Subscribers to the Ionity electric car fast charging network have reported being charged seven months of subscription fees from their bank accounts on one day. The fees were withdrawn from their accounts via the direct debits they signed with Ionity when they subscribed to the system. Subscribers pay €17.99 per month to benefit from a lower usage charge on the Ionity fast chargers.
A spokeswoman for Ionity said: "Ionity are aware of the subscription payment error and we have been working to urgently fix this. They have shared an email with their subscribers apologising and outlining what actions have been taken to rectify the situation."
The company said it has cancelled all payments that were generated in error and refunded customers. "The payments can take up to one week to be processed but depending on the customer's bank it may take longer for the funds to be credited."
In addition, Ionity said it will debit the impacted customers’ accounts with one monthly Ionity Passport subscription fee.
Ionity charges subscribers 35 cent per kWh of electricity at its fast chargers, compared to 73 cent per kWh for non-subscribers. It also offers different tariff deals with various electric car manufacturers.
The company currently operates five charging stations in the Republic, with between two and four chargers at each station. Its fast chargers can dispense up to 350kW, allowing for much faster recharging than most other networks. The company is a joint venture, founded by the BMW Group, Daimler AG, Ford Motor Company and Volkswagen Group.
