Making electric vehicles (EVs) isn’t the same as a traditional gasoline car or truck. EVs require three unique parts: a battery, an electric motor, and a charging port. Unlike a traditional combustion engine, the motor is powered by a large battery which must regularly charge at a charging port. These parts all come from different manufacturing plants before being assembled into a fossil fuel-saving vehicle.
As demand for EVs skyrockets in the United States – while supply chain issues continue – many companies worldwide are opening new plants in America. Here’s a look at some of these companies that set the stage to be a vital part of the EV revolution.
In fact, many states are competing heavily for new EV component manufacturing sites.
Batteries
With an expected 145 million EVs on the road by the end of the decade, it’s a perfect time to be a battery manufacturer. Add to the fact that more than 75 percent of all batteries are currently manufactured in Asia, there’s a rush to bring those facilities to the Western Hemisphere.
LG Energy Solution – This South Korean battery maker, which has a plant in Michigan, recently launched a $3.4 billion joint venture with the Netherlands’ Stellantis to make batteries in the United States.
Samsung SDI – Korea’s Samsung is jumping into the North American market by partnering with Stellantis to build a multi-billion dollar battery manufacturing plant in the United States.
Sila Nanotechnologies – This Silicon Valley company just raised nearly $600 million in funds to manufacture EV batteries.
Romeo Power – Also based in California, Romeo Power is developing its own lithium-ion batteries.
Li-Cycle – Based in Canada, this startup is now financing a new lithium project in the desert of Nevada.
Ford Motor Company – Ford is opening three new battery manufacturing facilities, including two in Kentucky and one in Tennessee.
General Motors –General Motors will begin making EV batteries in the Mitten State with $7 billion invested in production plants in Lansing and Orion. The plants will create thousands of new jobs when they open in 2024. General Motors is also building battery plants in Ohio and Tennessee.
Toyota – Japanese automobile giant Toyota is building a battery plant in North Carolina, creating at least 1,750 new jobs.
Electric Motors
The motor is the heart of the electric vehicle. A battery powers it, and its quiet, electric, emissions-free hum makes it more sustainable for the environment.
BDI – Cleveland’s BDI makes much more than just EV engines. Its electric power transmission technologies serve not only the automobile industry but food processing, utilities, and mining.
B&D Technologies – Like BDI, this Macon, Georgia-based company makes EV motors and numerous other electrical technologies used by everybody from the military to the pharmaceutical industry.
Electrek – General Motors relies on Electrek for the motors that will power most of its future offerings, including the Hummer EV.
Gainesville Industrial Electric Co. – Another Georgia company, Gainesville Industrial is the state’s largest motor distributor. It makes both GE Electric Motors and Marathon Electric Motors.
Charging Ports
There’s plenty of room in the American charging ports market. The brand new National Electric Highway Coalition – a joint venture between electric companies and the Tennessee Valley Authority – will provide fast charging ports for EVs along most American travel corridors by the end of next year. This alone means more than 100,000 charging ports will be needed within the year.
Blink – Under the Car Charging Group, Inc. umbrella, Blink already operates more than 3,000 chargers in the U.S.
Chargepoint – California’s Chargepoint leads the nation in charging ports.
Electrify America – Volkswagen-owned and already hard at work, Electrify America plans to install close to 500 charging stations in major cities by the end of 2022.
EVgo – Another United States company, EVgo has more than 1,200 chargers in 34 states already operating.
Tesla – Tesla’s charge port network is fully operational, with more than 1,500 charging ports across the world.
Volta – The only no-cost charging port on the list, this San Francisco company has 700 hook-ups in place nationwide.
