Automakers Strike Back! Step One In The Fight Against Tesla’s Supercharger Dominance

Beyond pricing, availability, styling, and any other factors involved in potential buyers opting for an electrified platform, it’s the task of charging, and, at the very least, finding a convenient charging station, that holds many back. It’s a hot topic that’s hovered over the EV segment for years and with one brand essentially dominating the fast charging landscape, its competition has been working on a way to strike back.

Tesla is, of course, the brand with the largest, most efficient charging network that’s proven to be relatively reliable and user-friendly, establishing itself as the industry benchmark. In an effort to create another fast charging outlet for EV users, and one that can compete with Tesla, eight automakers have joined forces to create their own charging network called IONNA. As of this week, the very first “Rechargery” site has broken ground.

The Modern One-Stop Shop

IONNA represents a joint effort between automakers Honda, BMW, Hyundai, General Motors, Kia, Toyota, Mercedes-Benz, and Stellantis. The intention, beyond putting up a fight against Tesla’s well-established charging network, is to offer a better fast charging experience for EV drivers of all makes. This means going well beyond just a parking space and a plug, and the group’s plans include plenty of extras to entice drivers.

Not far from IONNA’s future headquarters in Durham, North Carolina, the first charging station is being built a short distance away in Apex. Situated in Wake County, downtown Apex was named a historic district in 1994 and its trademark train depot, which dates back to 1867, was designated as a landmark for the county. In stark contrast, one of its historic gas stations will soon be completely transformed into an all-encompassing charging site complete with 10 covered parking spaces for vehicle charging, bathrooms, coffee, food and beverage options, an indoor lounge with Wi-Fi, and will even include an area for pets.

The new station will support CCS and NACS charging ports and produce upwards of 400kW and over 800 volts. The first of its kind, IONNA has plenty more in store, including more than 30,000 fast charging stations to be built by 2030. It’s not likely that every one of those locations will have as many “perks” as the Apex site will, but the group does intend on offering amenities to attract and support users. In terms of fast charging competition, Tesla currently has over 2,300 Supercharger stations with more than 26,000 fast charging ports. Electrify America is second to Tesla, with 900 stations and about 4,300 fast charge ports, while EVgo isn’t far behind, with 3,400 sites and 3,300 ports.

Simplicity Is King

Tesla’s decision to build-out their charging network early on has paid off, serving as the single global DC fast-charging network and one that removes at least a little of the range anxiety that plagues the industry currently. According to J.D. Power, who pulled information from PlugShare as part of their research, Tesla drivers have the highest level of satisfaction among EV owners rating their charging experience. With a score of 743 out of 1,000, a number that has diminished by just two points since last year, as well as a 706 total coming from Tesla charging station users that drive competitor’s vehicles, they stand strong at the forefront of the EV charging race.

That 706 score is 42 points above non-Tesla EV drivers’ overall satisfaction with fast chargers and J.D. Power found that the largest factor separating the Tesla and non-Tesla users was simplicity of charging and paying. With Tesla owners able to plug-and-pay and with no need for any additional adapters to charge their vehicles, the process is streamlined. To paint a clearer picture, satisfaction surrounding the plug-and-charge method is 886 for the payment end of things, and 806 points in regard to ease of charging. Those using a debit/credit card, however, ranked the process at 63, with ease of charging resulting in a score of just 596.

Leadership Update

Aiding in IONNA’s future plans is its newly appointed Chief Technology Officer, Jackie Slope, who has more than 15 years of leadership experience in the Sports and Entertainment world. His resume includes heading up customer experience development at Madison Square Garden and Crypto.com Arena.