Lead: According to a Reuters report on October 20: German supplier Robert Bosch (Robert Bosch) said on Tuesday that it will spend more than $260 million to expand electric motor production at its Charleston, South Carolina plant.
Motor production (Image source: Automotive News)
Bosch said it had acquired “additional electric vehicle business” and needed to expand.
”We have always believed in the potential of electric vehicles, and we have been investing heavily to bring this technology to market at scale for our customers,” Mike Mansuetti, president of Bosch North America, said in a statement.
The investment will add approximately 75,000 square feet to the Charleston footprint by the end of 2023 and will be used to purchase production equipment.
The new business comes at a time when Bosch is investing heavily in electrification products globally and regionally. The company has spent about $6 billion over the past few years promoting its EV-related products. In August, the company announced plans to manufacture fuel cell stacks at its plant in Anderson, South Carolina, as part of a $200 million investment.
Electric motors made in Charleston today are assembled in a building that formerly made parts for diesel-powered vehicles. The plant also produces high-pressure injectors and pumps for internal combustion engines, as well as safety-related products.
Bosch said in a statement that the company “provided employees with opportunities to retrain and upskill to prepare them for electric motor production,” including sending them to other Bosch plants for training.
The investment in Charleston is expected to create at least 350 jobs by 2025, Bosch said.
Bosch is No. 1 on Automotive News’ list of the top 100 global suppliers, with global component sales to automakers of $49.14 billion in 2021.
Post time: Nov-15-2022