IONNA, a massive new electric vehicle charging network planned for North America, has officially kicked off its operations.
The company, which is a joint venture between BMW, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz and Stellantis, said it has received regulatory approval and appointed Seth Cutler as its CEO. Cutler, who most recently served as president and chief operations officer at EV Connect, will lead the company's efforts to deploy at least 30,000 chargers.
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IONNA’s charging network will be accessible to all electric vehicles with NACS or CCS connectors, and the facilities will provide many of the same customer features associated with gas stations. That includes restrooms, food service and retail operations either in the same facility or nearby.
IONNA said its locations will include canopies over the charging stations wherever possible and that they will focus on renewable energy. The joint venture expects to open its first charging stations in the United States this year before eventually expanding to Canada.
Further information on IONNA, which was first announced in July 2023, arrives as Stellantis today announced its intentions to adopt the SAE J3400 charging connector for some of its battery-electric vehicle (BEV) models launching in North America for the 2026 model year.
"Customers win when the industry aligns on open standards. We are happy to announce our backing and adoption of the SAE J3400 connector, a milestone for all customers on the path to open and seamless charging," said Ricardo Stamatti, Stellantis SVP of global energy & charging in a statement. "Our Dare Forward 2030 strategic plan puts customers at the center of open interoperability and freedom of mobility for all. This future will be amplified by IONNA, our public charging joint venture with six other OEMs that will deliver industry-leading high-powered charging for all battery-electric vehicles regardless of brand."
