A network of 25 ultra-fast charging is to be installed on a near-700 mile route between Austria and the Netherlands from 2018, offering a seven-fold increase in power output compared to today’s rapid chargers.

The Ultra-E network will enable fast long-distance travel across central Europe.

The €13m (£11.6m) Ultra-E network is co-funded by the European Union’s Connecting Europe Facility and a consortium of utilities, carmakers, automotive suppliers, a roaming platform and public bodies, co-ordinated by Dutch utility electricity infrastructure company, Allego.

Once complete, the network will offer charging at 350kW at intervals of 120-150km on a route spanning Austria, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands. This will enable compatible vehicles to gain 185 miles of range in 20 minutes, complementing the already installed network of 50kW rapid chargers on the same route.

Allego said this will provide the groundwork for the next generation of electric passenger cars, which are using larger batteries to offer longer ranges, as well as providing charging for commercial vehicles and buses. The network will use the Combined Charging Standard, with an AC connector for slower charges and two DC pins for ultra-fast top-ups.

Helmut Morsi, European Commission Adviser DG-Move, coordinator for innovation & new technologies, said: “We fully support this strategic move of our most innovative companies in order not only to achieve sustainable transport and fight climate-change, but also to be able to face the competition from other regions in the world to keep production in Europe.”

Partners included in the consortium are Allego BV, Allego BVBA, Allego GmbH, Verbund AG/Smatrics, Bayern Innovativ GmbH, Audi AG, BMW AG, Magna, Renault S.A, and Hubject GmbH.