- Ionna is a new charging company backed by eight of the largest automakers in the U.S.
- The brand wants to provide "best-in-class" charging, with fast stalls, on-site amenities and convenient locations.
- Its second station may not be a 40-stall monster like some competitors, but it looks like a modern, smart, repeatable model for a nationwide charging brand.
Public fast-charging infrastructure needs improvement. The current stations are too clogged, often lack amenties and usually end up stuffed in the back of random grocery store and shopping mall parking lots. But who's going to fix it?
Well, Electrify America is working on some flagship locations with amenities, as is EVGo/GM. Startup Rove has already opened a 40-stall behemoth in Santa Ana. But if you want flagship charging at scale, you better keep an eye on Ionna.
The company released a rendering today of its second "Rechargery," its term for a large charging station with a canopy, on-site restrooms and food options. Ionna announced it had officially broken ground on the new facility in Houston, Texas.
On the face of it, this is no different from what Rove has delivered and EVGo has promised. Even Electrify America offers one giant charging hub in San Fransisco with indoor parking and a lounge. But Ionna is directly backed by BMW, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes, Stellantis and Toyota. The company doesn't want to be a local, specialty travel center like Rove. It's planning to install at least 30,000 chargers in North America.
The company says it'll offer a "best-in-class" charging experience, with retail options, attractive locations and restrooms, with support for both Combined Charging Standard (CCS) and North American Charging Standard (NACS) plugs. The Houston location will offer eight fast-charging stalls under a full canopy.
Those of you who don't own an EV or fast-charge often may be surprised that I'm mentioning the fact that it has a canopy, as you'd find on almost every gas station. But it is a huge pain point for current EV charging infrastructure, where rain or intense sun can make the process a huge pain. Where I live in San Diego, I end up sitting around for 30 minutes with the sun in my eyes.
But while the Ionna station looks good, I'm not entirely convinced that eight stalls will be enough in the short term. Five years from now, I'm sure DC fast chargers will be common enough that eight-stall chargers may be the norm. That's about as many gas pumps as I see at the average interstate station, though notable the turnaround time at a gas pump is far, far shorter. For now, though, one huge attraction to a model like Rove's 40-stall charging hubs, Electrify America's 20-stall behemoths and Tesla's giant rows of Superchargers is that you know you'll always be able to plug in without a significant delay.
On a highly trafficked corridor in Houston, where charging infrastructure is more sparse, I'm not sure Ionna can promise the same thing. It's more of your average Chevron or Shell than a Buc-ee's or Flying J. Good thing both of those brands are rolling out fast chargers, too.
Even though it may not be making giant charging plazas, I'm glad Ionna is coming to market. Sure, having those mega hubs is great, but we all fill up at Shells and Chevrons more than we fill up at Flying J's. America needs a reliable, ubiquitous fast-charging brand with the basic amenities that most Superchargers and Electrify America stations lack. Based on this rendering, it looks like that's what Ionna will be.
Contact the author: Mack.hogan@insideevs.com.
