Ionity to cooperate with &Charge

HPC operator Ionity has partnered with eMobility startup &Charge to use direct customer feedback to improve the charging experience for its customers.

With &Charge’s app, drivers of electric cars can evaluate the charging infrastructure in Europe as part of “Challenges” by providing comprehensive feedback on the functionality, possible impairments or cleanliness of the charging stations, among other things. Important for Ionity: The entries are passed on directly to the company.

The advantage for charging station operators is that they regularly receive information and images on the condition of the system without having to send their own staff to check it. Whether a fast charging station is permanently parked over, the immediate vicinity is littered or the lighting has failed, for example, is not apparent to the operators from the data supplied by the charging station itself.

The advantage for electric car drivers is that each successfully completed challenge is rewarded with &Charge kilometres, which can be redeemed for free charging or other rewards. One kilometre is equivalent to eight cents. Users can earn kilometres not only through such challenges but also through sales in partner online stores.

At the start of the cooperation, the challenges can be solved in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Belgium, the UK, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, France, Spain and Italy. Other markets are in preparation and will be added successively. But unlike EnBW, for example, the &Charge kilometres cannot (yet) be redeemed directly with Ionity. This is only possible in a roundabout way, by redeeming the &Charge kilometres as charging credit at an EMP and then starting a charging process at an Ionity charging station via this EMP.

“The collaboration with &Charge is an important component of our quality assurance: feedback related to our charging stations is fed into our systems in a structured way via an interface. We can then evaluate potential issues and act quickly,” says Frank Plaschka, Head of Marketing, Brand & Communications at Ionity. “The crowd–source approach of &Charge helps us to intensify the relationship with our customers across borders and to benefit from the daily experiences of the community.”

ionity.eu (PDF)