First Ionna station flips gas station into EV "Rechargery"

Ionna on Thursday broke ground on its first EV fast-charging site which, symbolically, will be on land once occupied by a gas station.

The inaugural location in Apex, North Carolina, includes one of the town’s first gas stations, which will be restored and incorporated into the new “Rechargery,” according to a press release. The site will include 10 covered parking bays “accessible” to both Combined Charging Standard (CCS) and North American Charging Standard (NACS) connectors capable of up to 400 kw of power, the release said.

The site 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 amenities, is also being adopted by startup Rove, which plans 20 amenity-packed charging sites in California. Electrify America has also opened an indoor EV charging station the company claims will be the prototype for future urban sites.

Ionna was announced in 2023 as the first potential rival to the Tesla Supercharger network. It’s backed by seven automakers, including an undisclosed amount from BMW Group, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, and Stellantis. Ionna plans aims to establish a minimum of 30,000 high-power EV fast chargers, strategically located throughout North America to facilitate long-distance journeys, with the full network completed before 2030.

Ionna said it will “facilitate seamless integration” with participating automakers’ charging apps, allowing for reservations, payment, route planning, and navigation to its charging sites, as well as “transparent energy management” and other features.

Not every major automaker has joined the Ionna project, though. General Motors is partnering with EVgo on 400 fast-charging stops slated to open in major U.S. metropolitan areas beginning in 2025. These will feature canopies and security cameras, but GM hasn’t discussed amenities like those to be offered by Ionna.