STUTTGART, Germany, March 21 (Reuters) - Ionity, theEuropean electric vehicle charging joint venture of Volkswagen, BMW, Daimler and Ford,is on track to install 400 loading stations in Europe byend-2020 and has plans for more.
Ionity, which is not yet profitable, aims to install the 400charging stations by the end of next year, with each havingabout 6 individual loading spots. It has so far installed 63stations, with a further 52 under construction.
The group specialises in ultra high-speed charging alongEuropean motorways to try to address the issue of range, whichalong with price, is still seen as a reason for why demand forelectric vehicles has been subdued so far.
"There's a lot of momentum, activity will be high," IonityChief Executive Michael Hajesch told reporters late onWednesday. "The expansion plans are currently being prepared,"he added.
This could include more and bigger charging stations alonghighways but also busy roads leading in and out of largermetropolitan areas where demand for charging infrastructure ishighest, Hajesch said.
He said that competition in the electric vehicle charginginfrastructure space, where players range from oil majors andengineering conglomerates to utilities and carmakers, wouldincrease further in coming years.
Earlier this year, Shell acquired U.S.-basedGreenlots, following its acquisition of NewMotion in 2017, whichhas established the oil group as one of the largest players inthe field.
The International Energy Agency estimates that the number ofelectric cars on the road will increase to 125 million by 2030,boosting demand for chargers. There were almost 3 millionprivate chargers at homes and workplaces and about 430,000public chargers in 2017, according to IEA estimates.(Reporting by Ilona Wissenbach; writing by Christoph Steitz.Editing by Jane Merriman)
