LG has opened its first electric vehicle charger manufacturing plant in the United States in Fort Worth, Texas, with a capacity of 10,000 units per year.
The company has already begun assembling 11 kW home chargers there, and in the first half of 2024 will start producing 175 kW fast chargers. The company plans to produce 350 kW ultra-fast chargers for “commercial customers and long-distance transportation,” Engadget reports.
The Korean company chose Texas because it has battery production facilities there, and because the state offers “excellent logistics and transportation networks and is home to major company operations in industries ranging from automotive manufacturing to finance” (GM, Toyota, and Tesla have car assembly plants in the state).
LG intends to develop its electric vehicle charger business in Asia and Europe. The company and its two partners entered the game just two years ago by acquiring a South Korean electric vehicle charger business called AppleMango (later renamed HiEV).
LG said at the time that the acquisition would allow it to “create synergies” with its electric vehicle battery business, as well as products such as energy storage and energy management systems. The company can also leverage its expertise in display manufacturing by combining chargers with “rugged, dustproof, and waterproof” outdoor digital screens.
The move will also allow LG to benefit from the US desire to build more public chargers for electric vehicles. According to the Joint Office of Energy and Transportation, there are currently 169,741 charging ports (either DC fast charging or Level 2) at 65,113 stations across the country. However, the Biden administration wants to have at least 500,000 public chargers by 2030.
