BMW Designworks will make EV chargers for Ionity, and they're gorgeous
What's even more gorgeous is the idea of a pan-European network of fast chargers.
Like it or not, we're going to be staring down row after row of EV chargers in the future, so they may as well be as easy on the eyes on possible.
BMW Designworks, the automaker's creative consultancy, announced today that it has been commissioned to design the chargers for Ionity, a consortium of automakers that banded together to develop a pan-European network of high-speed EV chargers.
Based on the design renders seen here, it's a good-lookin' future. The look is simple and airy, with a ring of light atop the charger and a straightforward design that eschews in-your-face colors. The touchscreen is tucked away on the side to keep the look nice and clean. Of course, it's just a render for now, and things are bound to change between now and the final design, but it's a fantastic start.
Not only are Ionity's chargers putting their best feet forward, the group is, too. Comprising founding members BMW, Daimler, Ford and Volkswagen Group, Ionity plans to get 400 fast-charging stations installed on "major European thoroughfares" by 2020. It's already broken ground on more than a dozen, and it hopes to have about 100 up and running by the end of this year.
Ionity's chargers will be built with the future in mind. They'll provide up to 350 kW of charging power, which is more than any car can currently handle. Once cars can accept that much juice, Ionity's chargers will be about three times more powerful than Tesla's current Superchargers.