EVwire brief: IONNA is urging EV drivers to inspect CCS charging connectors and their vehicle's charging inlet before plugging in, after a limited number of its CCS cables in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Missouri were found damaged in a way that can bend pins on cars that charge afterward.
According to IONNA, its hardware manufacturer notified the company on October 30 that a misaligned vehicle charging inlet can damage a charging connector, which may in turn bend a pin in the inlets of vehicles that plug in next. The reported cases account for fewer than two dozen out of more than one million charging sessions on IONNA's network to date, and NACS connectors are not affected.
IONNA said in a November 2 update that it has checked more than 1,000 CCS connectors over four days and is now shifting from network-wide identification to targeted repairs and replacements.
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All damaged cables have been taken out of service, and no issues have been found outside the four affected states. IONNA and its partners will keep running high-frequency health checks across the network through the end of November, with even more frequent checks in the affected region.
IONNA shared illustrations of what drivers should look for. An undamaged connector has a complete ground (PE) pin ring with its contact centered, while a damaged one shows the ring split from the center hole down:
IONNA also shared illustrations on what drivers should check for in their vehicles’ charge ports:
IONNA advises drivers not to plug in if they spot any bent, misaligned or damaged pins or connectors, on any network. Drivers whose vehicle inlet has been damaged should contact their local dealership, and issues can be reported through IONNA's support page.
Kyle Conner of Out of Spec Studios also shared the PSA on LinkedIn, noting that IONNA has ordered every adapter available on the market for testing to rule out a link to a new part:
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Context:
The connector issue comes as IONNA has been building a reputation for reliability. The network ranked first in DC fast charging in J.D. Power's 2026 U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience Public Charging Study in August, scoring 807 on a 1,000-point scale, ahead of the Mercedes-Benz Charging Network (797) and the Rivian Adventure Network (755).
IONNA is also one of the fastest-growing fast-charging networks in the US. The network added 378 new ports in Q3 2026, more than doubling its Q2 rollout, and jumped from seventh to second among US networks in new ports, behind only Tesla, according to Paren data.
Source: IONNA and Kyle Conner on LinkedIn
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