• Ionity will install even faster DC fast chargers in Europe later this year.
• Currently, Ionity has 350 kW chargers.
• The new megawatt-capable stations will send up to 600 kW to compatible EVs.

When we tried BYD’s five-minute megawatt-charging in China, we were blown away. During a charging stop that was just as fast–or even faster–than filling up with gas, no fewer than 262 miles (421 kilometers) were added to the range meter, which is more than enough for another leg of a long road trip.

A similar experience is coming to Europe later this year, thanks to Ionity, the fast charging operator backed by several automakers, including the BMW Group, Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, and the Volkswagen Group.

The company, which prides itself on being the region’s leading ultra-fast charging network, already has over 5,000 charging points capable of delivering up to 350 kilowatts to each connected EV. In the second half of the year, though, Ionity will start rolling out megawatt-capable stations for even shorter charging stops.

The operator will be the first in Europe to install Alpitronic’s HYC 1000 system, which can deliver up to 600 kW to a connected EV. That said, there are some important nuances here, starting with the fact that the new charging points can’t actually deliver 1 MW of power to cars, at least not yet.

The system is comprised of a Power Cabinet and up to four individual stalls, each with two liquid-cooled charging cables. In other words, a single installation can charge up to eight EVs simultaneously, but in this scenario, the charging speeds will be slower.

While the Power Cabinet can deliver 1,000 kW of power, this is split between the stalls. A single stall is rated for a maximum of 600 kW (1,000 volts at 600 amps), so if a single EV is connected to a particular station, it can take advantage of the full potential. Currently, though, none of the EVs available on the European market can accept this level of power. Over time, more should be capable of that.

When multiple EVs are using the same station, Alpitronic says the chargers will dynamically allocate power per charging point. This is important because not all EVs can take in the same power when charging. So, when a Porsche Taycan and a Hyundai Ioniq 5, both of which can easily take in more than 200 kW, share a station with an MG4, which maxes out at less than 150 kW, all of them should get the full input.

Still, Ionity claims that a potent enough EV could add 186 miles (300 km) of range in just eight minutes from this new charger, bringing it closer to a conventional gas fill-up.

Recently, Ionity partnered with three other ultra-fast charging operators (Fastned, Atlante and Electra) to form Spark Alliance, Europe’s largest DC fast charging network. Starting this summer, EV drivers in Europe will be able to use a single app to charge at over 1,700 stations that offer a combined 11,000 stalls.