The Charging Network That Beat Tesla in J.D. Power's Study Has Doubled in Size
The automaker-backed fast-charging network now has more than 180 U.S. sites, and Plug & Charge is coming for some Toyota and Lexus EVs.
IONNA, the fast-charging network owned by eight automakers, now has more than 180 live sites in the U.S. That is more than twice what it had in January, the company announced Sept. 30. The update also brings Toyota and Lexus app support, and a promise of Plug & Charge for some of those brands' EVs.
The pace matters because IONNA is now the best-rated fast-charging network in the country by at least one widely followed measure. Its stations offer both NACS and CCS connectors, which is useful for drivers still sorting out which EVs can plug into Tesla's Superchargers.
Convenience stores account for much of the growth. IONNA says 40 Circle K locations are now online. When the two companies announced their partnership in April, they set a target of more than 350 co-branded sites. That plan included upgrading roughly 85 existing Circle K charging locations, with the first openings promised by the end of 2026.
The buildout has also sped up since summer. Electrek counted 150 IONNA stations and 1,375 ports in mid-August, so about 30 sites have opened in roughly seven weeks. The network is still far from IONNA's stated goal of 30,000 high-power charging bays by 2030. Its backers are BMW, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis, and Toyota.
The ratings win came in August. IONNA was eligible for J.D. Power's 2026 U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience Public Charging Study for the first time and scored 807 on a 1,000-point scale. The Mercedes-Benz Charging Network (797) and Rivian Adventure Network (755) followed. Tesla's Supercharger network, which had topped the study for five straight years, fell to fourth at 701. The average for DC fast-charging networks was 666.
The broader results explain why newer networks are pulling ahead. Only 12% of surveyed owners said they arrived at a charger and couldn't charge, down from 14% a year earlier. That is the lowest failure rate since the study began in 2021. J.D. Power credited faster hardware, larger sites, and simpler payment.
The same data supports the Circle K strategy. Fast chargers at gas stations and convenience stores scored 689, just behind hotels at 692. Chargers at dealerships scored only 570.
"The industry has treated charging scale and charging quality as a tradeoff. Our growth and first-place customer satisfaction ranking show that drivers can and should expect both," said IONNA CEO Seth Cutler.
For Toyota and Lexus owners, the change is mostly in software. IONNA never built an app of its own and works through partner apps instead. Adding the Toyota and Lexus apps, along with Presto, ChargeHub, and EV Connect, takes that list to 19.
Plug & Charge, which starts a session and bills the account as soon as the cable is connected, is coming "soon" for certain Toyota and Lexus models. IONNA hasn't said which models or when. For bZ owners, where and how easily they can fast-charge is part of the ownership math covered in our five-year cost comparison.
IONNA hasn't given an updated port count or said how many Circle K conversions remain. The next things to watch are the Toyota and Lexus Plug & Charge launch and whether IONNA can keep its satisfaction lead as the network grows.
