ABB expands US manufacturing

ABB is expanding its US manufacturing footprint with investment in a new EV charger facility, enabling ABB e-mobility to meet increasing market demand.

Manufacturing operations in Columbia, South Carolina localises the supply chain closer to customers, the charging products expected to serve public networks, school bus and fleet markets as early as 2023.

The multi-million-dollar investment will increase EV charger production, including Buy America Act compliant ones, and the new facility will be capable of producing up to 10,000 chargers annually, ranging from 20kW to 180kW.

The operation builds on ABB e-mobility’s existing US manufacturing operations which produce transit bus chargers that range from 150kW to 450kW.

“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,” says ABB e-mobility North America vice president Bob Stojanovic.

“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.”

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act make transformational investments in transportation electrification including personal vehicles, school buses, transit buses, commercial fleets and the building of a national network of public chargers.

The United States, along with vehicle OEMs, set a target that half of all new US vehicle sales are to be electric by 2030.

EV chargers produced in South Carolina will meet the Federal Highway Administration’s (FHWA) proposed Buy America Act framework for EV chargers as well as requirements of the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) programme.

This manufacturing expansion is the latest in a series of significant US-focused announcements from ABB e-mobility with continued investments planned for 2024 and beyond.

A training centre in Sugar Land, Texas and a research and development facility in Southern California were launched in July.

This year ABB also acquired a controlling interest in EV commercial charging infrastructure solutions company InCharge Energy, expanding ABB’s smart and connected EV offering. In addition, ABB invested in EV charging software provider ChargeLab.

Since 2010, ABB has invested US$14 billion in the US with about 20,000 employees in more than 40 manufacturing and distribution facilities.

It also has about 105,000 employees in more than 100 countries, including New Zealand and Australia.