South Korean electronics conglomerate LG Electronics has opened its first plant dedicated to electric vehicle (EV) charger production in the U.S., located in the state of Texas.
According to a press release shared by the company on Monday, LG has opened the EV charger plant in Fort Worth, Texas, set to eventually have an annual capacity of over 10,000 units. The news also came alongside a ribbon-cutting event featuring LG executives, Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker, and other local officials.
The factory is already building Level 2 AC chargers with up to 11kW of output and a J1772 connector. In the second quarter, the company will start production on LG’s first Level 3 DC charger, sporting a large outdoor LCD touchscreen display and CCS1 and NACS connectors for fast charging up to 175kW. LG also says 350kW ultra-fast chargers are on the company’s roadmap for the year, expected to launch in 2024.
“The EV charger business is a growth engine for LG’s future, supporting the company’s transformation into a smart solutions company,” said LG President Alec Jang. “LG will leverage the reliability and uncompromising quality of its chargers, maintenance services and vertical sales capabilities with the goal of becoming a leader in the EV charging business around the world.”
EV charger assembly will at first take up roughly 60,000 sq. ft. in a facility of the 100,000 sq. ft. facility, leaving the company with room to expand operations. The company also says the plant uses 100 percent green power, and the company says the facility will bring dozens of new tech jobs to North Texas.
“This is a great day for Fort Worth with this global leader choosing to establish its U.S. manufacturing base for EV chargers and creating new jobs here,” said Mayor Parker during the opening ceremony. “We take pride in knowing that LG’s advanced EV charging stations that will be deployed across the United States will be built right here in Fort Worth.”
The news comes just a month after LG Chem broke ground on a $1.6 billion cathode plant in Tennessee, set to begin production of cathode materials used in EV batteries in 2026. LG Energy Solution also increased its investment in an Arizona EV battery plant to $5.5 billion last year, with the site now expected to build 46-series battery cells for EVs instead of 2170 cells.
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