IONNA, the joint venture founded by BMW, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, and Toyota has announced its full-scale, national release. To mark the launch, representatives from each automaker met at the JV’s first charging station (referred to as a Rechargery) in Apex, NC and its new HQ and Customer Experience Lab in Durham, NC.
This rollout follows an extensive period of testing carried out by the company in late 2024, where OEM fleets and test drivers helped stress-test the IONNA network. Overall, this period encompassed more than 4,400 charging sessions on over 80 unique vehicle models, dispensing an estimated 63 thousand kilowatt-hours of energy.
Alongside the commencement of its national release, IONNA also announced plans to develop more than 100 contracted sites across the U.S., including the opening of new Rechargery stations in Houston, TX, Abilene, KS, and Willcox, AZ among a further six locations that are currently under construction. Following the launch of these locations, over the course of 2025, IONNA is looking to roll out more than 1,000 additional charging bays across the USA.
Supporting this network, and IONNA as it develops, is the joint venture’s newly opened headquarters and customer experience lab. Through this facility, the joint venture is aiming to facilitate ongoing testing and innovation, while bolstering its broader commitment to offering a driver-first experience.
Beginning with its Rechargery at Garner, NC, IONNA will introduce an automated ‘grab & go’ retail experience at its charging stations, enabled by a computer-vision system powered by AI and sensor fusion technology. The foundation of this experience is a partnership between the JV and Amazon, with the tech giant lending its “Just Walk Out” retail technology to allow drivers to purchase refreshments and essential goods at any time of the day, without the need to wait in a checkout line.
IONNA’s chargers will, themselves, offer Plug & Charge technology from launch, with the functionality growing to include more automakers as the year progresses. The JV will also utilize vehicle integration to enable features such as AI-driven smart reservations and routing optimization, in-car payments, and more.
