Author: Callum Fraser

Ionity said it has opened what it describes as its most urban charging site in the UK to date, launching a new fast-charging hub in Birmingham as part of a strategic shift toward denser city locations. The site, located on the A4540 at South Aston near Birmingham New Street station, offers 12 ultra-rapid chargers with charging speeds of up to 400 kilowatts. Ionity said the hub operates exclusively on renewable energy and is designed to serve both local drivers and those travelling through the city. See also: Ionity Opens 500 kW Ultra-Fast EV Charging Site in Norway Using Shared-Power Technology…

Electric vehicle drivers prefer simple payment options such as Plug & Charge and direct ad-hoc payments at public charging stations, but are often forced to rely on apps and charging cards because of limited availability and high roaming fees, according to new research from USCALE. The Charging Payment Study 2026, which surveyed 1,510 EV drivers in Germany, found a wide gap between preferred and actual payment behaviour, despite significant improvements in vehicle range and charging infrastructure over the past decade. The findings suggest that payment complexity has emerged as a persistent pain point for EV users. See also: Cold Weather,…

Fastned has announced a new bond issuance in the Netherlands and Belgium as the Dutch fast-charging network operator looks to co-finance the capital-intensive expansion of its electric vehicle charging infrastructure across Europe. The move follows three bond rounds in 2024 and 2025, which together raised €192 million, the company said. To date, Fastned has repaid €45 million in bonds, while investors have agreed to extend €77 million worth of bonds beyond their original maturity. See also: Fastned Offers 10% Charging Discount to App Users Across Europe Founded in 2012, Fastned operates more than 400 fast-charging stations across nine European countries.…

Mitra EV, a U.S.-based commercial fleet electrification platform, has raised $27 million in new financing to scale its operations, as fleet operators look for ways to cut operating costs without upfront investment amid tighter capital markets. The financing includes equity funding led by Ultra Capital and a credit facility provided by S2G Investments. Mitra said the structure combines growth capital with its first institutional debt facility, designed to support asset deployment in a volatile policy and market environment. See also: Cold Weather, Charging, and Heating Significantly Impact EV Range, Green NCAP Finds Founded to address barriers to fleet electrification, Mitra EV…

Police in the German state of Baden-Württemberg have launched a pilot project using a battery-buffered fast-charging system from ADS-TEC Energy to support electric patrol vehicles at a motorway police station in Pforzheim, addressing limited grid capacity without costly infrastructure upgrades. The installation at the Pforzheim traffic police unit uses ADS-TEC Energy’s ChargePost system, which combines high-power DC charging with integrated battery storage. The unit can deliver up to 300 kilowatts of charging power to a single vehicle, or two simultaneous charging sessions at 150 kW each, while drawing comparatively modest power from the local electricity grid. See also: ADS-TEC Energy’s…

The Mobility House North America has launched Cascade EV Aggregator, a vehicle-grid integration platform designed to help electric utilities across the United States and Canada manage and optimize electric vehicle charging at scale, as EV adoption places growing demands on power networks. The Belmont, California-based company said Cascade allows utilities to aggregate EV charging loads across a wide range of asset classes, from residential chargers to commercial fleets and electric school buses. The platform supports both unidirectional smart charging (V1G) and bidirectional vehicle-to-grid (V2G) operations, enabling EVs to participate in grid services and virtual power plants. See also: WEX Unveils…

Kempower has installed three new charging hubs with a total of 28 direct-current charging points at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, supporting the expanding fleet of electric apron buses and other ground vehicles at one of Europe’s busiest transport hubs. Schiphol said the new charging infrastructure forms part of its broader plan to electrify ground operations as it works toward operating entirely emission-free by 2030 and becoming a fully circular and energy-positive airport by 2050. See also: Kempower, Plugit Partner to Expand Nordic EV and Truck Charging Network The Finnish charging equipment maker supplied four Kempower control units connected to twelve dual-arm…

Fleet payments provider WEX has launched an upgraded fleet card that allows customers to pay for both conventional fuel and public electric vehicle charging through a single account, as fleet operators increasingly manage a mix of internal combustion, hybrid and electric vehicles. WEX said the new card combines fueling and EV charging payments within its proprietary closed-loop network, giving fleets access to more than 175,000 public charging ports and coverage at over 90% of U.S. gasoline stations. The company said it is the first fuel card provider to offer unified fuel and EV payments at scale within a closed-loop system.…

General Motors has expanded public charging access for its electric vehicle customers by integrating Electrify America’s fast-charging network into its myChevrolet, myGMC and myCadillac mobile applications, the company said. The integration gives GM EV owners direct access to more than 5,000 Electrify America DC fast chargers nationwide, including Hyper-Fast stations capable of delivering up to 350 kilowatts. Drivers can locate stations, plan routes, monitor charging sessions and pay for charging within GM’s apps without downloading additional software or creating separate accounts. See also: Electrify America Wins 2026 BIG Innovation Award for Grid-Independent Fast Charging “We’re collaborating across the industry to…

Zest has opened a new ultra-rapid electric vehicle charging facility at a recently launched Aldi supermarket in Market Rasen, expanding public charging access along a key route in Lincolnshire, the company said. The site, developed in partnership with property developer Morbaine Ltd., includes four charging bays, each capable of delivering up to 160 kilowatts of power. The chargers are designed to allow drivers to recharge quickly while stopping for shopping or food, serving both the Aldi store and an adjacent Starbucks drive-thru. See also: Lewisham Partners With Zest to Add 200 On-Street EV Charge Points Located on the A46 at…

