Bosch, the world’s largest auto parts supplier, announced Tuesday it will be extending its electric vehicle offerings with a new electric motor expansion at its Charleston, South Carolina, facility.
Bosch to build electric motors in Charleston, SC
Bosch says electric motor production began in October, covering around 200,000 square feet at its Charleston campus. The facility was opened in 1974 and is Bosch’s largest manufacturing facility in terms of employment, with about 1,500 employees. It sits on 118 acres, covering more than 900,000 square feet.
Bosch’s electric motor production is located in a building previously used for diesel components, a sign of the auto industry’s transition.
As demand for electric vehicles continues growing in all major auto markets, shortages and supply chain issues have slowed the momentum. For this reason, the world’s largest auto parts supplier is looking to help fill the gap.
The company plans to invest over $260 million to further expand the site (by about 75,000 square feet), creating 350 net new jobs by 2025. Bosch expects the expansion to be operational by the end of 2023.
Mike Mansuetti, president of Bosch North America, states:
We have grown our electrification business globally and here in the North
American region.
Before adding:
We’ve invested more than $6 billion dollars in electromobility development and
in 2021 our global orders for electromobility surpassed $10 billion dollars for the
first time. Local production helps to advance our customers’ regional
electrification strategies, and further supports the market demand for
electrification.
At the Charleston facility, Bosch will build the rotor and stator while also assembling the motors. According to Bosch, its electric motors can range anywhere from 50 kilowatts to up to 500 kilowatts, with torque ranging from 150 Nm to 1000 Nm.
Bosch also produces other electric vehicle parts, such as electric powertrains and charging solutions, two other critical components to promote EV adoption.
Electrek’s Take
I was lucky enough to be invited to Bosch’s Charleston facility, and I can confirm the world’s largest auto parts supplier is moving to support the industry’s transition to electric vehicles.
Electric vehicles cannot run without a motor, and Bosch looks to scale this technology for its customers. I must admit I called Bosch out in a previous article for its EV progress, and the company is now proving me wrong.
Bosch is taking significant steps to support the auto industry’s transition to electric vehicles. The company’s global orders for electromobility exceeded $10 billion for the first time last year, showing swift progress.
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Author: Peter Johnson
Source: Electrek
