This CEO wants to challenge Tesla's charging dominance. He's teaching dealerships how to make the EV pitch.
The EV fast-charging company has doubled its number of stations this year. Its CEO tells Business Insider it will roll out new dealer EV training.
Seth Cutler, CEO of Ionna, aims to compete with Tesla's charging network dominance. Ionna, a fast-charging network backed by major automakers, is set to train dealership staff at hundreds of locations starting in Q1 2027. The company has nearly doubled its US charging sites to 191 as of October, while Tesla boasts over 3,000 across the US.
Cutler believes that educating the sales staff is a crucial step in driving EV adoption. The company plans to partner with dealers selling vehicles from Toyota, Honda, General Motors, Hyundai, Kia, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Jeep-maker Stellantis. Ionna's strategy includes offering amenities like window-cleaning squeegees, trash cans, all-day bathrooms, lounges, and convenience stores with Amazon's Just Walk Out technology at charging sites.
Despite competition from Walmart, which is building a network of roughly 300 EV fast-charging locations, Ionna remains confident in its approach, drawing parallels to the rise of flat-screen TVs in the market.
Written by urgent.news from Business Insider's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
