• Spark Alliance is a collaboration between Ionity, Fastned, Atlante and Electra.
• The new virtual DC fast charging network is now the biggest in Europe.
• With just one smartphone app, EV owners get access to over 11,000 chargers.

Electric vehicle drivers in Europe will soon need fewer smartphone apps to use DC fast chargers. That’s because Ionity, Fastned, Atlante and Electra–four of the largest charging operators in the region–have joined forces under the Spark Alliance name to make it easier to charge on the go.

Under the new umbrella, the four companies will create a single seamless charging network that includes over 1,700 stations and roughly 11,000 stalls. EV drivers can use any of the four individual operators’ smartphone apps to gain access to all of the Alliance’s chargers.

The collaboration was confirmed yesterday by the four companies’ CEOs in Paris, where the new Spark Alliance was touted as being Europe’s largest charging network in one app. By comparison, Tesla has over 1,400 Supercharger stations in Europe, the majority of which are also open for non-Tesla EVs, according to community data from Supercharge.info.

“EV drivers often find themselves in a maze: too many apps, charging cards and low-quality charging points create confusion and uncertainty,” said Michiel Langezaal, CEO and co-founder of Fastned. “We are solving this problem by bringing together Europe’s leading charging infrastructure companies to create the most relaxed charging experience in Europe’s largest network.”

The Spark Alliance said its customers will be able to use a single app and payment method at its stations starting this summer. It’s a welcome change, especially for EV owners who prefer (or depend on) ultra-fast chargers on their long journeys. Ionity, for instance, offers 350-kilowatt DC fast chargers throughout Europe, making life easier for drivers of cars like the updated Porsche Taycan and Hyundai Ioniq 5 which can benefit from the higher speeds and enable shorter charging stops.

All this being said, Europe’s DC fast charging infrastructure is still extremely diverse, which is both good and bad. There are over a dozen different operators throughout the continent and each one needs a different app. That said, there are some companies that bundle several roaming operators under the same app, but sometimes that means higher charging fees compared to using the operator’s original app.