Image Credit: Toyota
On July 10, 2024, Toyota announced that it has teamed up with another seven car manufacturers and invested in IONNA, an accessible EV (electric vehicle) charging venture designed to bring 30,000 DC fast chargers all over North America.
Toyota Motor North America (Toyota) is also a founding partner of IONNA. As well as Toyota (which includes Lexus), the other automakers investing are Honda, BMW, Hyundai, Kia, GM, Mercedes-Benz, and Stellantis.
IONNA’s DC Fast Chargers
IONNA’s aim is to encourage drivers to think about purchasing a battery electric vehicle (BEV) when it’s time to buy a new car by taking away the concern surrounding EV charger availability in America.
Reports have shown that drivers have held off on adopting EVs due to worries that they won’t be able to find a charging station if they need one.
30,000 EV Chargers Coming in 2024
By 2030, IONNA is planning to have over 30,000 of these fast chargers for BEVs up and running in many different locations all over North America. The first batch is due to be rolled out later this year, and more and more will be installed over the next five or so years.
Owners of BEVs with either NACS (The North American Charging Standard) or CCS (combined charging system) connectors will be catered to. In addition to the convenience of quickly and easily charging their EVs, the stations will also offer drivers helpful amenities.
Toyota’s BEVs
Toyota’s bZ4X, and the Lexus RZ, are the two BEVs currently available in the USA and Canada. Toyota has, however, said that two new BEV SUVs are in the works. These three-row SUVs will be put together at Toyota Motor Manufacturing’s Kentucky and Indiana facilities.
The company has said that it wants to have 30 different Toyota and Lexus BEVs available by 2030, and plans to make up to 3.5 million of them per year.
Toyota’s Support of IONNA—Conclusion
IONNA’s CEO, Seth Cutler, said that Toyota’s vision for EVs in North America aligns with their own, and noted that the collaboration will help electric mobility take over in the near future. He also stressed the importance IONNA gives to high quality and standards, reliability, and excellent customer experience.
The president and CEO of Toyota Motor North America, Ted Ogawa, made the announcement earlier this week, and stated that Toyota’s main priority is to make DC fast chargers readily available and accessible in the USA and Canada in a bid to encourage the mass adoption of BEVs.
Image Credit:Toyota
