Why I will always love (use) Ionity
Tonight Ionity broke the EV internet
No matter where I look, the planet is on fire. Twitter is going wild, facebookgroups are exploding. Just look at this post to see what I mean. Even though the Ionity-announcement is way overdue, and you could see it coming from miles ahead. Personally I shared a screenshot somebody in the Nordics spread last fall where this price was already on the screen. Not fake after all. And remember when Get Charge announced European prices?
So if you are that surprised you just haven’t been paying attention. Eight euros for a full charge was (is) a bargain, everybody knew this. So if you’re a fan of sustainable, you know something was off. So where does this leave us. Will you travel less after January 31st? If so, good! Of course you want to use the shiny new electric car you just purchased, as do I (even though I don’t purchase vehicles). What you will need in your life is a bit of planning. Maybe take the scenic route, charge up at Lidl for free.
Pay attention to the details
Far more important than the kWh-based pricing model, is what Ionity adds as the most important information (the whole reasoning behind it).
Connected Mobility Service Providers (MSP) such as Audi e-tron Charging Service, Mercedes me Charge, BMW ChargeNow, Porsche Charging Service and Volkswagen WeCharge offer financially attractive and bespoke packages for motorway drivers who regularly use IONITY’s European High Power Charging network.
Maybe you forgot, maybe you don’t know. All the bigger German car brands together make up Ionity. Of course they want the money to flow where the investment was coming from in the first place.
So when you purchase the EQC, the Taycan, the e-tron, the i3, the ID.3 - they will offer bundles, just like your mobile phone really. Want a lot of fun and fast? Pay more. Want unlimited? Pay more. It will all be possible. 2020 just started, most of these cars are still somewhat on their way! They promise connect and go, just like Tesla.
Ionity might still be affordable in 2020
If somebody tells you that Ionity will be very expensive next month, ask yourself, what is this person really saying? You read this PDF so it must be true. You know who wrote that PDF? Ionity did. You know who you are paying when you charge your car (if you’re not at home or work) - I will tell you: NewMotion, Plugsurfing, Chargemap, Maingau, eins, Freshmile, electromaps. What do you think will really change?
Whatever your answer, unless you are working somewhere close to the companies I just mentioned, the truth is you don’t know. Nobody does. We haven’t been here before. Even though Fastned charges 59ct/kWh doesn’t mean you cannot use your Maingau card and pay almost half price. When you travel to Austria you might go bankrupt (no Ionity necessary for that), and did I mention Denmark?
You may not like it, but for affordable electric roadtrips a bit of investigating your route (and charging cards) is necessary.
This was already the case, although it was simple, because you could use Ionity in some countries easily. In other countries not so much (looking at you Italy, Spain, Portugal, Poland, or even the UK). So you could thank Ionity for making life really easy last year. 2019 was a blast. When 2019 started, thanks to Maingau and later Telekom (Get Charge) I had the feeling traveling had become free.
Yes, it was a great feeling. It was also too good to be true. But wait.
Lidl, Aldi, Kaufland, all these supermarkets still offer free energy! Imagine if you could go visit the supermarket for free petrol! Hard to imagine, I know. Because it will never happen. Yet, driving electric, you can still make it over from Amsterdam to Italy for a penny. You just need to relax on the throttle. Take it easy. Take the slow road.
Good luck! And enjoy.
Don’t feel like planning? Let me do it for you! After a donation I make your EV travel plans a reality.
electricfelix.com/request-advice (Dutchies can use this website to gain membership)
Thank you Ionity, for powering all my lovely roadtrips.
WAIT!
I will tell you, which charging card to use in February. Come back here to find out, or sign up for my newsletter.
You can also find me on facebook, twitter, Instagram, YouTube, anywhere really!
Like this article? Please consider becoming a patron of electricfelix!