IONITY has opened a new high-power EV charging hub in Birmingham, which it describes as its most urban UK location to date.

The site, on the A4540 in Aston, provides 12 ultra-rapid chargers offering up to 400 kW – and it’s all powered using renewable energy, ensuring a clean charging experience.

While there aren’t many EVs that can top out at 400 kW, with just the Lotus Emeya and BMW iX3 capable of such feats, it theoretically means that those vehicles can charge from 10 to 80% in around 15 minutes. In real world conditions, especially in the cold winter, it’s unlikely that many will actually enjoy those speeds – but it should still be a welcome option for those looking for a rapid charger.

That’s especially important as rapid chargers aren’t always selected for city centre locations. Instead, you’ll more commonly find destination chargers in urban locations, with rapid chargers typically selected for sites such as motorway service stations.

So, why did IONITY choose to install its latest charging hub just a 20-minute walk away from Birmingham New Street station? Well, it argues that it’s ideally located for drivers travelling to and from the city centre, while also capturing those passing by on the city’s extremely busy inner ring road.

The site has been developed in partnership with Hubber, which specialises in developing high-powered EV charging infrastructure in urban areas. Hubber said it acquired the location as a derelict car park and redeveloped it into an ultra-rapid charging hub.

Andreas Atkins, UK&I Country Manager at IONITY, said the new location reflects a change in strategy as the company looks to bring high-power charging closer to where people live and work.

He noted, “The opening of our most urban UK site to date in Birmingham South Aston marks an important evolution of our strategy as we bring ultra-rapid charging into denser urban environments this year.”

“As the UK’s second largest city, Birmingham plays a vital role in the transition to electric mobility. By locating high-power charging directly within the city, we’re making sustainable travel more accessible for drivers who may not have access to home charging, while laying the groundwork for many more urban IONITY sites to follow in cities such as London and Manchester.”

Harry Fox, Hubber CEO and Co-Founder, added, “At Hubber, our mission is to power the future or urban mobility by regenerating underutilised property and removing the friction from infrastructure development. We acquired the underused property just four months ago, and now it’s supporting hundreds of EV drivers each day in the centre of Birmingham. We’re proud to partner with industry-leading operators such as IONITY to deliver faster, more reliable charging across UK cities.”

For the UK’s charging rollout, the move towards more urban ultra-rapid sites is likely to be watched closely. While motorway charging remains essential for long-distance EV travel, the next phase of adoption increasingly depends on reliable, convenient public charging for households that cannot install home chargers – a common constraint in dense urban areas and for residents in flats.

The Birmingham Aston site is the latest example of operators seeking to address that gap by placing higher-powered charging closer to city centres, rather than concentrating capacity on strategic road networks alone.