IONITY and eFREIGHT 2030 Accelerate UK’s Ultra-Rapid EV Charging Network

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In a significant leap for Net-Zero Transport, two major developments have reshaped the EV charging landscape across the UK. On 22 January 2026, IONITY announced that its ultra‑rapid charging network in Britain now comprises more than 700 public 350 kW‑plus charging points, doubling the number of its chargers for the third consecutive year. These high-speed sites enable compatible vehicles to charge from 10 percent to 80 percent in under 15 minutes, with IONITY now operating roughly one‑third of all such chargers across the UK. The network is powered entirely by renewable energy and is part of a plan to reach over 1,000 charging points by the end of 2026.

Just two days earlier, on 20 January 2026, the eFREIGHT 2030 consortium opened the UK’s first megawatt‑scale EV charging facility at the East Midlands Gateway. The site, supporting Kuehne + Nagel’s road operations, features Voltempo’s HyperCharger delivering up to one megawatt of power enough to recharge electric heavy goods vehicles (eHGVs) in less than 30 minutes. This hub represents the first of 35 planned depot charging locations under the Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) programme, backed by the Department for Transport and Innovate UK, with £200 million government funding.

These milestones underscore a period of rapid expansion and innovation in the UK’s EV charging infrastructure. IONITY’s rapid growth not only reflects consumer demand for fast, accessible high-capacity charging but also aligns with the broader transition to electric mobility. Meanwhile, the eFREIGHT 2030 development marks a critical advancement in decarbonising freight: by enabling heavy goods vehicles to charge at near-road speeds, the project addresses one of the most complex challenges in transport emissions reduction.

What This Means:

The doubling of IONITY’s ultra‑rapid chargers in under a year signals that high‑speed charging infrastructure is scaling in tandem with EV adoption, improving confidence for long-distance journeys and expanding electric vehicle accessibility. This growth is essential to meeting targets for phasing out internal combustion engine vehicles by 2030.

Simultaneously, deployment of megawatt‑scale infrastructure for eHGVs marks a transformative shift in logistics decarbonisation. By offering near-instant charging at operational depots, logistics operators can realistically transition heavy freight to electric power. As the ZEHID programme progresses toward its 35-site rollout, the groundwork is being laid for a national network capable of supporting zero‑emission freight at scale.

These complementary developments high-power public charging and depot-scale eHGV infrastructure demonstrate the UK’s maturing and multi‑dimensional approach to Net‑Zero Transport. As infrastructure catches up with ambition, the transition toward an efficient, low‑carbon transport system accelerates.

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