IONITY will revolutionise fast charging in Europe this very year with new one-megawatt charging points

IONITY, one of the leading charging operators in Europe and with one of the largest networks, is set to take a very significant step forward this very year thanks to the HYC1000 ultra-rapid charging points from Alpitronic, capable of delivering up to one megawatt. Although this is not the first time we have heard about one-megawatt charging here at HighMotor, it is important to make clear that these charging points are aimed at passenger vehicles and will not support MCS technology for electric trucks.

The HYC1000 system, presented by Alpitronic in February 2025, stands out for its efficient design. It operates through a central unit that distributes energy to up to four charging points, each of them equipped with two cables with CCS connectors. Although the system allows configurations with both CCS and MCS cables, the latter for electric trucks, IONITY will opt exclusively for CCS connectors for ultra-rapid charging of electric passenger cars, at least in a first phase.

Each central unit can therefore supply energy to a maximum of eight vehicles simultaneously, with dynamic power distribution. According to IONITY, a vehicle could charge at up to 600 kW depending on the number of vehicles connected to each central unit. However, Alpitronic states that the maximum for CCS systems is 480 kW, limited to 600 amps, and only the MCS version, which IONITY will not initially implement, can reach one megawatt per vehicle.

Availability of these new ultra-rapid charging points

IONITY’s plans involve starting validation tests of these new charging points in May 2025 at the company’s test centre located in Unterschleißheim, Germany, near Munich. These tests seek to guarantee the system’s compatibility with a wide range of electric vehicles, both in hardware and software. Once this first validation phase is complete, IONITY will begin installing the HYC1000 charging points from Alpitronic across its European network throughout the second half of 2025.

“With the HYC1000 chargers, we are giving our customers access to cutting-edge charging technology, leading in speed and efficiency. We are not only keeping pace with innovation, we are setting the pace, building the infrastructure of the future for electric vehicle drivers in Europe.”

“The HYC1000 represents a step towards scalable ultra-rapid charging, combining megawatt-level performance with intelligent energy distribution. At Alpitronic we are proud to work with IONITY to bring this next-generation technology to European drivers.”