• by Tanya Gazdik , April 6, 2025

A joint venture between eight automakers to change the electric charging experience in America is taking a unique approach in its marketing.

In partnership with VML, which won a competitive pitch, the brand launch of Ionna will use nostalgic design elements that were drawn from America’s automotive past and retro service station brands. 

The goal is to inject comfort, familiarity and a sense of joy and charm lacking in the EV charging category today, says Robb Smigielski, chief design officer and executive lead of brand design, VML.

The charging network “looks to the past experience of service stations that made us smile and earned our trust by wrapping the experience in warmth, hospitality, and thoughtful design and craft a brand identity with familiar comfort and timeless optimism,” he says in a release.  

The eight automakers behind Ionna are BMW, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz Group, Stellantis and Toyota.

The first charging locations broke ground in late 2024 with plans to drastically scale in their first year, as well as expand into Canada at a later date. Ionna aims to have 100 locations with 1,000 chargers set up by the end of 2025, and 30,000 “ultra-fast-and-reliable charging points” by 2030.

Each station will feature an indoor driver’s lounge, bathrooms, coffee service, food, wifi and pet-friendly amenities. Convenience stores powered by Amazon’s “Just Walk Out” technology will debut at select locations.

Initial plans call for the deployment of charging stations, or “rechargeries” in metropolitan areas and along major highways, including connecting corridors and vacation routes, aiming to offer reliable charging wherever people may choose to live, work and travel. 

"In a world where all charging brands skew to either techno-cold or parking-lot-boring, designed for machines instead of the people who drive them, Ionna was created to reintroduce comfort and familiarity back into the open road," says Ricardo Stamatti, Ionna chief product officer, in a release. 

The rollout plans include a strategic partnership with restaurant and convenience store chain, Sheetz. 

Sheetz continues to expand its footprint, with a goal of 1,000 store locations by 2028. Ionna will grow alongside them, with the two companies committing to 50 Ionna/Sheetz Rechargeries by the end of 2026.  

Co-locating is just the beginning, with incentives and loyalty programs for Ionna and Sheetz patrons rolling out in 2025, according to the companies.