Ionity has today opened its second 350kWelectric car chargingstation in the UK, providing super-fast charging for those stopping at Milton Keynes.

It comes after first installation on the M20 outside Maidstone and will be followed by another at Gretna Green, with 40 such stations planned for the UK, many to be located on the forecourts of Extra motorway service stations.

Ionity is a joint venture between VW Group, Daimler, BMW and Ford, looking to roll-out high-power chargers across Europe to support the growth in electric cars. The deployment of the Ionity installations goes hand-in-hand with the launch ofelectric carsfrom those involved.

One of the things that makes Ionity slightly different to existing installations is the charging rates offered by its charger. At 350kW, it is much, much, faster than the 50kW Rapid chargers that are currently offered by companies like Electric Highway on the UK’s motorways.

That will allow EV drivers to charge their cars at much faster speeds, although it’s not as simple as connecting a faster charger to your car - the car also has to be compatible with those fast rates, otherwise it will just charge at the fastest rate it can accommodate.

TheAudi e-tronsupports a maximum of 150kW, while theJaguar i-Pace,Hyundai Kona Electricand Kia e-Niro support 100kW charging, theMercedes EQC110kW. Tesla Superchargers are 120kW, although a new V3 Supercharger moves to 250kW.

Ionity uses the CCS connector - which has emerged as the standard for Europe - and these new Ionity chargers will go a long way to ease concerns about range anxiety. That’s something we recently examined and it’s clear that the current infrastructure in the UKisn’t well suitedto those who want to drive longer distances in electric cars.

It has already been confirmed that Ionity chargers will be installed at Extra service stations in Leeds Skelton Lake, Cobham, Cambridge, Beaconsfield, Cullompton, Blackburn, Darwen, Baldock and Peterborough, with the aim to have 2400 charging points installed across Europe by the end of 2020.

Ionity say that a charge will cost £8 and you can pay directly using your phone - just verify you get your £8 worth of electricity.