EverCharge, now part of the SK Group and a provider of EV charging solutions, announced that it is opening a 30,000-sqft production factory in Hayward, California. Spanning 2787 sqm, the new plant will help EverCharge produce EV chargers for the US market.
EverCharge has not disclosed the production capacity or staff numbers but says it plans to double its 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.
Development and expansion of the new Hayward facility began in September of 2022 and are slated to be completed by early 2023. EverCharge says it selected Hayward for its surrounding business community, talent availability, and proximity to Highway 880 for logistics.
While the company claims “international supply chain shortages” have led to the decision to manufacture in America, it is also likely that US policies have played into it. Korean company SK ES acquired EverCharge in March this year, and sure enough, EverCharge today said the factory opening came “on the heels” of said acquisition. The SK Group has been investing in US production for some time and most recently announced plans to install joint battery production with Hyundai in the US state of Georgia. Their other EV charging equipment manufacturer, SK Signet, is also setting up shop in the USA and has directly referred to US funding policies being decisive for the decision as reported.
The Inflation Reduction Act and the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program were drawn up to subside locally-made EV charging infrastructure. Under NEVI, the US government is offering $5bn worth of incentives to install a network of 500,000 charging stations across the country by 2030. However, the funding promise includes the demand to have most components sourced or assembled in North America.
EverCharge’s SmartPower technology maximizes the number of electric vehicles that can charge at any time. Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Palo Alto, the company has installed and operates 4,600 EV chargers across North America.