WattsCharging
Weekly EV Newsletter

May 27, 2026 l Past Issues​

WattsCharging This Week:

(3 min read)

• ChargePoint, ABB, Kempower and Alpitronic are racing to deploy megawatt-class DC fast chargers across North America — but no EV on sale can actually use them yet
• BMW and MINI EV drivers now get an automatic 20% off Ionna fast charging through September 30, no signup required​
• Toyota is quietly committing to four new U.S. EVs while Ford, GM and others retreat from the segment​

Let's dive in.

Top Charging News

​ChargePoint, ABB, Kempower And Alpitronic Are Racing To Roll Out Megawatt-Class EV Chargers In North America​

The era of the 400 kW charger is already looking quaint. In the span of about a month, ChargePoint unveiled a 600 kW standalone unit it's calling the world's fastest, ABB announced 1.2 MW chargers, and Kempower revealed a new charger that pushes 1.2 MW through a Megawatt Charging System connector — plus 560 kW over CCS. Italian-built Alpitronic chargers, capable of up to 1,000 kW to a single port, are heading to U.S. soil early next year. Tesla, meanwhile, is rolling out its 500 kW V4 Superchargers.

The catch is that no passenger EV currently sold in North America can actually accept more than about 500 kW. Even the fastest upcoming models — the Lucid Gravity, Porsche Cayenne Electric, and BMW iX3 — top out at 400 kW. North American networks are essentially future-proofing their hardware for a wave of high-voltage Chinese-style EVs and electric semi trucks that haven't arrived yet. As Ionna's CEO put it, "It takes two to tango — the vehicles have to be there to accept it."

​BMW And MINI Drivers Score 20% Off DC Fast Charging At Ionna Through September​

BMW just launched a preferred pricing program that automatically takes 20% off DC fast charging sessions for BMW and MINI EV drivers at Ionna stations from May 15 through September 30. The discount kicks in via Plug & Charge or the My BMW App — no signup, no subscription, no separate card.

Ionna, the joint venture backed by BMW, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis and Toyota, now has more than 1,000 charging bays live in the U.S. with another 1,500 under construction. The network already prices at $0.39/kWh or less, among the most competitive in the country. The timing isn't accidental either — BMW just opened preorders for the 2027 iX3, its first Neue Klasse EV. Rather than slashing sticker prices in a softening EV market, BMW is bundling cheap, reliable charging as the perk, similar to how Tesla has long leaned on the Supercharger network.

Top Charging News

​Toyota Quietly Lines Up Four New EVs For The U.S. While Rivals Pull Back​

As Ford, GM and others retreat from EV commitments after the end of federal purchase incentives and the rollback of ZEV mandates, Toyota — long mocked as the industry's loudest EV skeptic — is heading the other direction. The company is bringing four new battery-electric models to the U.S.: the redesigned bZ, the revived C-HR EV, the bZ Woodland, and an electric Highlander built in Georgetown, Kentucky with batteries from Toyota's new $13.9 billion North Carolina cell plant. Lexus adds two more. Subaru, in which Toyota owns a 20% stake, will sell rebadged twins of all four.

EV sales fell 27% year-over-year in Q1 2026 per Kelley Blue Book, and EVs slid to 5.8% of the U.S. new-vehicle market. But analyst Loren McDonald estimates roughly 125,000 EV sales were pulled forward into mid-2025 ahead of the September incentive cutoff, exaggerating the apparent collapse. Toyota famously took a decade to break even on the Prius — and the fact that the world's largest automaker is comfortable committing this much capital during an industry-wide pullback is a strong tell that the long-term direction hasn't actually changed.

That's it for today. See you next Tuesday!

If you're shopping for home EV chargers or EV adapters for the road, check out our revamped deals page with real time pricing — and if a friend is considering going electric, send them our way 😉

WattsCharging Editorial Team ⚡️

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