First announced in July 2023, IONNA, the joint venture to build a high-powered EV charging network across North America, has received approval from regulatory authorities, and is now officially commencing operations. IONNA is a joint venture of seven of the world’s foremost automakers: BMW, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, and Stellantis. With Seth Cutler, newly appointed as the chief executive officer, IONNA will become one of the most accessible and reliable high-powered charging networks in North America with plans to deploy at least 30,000 chargers.
Seth Cutler to lead IONNA
Cutler brings a wealth of experience in electric mobility and charging to shape the joint venture right from the start. In his role as senior vice president of technical operations at EV Connect, Cutler drastically expanded the network of charging station manufacturers. Most recently serving as the president and chief operations officer, he started several initiatives to transform the company from a start-up to a scale-up phase. Before joining EV Connect, Cutler took the lead in engineering and orchestrating the development and implementation of a high-powered charging network as chief engineer in the early phase of Electrify America. He started his career at General Electric (GE), where his versatile roles included that of general manager of EV infrastructure.
Elevating the customer experience
IONNA’s charging network will be accessible to all electric vehicles with NACS or CCS connectors and aims to provide a seamless, vehicle-integrated, best-in-class, charging experience. This will be realized by providing various amenities such as restrooms, food service, and retail operations nearby or within the same complex, digital integration and appealing locations. Customers can expect convenient locations that will come with canopies wherever possible to further focus on unprecedented customer comfort and charging ease. The network’s functions and services will facilitate seamless integration with participating automakers’ in-vehicle and in-app experiences, encompassing reservations, intelligent route planning and navigation, payment applications, transparent energy management, and additional features.
