Public charging has been an obstacle to the widespread adoption of electric vehicles in North America. There have been issues with charging plugs, numerous payment apps, and a lack of available charging locations.

IONNA is a new charging network from eight automakers, including Toyota. IONNA just announced more than 180 live public charging locations across the country. This is more than double the number of charging locations that existed at the start of 2026. IONNA has also been recognized as number one in the 2026 U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience Public Charging Study by JD Power for rapid location deployment and the quality of the charging experience.

Photo: Toyota

A Fast-Growing National Footprint

IONNA is the largest 400-kW public charging network in the U.S. and has been rapidly expanding nationwide. One of the key partners in IONNA’s expansion is the convenience chain Circle K. Since the announcement of a partnership with Circle K in April, over 40 charging locations, called “Rechargeries,” have been deployed to Circle K locations across the country.

IONNA charging stations enable fast charging while providing access to other Circle K services. In addition to expanding charging locations, IONNA is offering a discounted membership to customers of its participating automakers, including BMW, GM, Hyundai, and Mercedes-Benz.

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Removing Friction Through Open Access

IONNA also chose not to have a separate app for customers to access its charging network. Instead, IONNA focuses on integrating with existing apps. Customers can access and pay for IONNA charging using existing charging apps such as EV Connect, ChargeHub, and Presto. IONNA currently supports 19 apps. IONNA is also implementing “Plug & Charge.” With this implementation, customers will be able to simply plug into a vehicle, and payment will be handled automatically. Volvo users have access to this implementation, with Toyota and Lexus customers expected to have this implemented in October.

“The industry has treated charging scale and charging quality as a tradeoff. Our growth and first-place customer satisfaction ranking show that drivers can and should expect both,” said Seth Cutler, CEO of IONNA. “The IONNA team is focused on delivering quality at scale to enable the sale and adoption of EVs in North America.”

Building The Network With Drivers

IONNA has also formed a Driver Advisory Council to ensure that the charging network meets the needs of drivers and long-distance travelers. The members of the Driver Advisory Council include prominent figures in the electric vehicle community. Members of the council will receive input from drivers and use it to inform the future development of the IONNA charging network.

One of the first items on the council’s agenda is improving IONNA’s new Driver’s Dashboard. The Driver’s Dashboard is a new online tool that allows for real-time tracking of a user’s charging session without requiring a login or password. Without requiring a login or password, users can access their session information from their browser. IONNA is focused on putting the driver first to demonstrate that collaboration among industry players is the fastest path to improving the country’s current public charging infrastructure.