Ionity to ‘reward’ partial EV charging sessions

Ionity, the joint ultra-fast charging venture, is encouraging users to adopt “more efficient charging behaviour” at its charging stations to improve the availability of its charging points. The launch of its new credit promotion coincides with the upcoming travel season, which has also inspired other charging point operators – such as Audi – to introduce summer campaigns. Ionity states: “Just in time for the summer travel season, IONITY is introducing new incentives for efficient charging that make electric road trips even more convenient.”Specifically, users receive a 5kWh credit if they end their charging session at 80 per cent battery state of charge or charge during off-peak times. According to the joint venture, this promotes charging behaviour that reduces waiting times during high demand and increases the availability of charging points.In practice, drivers who trigger the “80% charged” charging notification in the Ionity app receive a push notification when this battery level is reached. If the vehicle is disconnected from the charging point before the state of charge reaches 85 per cent, Ionity automatically credits 5 kWh. The accumulated credit can be viewed in the ‘Credits & Rewards’ section of the app and is automatically deducted during the next charging session.Ionity supports its new reward approach with the argument that a state of charge of 80 per cent is sufficient for most trips, while charging speeds decrease significantly beyond this point. “For many electric vehicles, charging from 80 per cent to 100 per cent takes almost as long as charging from 10 per cent to 80 per cent. Leaving earlier saves valuable time, frees up the charger sooner for other drivers and consequently helps reduce waiting times at busy locations.” Additionally, regularly charging up to 80 per cent can help preserve the battery in the long term.The ‘Fast Lane Reward’ is not the only way to earn Ionity credits. Customers who charge between 10PM and 6AM – during off-peak hours – also receive the same 5kWh credit, regardless of their battery state of charge. This helps distribute demand more evenly and further improves the availability of charging points, particularly during peak travel times, Ionity explains.Both credits require a minimum charging volume of 40kWh per session. Ionity has not set an explicit time limit for the promotion. Instead, the ultra-fast charging network operator plans to introduce further incentives beyond the summer months and continuously develop existing offers. However, Ionity notes that “individual incentives may vary by market and availability, and some may only be offered for a limited period of time..”During the busy summer travel season, we want to offer our customers the best possible travel experience,” said Andreas Atkins, Country Manager UK&I at IONITY. “Through the right incentives, we want to strengthen awareness of efficient charging behaviour. Smarter charging saves time, improves charger availability and makes travelling more relaxed for everyone.”ionity.eu