Tritium DCFC Limited, a Brisbane-based manufacturer of direct current fast chargers for electric vehicles, has opened its new EV fast charger manufacturing facility, and its first US-based EV fast charger manufacturing facility, located in Lebanon, Tennessee. The facility will employ more than 500 Tennesseans over the next five years, helping to build EV charging infrastructure, meet US government goals, and electrify transportation across America and beyond.
Tritium’s Tennessee facility will initially produce the company’s award-winning RTM fast charger, and is expected to start production on the PKM150 early next year. These advanced DC fast chargers are compatible with all EVs, are compact, reliable, and cost effective, and are expected to fulfill requirements for the recently enacted Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which provides $370 billion for climate change initiatives to help reduce carbon emissions by roughly 40 percent by 2030. Additionally, Tritium’s PKM150 fast charger is expected to meet Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Buy America Act standards in Q1 2023, making that fast charger an ideal candidate for National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program funding.
“The opening of our Tennessee factory is an important milestone for Tritium, for Tennessee and most importantly, for American drivers. As many as 35 million electric vehicles are expected to be in use by 2030 and those vehicles will require more powerful and convenient charging infrastructure,” said Tritium CEO Jane Hunter. “It’s crucial that America’s charging infrastructure is built right here in the US. Americans will rely on it to get to work, to school, to doctor’s appointments, and more. It needs to be reliable, and it needs to be able to grow to meet their needs. And when we make chargers here in the US, we reduce supply chain and shipping delays, and we help build the manufacturing ecosystem that will employ more Americans.”
Next year, Tritium is expected to produce its top-of-the-line PKM150 chargers, which launched in December 2021. These chargers mark a significant improvement in EV charging technology, providing customers with flexibility when creating charging sites. Customers can connect up to four PKM150 fast chargers to one power cabinet, saving money on equipment, installation, maintenance, and more. The PKM line of chargers are created with swappable modules saving customers time on easy maintenance and upgradeability, which enables technicians to replace modules in just minutes. This flexibility gives customers the ability to choose between 100kW or 150kW of dual-cable charging station power depending on their business needs.
“I’ve worked in manufacturing for more than 30 years and I can truly say that this new facility is world-class. Like our products, we’ve designed our manufacturing process to be modular and scalable. This design allowed us to bring the Tennessee factory online in five months, which is one of the fastest setup times I’ve experienced in my career,” said Tritium Chief Operating Officer Glen Casey. “Our Tennessee staff are exceptionally well-trained and experienced, and I look forward to continuing to work with them to build the fast charger infrastructure required to electrify global transportation.”
The Tennessee facility was announced in February at a press event at the White House with President Biden, Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy, Director of Made in America at the Office of Management and Budget Celeste Drake, among others. The Tritium manufacturing facility was highlighted as a key part of the Biden administration’s initiative to create clean energy jobs and reduce carbon emissions.
