- Toyota is joining the Ionna charging consortium, which is backed by BMW, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes, and Stellantis.
- The move will give Toyota and Lexus owners access to Ionna charging stations, which are slated to open later this year.
- Ionna plans to have at least 30,000 charging ports in North America by 2030.
Seven automakers came together to launch the Ionna charging network last summer and now we can add one more to the mix. It’s Toyota, which has announced plans to become an investor and founding partner of the charging firm.
The company joins an assortment of other industry heavyweights including BMW, GM, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes, and Stellantis. That’s quite a lineup and they’ll enable Ionna to rival Tesla’s Supercharger Network, which was rocked by massive cuts earlier this year.
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The first Ionna charging stations are slated to open later this year and there are plans to have at least 30,000 charging ports in North America by 2030. They’ll be a mix of CCS and NACS connectors, so owners of existing EVs won’t have to worry about using an adaptor as the industry transitions to the NACS standard.
By coming onboard, Toyota and Lexus customers will gain access to the latest DC fast charging network. Ionna hasn’t said too much about their plans, but the firm is promising a “holistic customer experience” thanks to charging stations that provide visitors with “amenities and convenience in addition to vehicle charging.”
While Toyota and Lexus only offer two EVs at the moment, two three-row crossovers are on the horizon. The companies also plan to offer 30 EVs globally by 2030.
Toyota Motor North America CEO Ted Ogawa said, “We are excited to announce our support of Ionna to deploy DC fast chargers throughout the U.S. and Canada. We believe this will not only promote the adoption of BEVs and increase customer confidence in the technology, but it will provide our Toyota and Lexus customers with access to Ionna’s rapidly growing charging network in North America.”
