Siemens & EverCharge Announce New US EV Charger Factories

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America is going to need a lot of EV chargers if the EV revolution is to move forward on schedule. Fortunately, more and more companies are committing to manufacturing them in the US, thanks to economic incentives provided in the Inflation Reduction Act signed into law in August. This week, Siemens and EverCharge announced they are building new EV charger factories in America to manufacture chargers that qualify for the “Made In America” incentives.

Siemens To Build Second US EV Charger Factory

Siemens announced this week it is retrofitting an 80,000 square foot factory space in Carrollton, Texas, to begin manufacturing its VersiCharge Blue, a Buy American-compliant Level 2 AC EV charger specifically designed for the US market and compatible for all use cases, including workspaces, hospitals, airports, campuses, parking garages, and parking lots. The VersiCharge Blue is designed to help enable faster deployment of adaptable, open, and accessible EV charging for all.

“In the next decade, the United States will need millions of chargers to support the rise in EV adoption. With this investment, Siemens is continuing to grow our U.S. EV charging manufacturing footprint to help answer this call and continue preparing the nation’s infrastructure as we steadily head to an all-electric future,” said John DeBoer, head of Siemens eMobility North America. “We’re committed to bringing production closer to where it’s needed so we can meet the growing demand for EV chargers quickly while also creating high skilled, quality manufacturing jobs and supporting regional supply chains.” The new factory will support Siemens’ goal of manufacturing more than 1 million EV chargers for the United States over the next three years.

The company is continuing its investment for manufacturing in America, which will allow the company to ramp up quickly to meet significant EV market and customer demand. With this new site, Siemens will create 100 new jobs at the facility and across the regional supply chain. It expects the plant to be fully operational by mid-2023.

The Carrollton plant is strategically located near several Siemens facilities that will help speed EV charger equipment to market, including its Grand Prairie, Texas, manufacturing hub where Siemens develops equipment that supports essential power infrastructure and the its EV charging distribution center in Southaven, Mississippi.

This location is the latest facility in Siemens’ expanding US eMobility manufacturing and R&D footprint. In Wendell, North Carolina, the growing eMobility team manufactures the company’s DC charger for eBus and eTruck depot charging and has developed an apprenticeship and training program to prepare the EV workforce. The Siemens R&D hub in Peachtree Corners, Georgia, employs more than 600 engineers and researchers who are working towards the future of electrified transportation through continuous testing and exploration of EV technology.

The latest commitment builds on Siemens’ recently announced $54 million investment in its Grand Prairie and Pomona, California, facilities that produce power technologies for critical infrastructure and EV projects across the country, along with the company’s recent expansion of its Spartanburg, South Carolina, manufacturing facility. Siemens also is the first external investor in Electrify America, the largest open ultra-fast electric charging network in North America.

EverCharge Expands California EV Charger Factory

EverCharge, a leading provider of turnkey electric vehicle (EV) charging solutions for fleet and multi-family homes, announced this week it is expanding its manufacturing footprint and opening a new 30,000-square-foot production factory in Hayward, California.

With international supply chain shortages continuing to limit and delay production around the world, EverCharge is one of the few companies to manufacture its electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) in North America. As part of the expansion, EverCharge is creating new opportunities for highly skilled local jobs and plans to double their factory workforce by mid-2023.

“The demand for EV charging has never been greater, and we are committed to investing in the manufacturing, installation, and service of charging stations for our rapidly growing customer base,” said Jason Appelbaum, CEO of EverCharge. “The opening of our Hayward factory is a prime example of how EverCharge is driving the U.S. clean energy movement forward with high-quality, reliable, and American-made EV charging solutions.”

Development and expansion of the new Hayward facility began in September of 2022 and is slated to be completed by early 2023. Hayward was selected as the strategic location of EverCharge’s manufacturing hub for its surrounding innovative business community, key location for talent, and proximity to Highway 880 for convenient transportation of goods.

The new factory opening comes on the heels of EverCharge’s acquisition by SK E&S, a Korean energy company, and is part of SK E&S’s investment in US-based energy solutions. This partnership is launching a new chapter for EverCharge and creating growth and expansion in every area of the business.

The EverCharge SmartPower technology maximizes the number of electric vehicles that can charge at any one time. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Palo Alto, the company has installed and operates 4,600 EV chargers across North America.

The Takeaway

If the purpose of the Inflation Reduction Act was to drive more investment in American manufacturing, it has succeeded beyond anyone’s wildest expectations. Suddenly, companies from Hyundai to General Motors are building new factories to manufacture electric vehicles. LG Chem, SK On, Panasonic, and others are racing ahead with plans to build battery manufacturing facilities that use materials and components from sources that qualify for the generous incentives baked into the IRA.

When it comes to EV charger production, ABB announced in September it is constructing a new manufacturing facility in South Carolina. That factory will focus on building EV chargers with between 20 kW and 180 kW of power for school buses, municipal and commercial fleets, and public charging facilities. It will have a capacity of 30,000 chargers a year.

A month earlier, Tritium, an Australian EV charger manufacturer, said it had completed construction of a new US factory in record time. Tritium specializes in DC fast chargers. The new factory will have a capacity of 30,000 units a year and will employ 600 workers.

The Tritium PKM150 chargers have a microgrid feature that allows as many as four of them to be connected to one power cabinet, which saves money on equipment, installation, and maintenance. The PKM chargers are created with swappable modules, making future upgrades and maintenance simple and affordable. This flexibility gives customers the ability to choose between 100 kW or 150 kW of dual cable charging station power depending on their business needs.

For years, EV advocates have been saying there would be more electric cars sold if there were more chargers available. Others said more chargers would become available as soon as there are more electric cars on the road. If the purpose of the IRA was to cut the Gordian Knot and get more EV charging equipment installed to support the sale of more electric cars, it has succeeded in spectacular fashion.