Headlines in the United States claim that the EV market has hit a lull. But IONNA, the fast-growing EV charging network backed by eight of the world’s largest automakers, reminds c-store operators that the overall trajectory hasn’t changed.
“I’ve been in the industry for going on 13 years now, and EV adoption keeps going up and to the right,” said Seth Cutler, chief executive officer of IONNA. He noted that the actual driving experience “in terms of vehicle quality, range, and speed,” is getting better year over year, as well as infrastructure which is consistently improving and enabling market growth.
“Despite the headlines and fluctuations in policy, the thing to note is that EV adoption continues to grow. There were about 1.4 million EVs sold last year. That’s up year over year,” said Ricardo Stamatti, chief product and technology officer of IONNA. “There’s enough data out there today that shows people don’t buy EVs purely because of tax or other incentives. They buy EVs because they enjoy driving them.”
It takes an average of six years to develop a new vehicle, said Stamatti, and even longer to develop a new platform because of the time spent building supply chains. Automakers remain committed to building a range of EVs and improving accessibility. Proof of this commitment is seen in IONNA’s creation. The company was founded by eight automakers: BMW, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis and Toyota.
Searching for Confidence, Comfort and Convenience
EV drivers look for three things from their charging experience: confidence, comfort and convenience, said Stamatti. “They want to know that when they find a station, when they get there, it’s going to work and they don’t have to go out of their way to charge and bake under the sun. They want clean, well lit, welcoming locations. And they want a place where they can use the restroom, grab a snack and maybe even get some work done while they’re charging.”
“For us, the charger is just one component of the overall experience a customer has,” Cutler said. “From a physical standpoint, there’s certain things that we think about. From the overall experience a customer has at this location to everything down through trash cans and windshield wipers to canopy and lighting.”
Customer experience is “what we’re focusing on here at IONNA,” Cutler said. “How do we deliver a different customer experience, both physically and also digitally? How do we work with our investors and partners to think about the overall ecosystem—from a digital and physical integration of the car, the driver, the mobile app and the actual charging station?”
IONNA is also trying to drive integration between the car and the charger. “It’s all about how you really combine the car and the charger into one ecosystem. You can do that in a different way than with gas. Reservations are an example. Or does the nav system offer a different route if it knows that someone is already there using the Rechargery? There are all kinds of things you can go do once we’re able to start unlocking that way,” Cutler said.
The New EV Driver
EVs have moved well past the early adopters, Stamatti said, and EVs are in a new mass market stage. The EV driver demographic continues to broaden. More people, from all walks of life across different g eographies, are going to be driving EVs, he said. “At IONNA, part of our mission is to open America’s roads to EVs. And for c-stores, that means opening the road for new customers.”
Cutler noted that there used to be one specific type of person who was buying an EV, but now EVs fit more than one type of lifestyle. The first EV buyers, he said, relied heavily on home charging. “Now, you have people that are traveling 300-plus miles, and there are EV drivers living in smaller homes or apartments who can’t easily charge at home. What that means is that the need for public charging increases. People are going to be looking to go to a c-store or their local gas station to charge their car because that’s where they’re used to going for fuel.”
Stamatti noted how the secondhand EV market has created a new pool of potential buyers. “There are so many people looking for a value option when they buy a used car, and all of a sudden there’s a discounted EV available for purchase.”
As an example of the expanding market, EVs have also proven to be great options for Uber and Lyft drivers. Stamatti said that these drivers can now get an EV for a “low capital outlay” and in addition to that, if they have the ability to charge at home or get some sort of fleet charging plan with their secondhand EV, “all of a sudden, the ability for these drivers to make good money is defined by that car.”
Addressing C-Store Challenges
Installing an EV charger historically comes with many challenges, from overall costs to filing paperwork with the city. Stamatti said that IONNA is designed to be a full-service partner with the stores it works with. “We’re not a hardware seller or a software vendor. When we deploy, for example, at a c-store, we bring the chargers, the energy system and the customer service, as well as a brand with a long-term service model.”
IONNA covers all capital costs when installing its Rechargeries, so c-store owners don’t have operational expenses. Additionally, the company will pay rent for the land. “That is the real advantage for the retailers who partner with us. Another advantage is our deep integration in vehicles, which is benefit of IONNA being created as a joint venture of eight car companies,” said Cutler. “When it comes to gas, drivers look for the sign in the sky showing the price of fuel per gallon. With IONNA, drivers can easily find Rechargeries through the car’s navigation system.”
“For a c-store, all they have to do is raise their hand and say ‘I think I’m a great location for a Rechargery.’ We come in and say, ‘Guess what? We agree.’ And then all the store does is benefit from that increased traffic and future-proofing that new customer base,” Stamatti explained.