Dive Brief:
- Ionna says it’s committed to deploying 30,000 electric vehicle charging bays around the U.S. by 2030 despite government action last week suspending billions of dollars in funding to support network expansion.
- With EV adoption gaining momentum, the joint venture founded by many of the world’s leading automakers is on track to bring over 1,000 additional charging bays online this year.
- “Ionna is fortunate in that we are not reliant on federal funding to develop our Rechargeries,” Miles Johnson, spokesman for Hyundai Motor America, said in an email to Automotive Dive. Hyundai is among joint venture’s cofounders. “There is a significant EV charging gap right now that poses an immediate need for infrastructure buildout.”
Dive Insight:
Ionna announced Feb. 4 that the joint venture transitioned from its public beta phase to full-scale national release. The group marked the milestone with the opening of an Ionna-branded “Rechargery” in Apex, North Carolina.
The Apex facility, which has the appearance of a vintage fueling center, is one example of the assorted types of charging sites Ionna plans to roll out as part of its national initiative.
Johnson said other future locations will be larger flagship facilities, while some chargers will be installed at existing travel centers, including those operated by Sheetz, which has plans to build chargers at more than 50 of its facilities by the end of 2026.
Johnson said Sheetz is the first of many partnerships Ionna is seeking. Other automakers part of the joint venture include BMW, General Motors, Honda, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis and Toyota.
These partnerships are the part of the strategy to bring additional technology to the Ionna network. During Q1, the rechargery in Garner, North Carolina will introduce Amazon’s AI and sensor walk-in-and-out technology, which allows customers to buy products without checkout lines.
There are more than 100 contracted Ionna sites nationwide today, according to a statement from BMW. This includes rechargeries that recently opened in Houston and Abilene, Kansas. Another site is under construction in Wilcox, Arizona along with six others.
While Ionna wants to serve tomorrow’s EV drivers, there is an immediate need to expand charging networks now, Johnson said. That’s why despite policy changes that may affect infrastructure funding or purchase initiatives, the joint venture is focused on meeting its build out target.
“We are still catching up on servicing current EVs on the road, let alone future EVs,” he said.
