Iona On Thursday, the world's first ever EV fast-charging facility emerged, so to speak. gas station.
The launch site in Apex, North Carolina, includes the city's first gas station, which will be restored and housed in “Recharge,” according to a press release. The site will include 10 “accessible” covered parking spaces at both the combined charge rate (CCS) and the North American charging rate (NACS) connectors capable of up to 400 kw of power, the release said.
The facility will also include amenities such as a “driver's lounge” with food and beverages, bathrooms, and wifi, as well as “outdoor and pet-friendly amenities,” according to Ionna. The dedicated site format, with covered parking and utilities, was also adopted by startup Rove, which is planning 20 fully serviced charging stations in California. Electrify America also opened an indoor EV charging station that the company says will be a model for future urban areas.
Ionna was announced in 2023 as the first potential competitor in the Tesla Supercharger network. It is sponsored by seven automakers, including an undisclosed amount from BMW Group, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, and Stellantis. Ionna's plans aim to innovate at least 30,000 high-capacity EV fast chargersstrategically placed across North America to facilitate long-distance travel, the full network will be completed before 2030.
Ionna said it will “facilitate seamless integration” with participating automakers' charging applications, enabling booking, payment, route planning, and navigation at its charging sites, as well as “light energy management” and other features.
Not all major automakers have joined the Ionna project, however. General Motors is partnering with EVgo on 400 fast charging stations scheduled to open in major US cities starting in 2025. These will include dash cams and security cameras, but GM did not discuss such features as the Ionna will be offered.