WOLFSBURG/MUNICH — Volkswagen Group Charging GmbH (Elli) on Tuesday announced a major milestone in its expansion of Europe’s electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure, now offering access to around 900,000 public charging points across 28 countries, including 80,000 high-power charging (HPC) stations.
The announcement marks an 80% growth in charge point availability over the past two years, as Volkswagen deepens its commitment to a seamless, continent-wide e-mobility experience.
“With every new charging point, we bring e-mobility closer to people’s everyday lives,” said Joschi Jennermann, CEO of Elli Mobility, the newly formed subsidiary of Volkswagen Group Charging that now oversees all charging and fueling services under the Group.
The rapid expansion is supported by the introduction of Elli’s new transparent tariff model, aimed at simplifying pricing and making cross-border EV travel more cost-effective. Features include international roaming, Plug&Charge functionality, and affordable high-power charging via the Ionity network.
ID. Buzz World Tour to Test Network Reach
To demonstrate the global capabilities of the Elli charging network, Guinness World Record holder Rainer Zietlow will embark on an unprecedented journey beginning July 1: a year-long ID. Buzz World Tour covering over 75 countries across six continents, in an effort to set the record for the “most countries visited in an electric vehicle.”
Starting in Europe, the tour will pass through Austria, Italy, France, and Turkey before heading into Asia, Africa, the Americas, and concluding in Canada.
“In 2020, we kicked off a record-breaking tour through Germany with the ID.3,” said Zietlow. “Now, with Elli’s network having tripled in size, we can take that journey to a truly global scale. The network is extensive, well integrated, and allows for fast charging even in remote regions.”
The tour will be documented live via idbuzz-worldtour.com and on Elli’s official LinkedIn page.
Strategic Growth in Sustainable Mobility
The announcement was made at the launch event for the world tour at Volkswagen’s Commercial Vehicles Customer Center in Hanover, attended by Volkswagen executives Steffen Reiche, Lars Krause, and Joschi Jennermann, alongside Zietlow.
As EV adoption accelerates across Europe and beyond, Volkswagen and Elli are positioning themselves at the heart of this transformation by building out infrastructure that supports borderless electric travel — from daily commutes to record-breaking global expeditions.
