Another day brings us another noticeable EV-related investment in the US, which means more manufacturing capacity and further strengthening of electrification.
This time, ABB announced that it will invest a multi-million dollar amount to launch a new manufacturing facility of DC fast chargers in Columbia, South Carolina.
Due to increasing market demand, the company would like to produce at the site up to 10,000 chargers per year, starting in early 2023.
The chargers will range from 20 kW to 180 kW and will be envisioned for public charging, school buses, and fleets. Let's recall that ABB E-mobility division already has in the US a manufacturing facility for transit bus chargers that range from 150 kW to 450 kW.
"This expansion will increase responsiveness to US market demand, create a more efficient localized supply chain, and reduce delivery lead times."
ABB noted that the investment is compliant with the Buy America Act and will create more than 100 jobs.
Bob Stojanovic, Vice President for ABB E-mobility in North America said:
“The need for investment in the US e-mobility sector has never been greater, as 18 million EVs are expected to be on US roads by 2030. Expanding our US manufacturing operations will allow us to better serve our customers and help advance the adoption of EVs from private vehicles to public transportation and fleets. Our facility in South Carolina is another example of how we are driving the American e-mobility economy forward with high-quality and reliable EV charging solutions that meet the needs of every part of a sustainable transportation ecosystem.”
In recent months, ABB appears to be investing heavily in the EV business. This year, the company also acquired a controlling interest in EV commercial charging infrastructure solutions company, InCharge Energy, as well as invested in EV charging software provider, ChargeLab.
In June, we heard about a new big DC fast charger production facility in Italy, which will have an output of more than 10,000 DC chargers annually.
In about a decade, ABB globally sold more than 30,000 DC fast chargers - but the new plants suggest that we will see significant growth in the next couple of years to hundreds of thousands.
