Toyota will join the Ionna EV charging network created last year for North America by seven automakers.

　　Almost a year ago, at the end of July 2023, seven automakers announce the creation of a joint venture aimed at accelerating the transition to electric vehicles in North America.

　　The goal was to establish a large-scale EV charging infrastructure to make charging easier, more accessible and more reliable for motorists. The future network was given the name Ionna.

　　The Group of Seven at the time included BMW, General Motors (GM), Hyundai, Kia, Honda, Mercedes-Benz and Stellantis.

　　Toyota will make it Group of Eight, the Japanese automaker confirmed yesterday. No details were provided regarding the extent of its involvement, but we do know that Toyotas investment in the joint venture will give Toyota and Lexus owners access to the public network of DC fast chargers that Ionna will begin deploying later this year. That network will include 30,000 charging stations located in North America.

　　Remember that Toyota is also on board with switching to Teslas NACS charging connector, which will give Toyota and Lexus owners access to even more stations.

　　This latest announcement is a further indication that electric vehicle recharging will become easier and easier in coming years in regions where it remains perilous at the moment. Access to a large and efficient recharging network is often one of the most important criteria for adopting an electric vehicle.