A four-year German research programme examining overhead line charging for battery-electric trucks has concluded, after completing more than 10,000 kilometres of on-road testing with retrofitted commercial vehicles. The BEV Goes eHighway (BEE) project was led by RWTH Aachen University and launched in January 2022 with funding of about €5.9 million from Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action. The research was carried out by the university’s Institute for Automotive Engineering (ika) and the Chair of Production Engineering of E-Mobility Components (PEM), with the aim of assessing charging strategies for long-haul electric trucks. See also: RWTH Aachen University Secures…

Lewisham Council has partnered with charge point operator Zest to expand electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure across the London borough, focusing on residents who rely on on-street parking. Under the agreement, Zest will invest £1.5 million to install, operate and maintain at least 200 on-street EV charge points over the next 15 years. The rollout is aimed at addressing a key barrier to EV adoption in dense urban areas, where many households do not have access to private driveways or home chargers. See also: Zest Appointed to Deliver Rapid EV Charging Network in London Borough of Hounslow The first phase…

Kitu Systems has completed the deployment of its Expedition Charge Management System at the California headquarters of a major North American energy infrastructure company, expanding workplace charging capacity to support employee electric vehicle adoption and fleet electrification. The installation integrates Kitu’s enterprise-grade Expedition CMS with 80-amp Level 2 charging stations supplied by FractalEV. The charging stations went live in December 2025 and are now in use by employees of a utility operator that supplies electricity to millions of customers across several markets. Kitu said the deployment is designed to serve both employee workplace charging and internal fleet electrification programmes. The…

Kempower and GET Charged Fast EV Charging have opened their first jointly developed DC fast-charging station in New York, marking the start of a rollout that will deliver 80 charging ports across five locations in Queens and Long Island. The first site is now operational at the Glen Oaks Shopping Center in Queens. Four additional stations in Whitestone, Levittown, Elmont and Commack are nearing completion and are scheduled to open in early 2026, the companies said. Under the deployment plan, each location will be equipped with eight dual Kempower Satellite charging units, supporting both North American Charging Standard (NACS) and…

U.S. real estate firm WS Development said it is rolling out hyper-fast electric vehicle charging across its retail destinations in partnership with Electrify America, with the first stations set to go live in Massachusetts. Under the agreement, Electrify America will provide a white-label charging solution, while WS Development will own and operate the charging stations at its properties. The initial phase will cover more than 15 WS Development sites nationwide, with additional locations planned across Massachusetts, New York, Florida, Illinois and California. Further sites and commissioning dates are expected to be announced from early 2026. See also: Electrify America, NYPA…

Mercedes-Benz has launched its first public DC fast-charging stations in Canada, opening three new high-power charging sites in British Columbia as part of a broader rollout around Metro Vancouver. The automaker’s Mercedes-Benz High-Power Charging (HPC) unit said stations are now operational in Abbotsford, Pitt Meadows and Tsawwassen. Five additional locations are planned in the coming months, creating an eight-site regional network across Greater Vancouver and southern British Columbia. See also: Starbucks and Mercedes-Benz Open First Joint High-Power EV Charging Site in California A key feature of the new sites is that every charging stall is equipped with both CCS-1 and…

Spain’s publicly accessible electric vehicle charging network reached 50,000 operational charging points by the start of 2026, with the number of fast chargers more than doubling over the past year, according to industry data released by AEDIVE. Figures from the Spanish Association for the Development and Promotion of Electromobility show the network expanded by 10.18% compared with the end of 2024, based on information collected from national charging infrastructure operators. Growth was strongest in higher-power segments, reflecting efforts to support long-distance electric travel. See also: Leapmotor To Start EV Production At Stellantis Spain Plant In 2026 Charging points with power…

MSI has introduced a new portable electric vehicle charger, expanding its charging hardware lineup with a device aimed at both home installation and on-the-go use. The EZgo portable charger delivers up to 40 amps, or 9.6 kilowatts, of output and supports a wide input voltage range from 100 to 240 volts. It is compatible with standard household outlets as well as higher-capacity connections through interchangeable NEMA 5-15 and NEMA 14-50 plugs, allowing users to charge from either 120-volt or 240-volt sources. See also: MSI Enters EV Charging Market With New Home and Commercial Chargers The device is rated IP66 for…

Autel Energy said it has launched a new version of its MaxiCharger AC Single in the United States that integrates a factory-installed Nayax Uno Mini payment device, allowing electric vehicle drivers to pay by card or digital wallet without using a mobile app. The new configuration is aimed at large-scale destination charging deployments, including workplaces, hotels, fleets and multi-family residential sites, where operators are seeking simpler payment access and scalable installations. Autel said the charger retains the same hardware footprint as existing AC Single units while adding embedded payment functionality. See also: Autel Energy Plans Card Payments for 100,000 EV…

Voltpost said it is moving to scale production of its lamppost-mounted electric vehicle charger in the United States, aiming to shorten deployment timelines for urban charging infrastructure by using existing streetlights and parking lot poles. The New York-based company launched the Voltpost Air charger last year, a next-generation design that mounts higher on lampposts rather than at ground level. The approach allows chargers to be installed in a matter of hours, avoiding excavation and other civil works that often slow down urban charging projects. See also: Voltpost Launches Lamppost EV Charger in Brooklyn, Expands Urban Charging Network Voltpost said the…