When I pulled up in the 2026 BMW iX at the brand-new Ionna Rechargery in Scranton, Pennsylvania, I expected an easy charging experience. I didn’t expect it to be this easy.
I backed into the spot, plugged in, tapped my credit card and 15 minutes later, I had more than enough range to get back on the road. So fast and so easy, your grandma will be able to do it all by herself, too.
What Ionna—the new EV charging consortium backed by eight automakers—is building is nothing short of a charging revolution. The Tesla Supercharger network democratized and normalized EV charging, but at first, for only a specific type of car owner.
Now Ionna is raising the bar even higher, fixing the biggest headaches in public charging and making the whole thing feel as simple as pumping gas, while making the overall experience vastly superior and much safer.
The EV Charging Experience
The Scranton, Pennsylvania site—one of Ionna’s newest—is hosted by Sheetz, the gas station and convenience store chain. It has five Alpitronic Hyperchargers with two cables each, four NACS cables and six CCS ports. Ionna is aiming for a mix of 40% Tesla-type North American Charging Standard (NACS) and 60% Charging System (CCS) plugs, for now.
It's no wonder that's the case. Ionna's backers include General Motors, BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis and Toyota. Each brand is gradually adopting Tesla's plug as its standard, but each is at a different stage of that process. So an Ionna Rechargery needs to be able to serve all EVs.
Admittedly, the iX is not the best EV to test a 400-kilowatt station. It can only accept a charging rate of up to 195 kW max. But that was more than adequate for me, going from about 30% to 80% in 15 minutes, with a peak charging speed of 162 kW. At 0.35 cents per kWh, it cost me about $10, much cheaper than EV charging costs in New York City where I'm currently living.
If your EV has an 800-volt architecture, you can take full advantage of 200+ kW charging speeds for much faster top-ups. Payment and authentication are just as quick. There’s no fiddling with apps or menus: plug in, tap your card and the charger starts dispensing electrons within seconds.
If you’re new to EV charging, the stall’s screen walks you through four steps—tap your card, select your connector on the screen first, pull the cable and start charging. In practice, even if you just pull the cable, plug in and then tap or insert your card, the system instantly authenticates and starts charging. It’s literally as simple as filling up at a gas pump.
Why Ionna's Experience Is Better Than Most Tesla Superchargers
All Ionna Rechargeries have amenities on site and are located in lively, visible locations, which generally tend to be safer than poorly lit and secluded areas. The consortium is either building its own sites with dedicated driver lounges or partnering with popular host sites such as Sheetz and Wawa gas stations, which tend to have all the amenities.
They all have bright, well-lit canopies, trash cans and some even have free dispensers for wiper washer fluids.
On my visit, the Sheetz station was buzzing with drivers fueling up, grabbing food and taking refreshment breaks. I plugged in the iX and went into the Sheetz store to grab a coffee and a waffle sandwich. They were both great; the WiFi was working and the store had clean, spotless bathrooms.
And this is not some corporate lure forcing you to spend money while your EV charges. Sure, it’s a business first and foremost, but if you want to just quickly plug in, recharge and drive out, you can do that because the Alpitronic stalls deliver energy really fast—you should just have an EV that can accept those kinds of charging speeds.
Now imagine the U.S. getting blanketed by this level of easy, fast and super reliable EV charging experience, in addition to the tens of thousands of Tesla Superchargers and other networks such as Electrify America and ChargePoint—which are also growing fast. It's a clear indication that the EV movement is only poised to grow, despite the U.S. government's efforts to reverse technological progress.
Ionna is poised to play a big role in this transition, with its warp speed growth. Ionna’s first official site opening in Apex, North Carolina, was just six months ago in February. Since then, it has opened 21 charging stations across the country, including in Texas, Florida, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois and Ohio.
There are 212 functional charging ports as of now, with 400 more charging stalls under construction and 3,000 bays which are contracted—that’s according to Seth Cutler, the CEO of Ionna, who spoke to InsideEVs contributor and host of State of Charge YouTube channel Tom Moloughney.
So rest assured that a cheaper, better way of getting around is already here. EVs cost less to own, less to “refuel” and far less to maintain thanks to simpler underpinnings. The drive is quieter, more refined and leaps ahead in technology.
As long as charging stations like these keep popping up across the country, the experience is only going to get better.
Have a tip? Contact the author: suvrat.kothari@insideevs.com
