Charged EVs | IONNA and Circle K plan 350 US EV charging sites with 400 kW fast chargers

IONNA has partnered with Circle K to expand high-power EV charging across the United States, with more than 350 sites in scope under the “Rechargeries @ Circle K” banner. The plan includes taking over Circle K’s existing US charging portfolio, upgrading about 85 current charging sites and building additional stations at high-traffic locations that do not yet have chargers.

IONNA said all of the sites in scope are expected to feature charging speeds of up to 400 kW and include both CCS and NACS connectors. The first Rechargeries @ Circle K locations are scheduled to begin serving customers by the end of 2026, with further rollout planned in 2027. The partnership also supports IONNA’s broader goal of building 30,000 high-power charging bays by 2030.

IONNA is backed by eight automakers: BMW, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mercedes-Benz, Stellantis and Toyota. For IONNA, the deal adds a large, existing retail footprint to its charging buildout. For Circle K, it adds a charging partner focused on high-power hardware and a branded charging experience. In practice, that matters because convenience-store charging works best when the site already has the things drivers want during a stop: food, drinks, restrooms and a layout built around quick in-and-out traffic.

According to the release, IONNA will assume operation of sites across Circle K’s existing US charging portfolio, then convert and upgrade approximately 85 of those locations. It also plans to accelerate new deployments at premium Circle K sites where chargers are not yet installed. That gives the partnership two tracks at once, retrofit and new build, which is usually faster than starting from scratch across an entire network.

“We are honored that Circle K has recognized IONNA as a leader in the industry and entrusted us to serve their customers,” said Aaron Wolff, COO of IONNA, adding that Circle K’s scale and site quality make it “an ideal partner” as IONNA expands.

Håkon Stiksrud, VP of Global eMobility at Circle K, said the partnership is intended to make EV charging “as easy and convenient as possible” by pairing fast, reliable charging with the company’s retail offering.

Source: IONNA