Ionity has opened a new ultra-rapid charging hub in central Birmingham, heralding its most urban UK site to date as it targets expansion into other major cities.

Located on the A4540 at Aston, the site is just 20 minutes’ walk from Birmingham New Street station and has been kitted out with 12 chargers that offer ultra-rapid speeds of up to 400kW and run entirely on renewable energy.

The site has been developed in partnership with Hubber, a specialist in high-powered EV charging infrastructure in urban areas. Hubber acquired the site as a derelict car park and redeveloped it as a next-generation, ultra-rapid charging hub.

The partnership illustrates a strategic shift from Ionity’s traditional motorway-based locations. The manufacturer-backed ultra-rapid charging network has historically focused on major road corridors, but is now expanding into urban environments to make sustainable travel more convenient and accessible for drivers without access to home charging.

The Birmingham Aston South site also further cements Ionity’s presence across the West Midlands, joining existing ultra-rapid charging locations in Dudley, Walsall, West Bromwich and Coventry. Its charging network now spans local and long-distance travel locations to support nearby communities along with commuters.

Andreas Atkins, UK&I country manager at Ionity, said: “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, CEO and co-founder at Hubber, said: “At Hubber, our mission is to power the future of 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.”