.
This creates value on both sides. Drivers benefit from reliable charging in locations that enhance their journey, while site hosts and charging operators benefit from see increased footfall and additional revenue from EV users spending time on-site.
We look for partners who can offer high-quality amenities that customers would naturally want to use. When done right, charging becomes a more engaging experience, transforming a functional stop into a genuine enjoyable experience.
Government support has helped drive EV adoption, but challenges remain. Where do you see the biggest gaps in policy – particularly around cost structures and infrastructure deployment?
There have been some positive steps in recent years in government policy that has helped to drive EV adoption. The recent extension of the Electric Car Grant, backed by significant public funding, has helped to maintain consumer demand and give operators greater confidence to invest in the future charging network.
That said, there are still gaps that must be addressed to reach the next phase of EV growth. One of the most impactful would be the equalisation of VAT, allowing CPOs to lower the cost stack for public charging.
Reducing this disparity would in turn lower prices for the consumer, particularly those reliant on public infrastructure, making EVs more accessible to the wider population.
Another major challenge is the structure of electricity costs in the UK. Fixed charges, especially capacity and standing charges, have seen an increase of 463 percent over the past five years. Given that sites are built ahead of demand, HPC providers often end up absorbing huge day-one fixed costs that the site will not yet be generating the revenue required to balance.
Government policies that work to address these two elements will have a significant impact on the cost barriers surrounding charging sites, helping to accelerate EV infrastructure and adoption across the UK.
For additional information:
