An interview with Ionity boss Michael Hajesch made a big splash last week. In a conversation with Edison, Hajesch announced that charging on the company’s ultrafast chargers would cost 79 cents per kilowatt hour for those e-car drivers from February whose manufacturers are not part of the ionity joint venture (BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Ford , VW, Audi, Porsche and Hyundai) belongs. Fully charge a Tesla Model S with a large battery? At Ionity makes a good 70 euros for a full charge, while it costs less than half on Tesla’s own superchargers.
What is lacking in understanding in the e-car scene is the fact that Ionity, despite the backing of multi-billion dollar automakers, benefited generously from subsidies when it came to building the charging infrastructure, and is still significantly more expensive than Tesla, who paid for its fast-charging network out of its own pocket , Ionity calls its pricing model “fair and transparent”Said Hajesch in the interview. So far, the charging has cost a flat eight euros “Session fee“What the Ionity boss calls”Welcome phase” designated. With 203 stations live and 53 under construction, it was time to “to take the next step in pricing too.“
Hajesch has no fear that Ionity will now lose customers. Finally there is “attractive end customer offers“For all BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Ford, VW, Audi, Porsche and Hyundai drivers who pay around 30 to 35 cents per kilowatt hour depending on the contract. In addition, the service promise of the provider includes “high availability, Europe-wide HPC charging network, top locations directly on the motorway and responsible operation of the charging stations with green electricity. “
The short charging time (the stations deliver up to 350 kW) and “a hotline that can be contacted around the clock in seven languages“, Justify the pricing model, Hajesch thinks. The Ionity boss is “convinced that we are making a significant contribution to the market acceptance of electromobility. “Hajesch also notes that the offer does not yet generate any profits, which is also the case with the new price model”not immediately“To be realized because the locations across Europe are still being expanded.
No 350 electric vehicle can fully utilize the charging power at the moment. Thanks to its 800-volt technology, the Porsche Taycan is the first electric car to be able to use the potential of the high-power charging columns (HPC) from Ionity.
However, there is still a small consolation: the average user of an electric car charges up to 90 percent at home or at work. Fast charging on the freeway is the exception for many. And with companies such as Fastned, Allego, EnBW, Innogy and, as already mentioned, Tesla, there are a good handful of providers of fast-charging options, some of which are significantly cheaper: At EnBW they cost 60 kWh (at Ionity they can be had for EUR 47.40) currently between 23 and 30 euros, for Allego it is 35 euros. A charge at Innogy costs 7.95 euros, Fastned charges 59 cents or 35 cents with a monthly fee of 11.99 euros.
Source: Edison – “It was time to take the next price step.”
