Bosch this week officially announced the start of electric vehicle engine production at its Charleston, SC Rexroth facility. The company plans to invest another $260 million to further expand EV component production at the site and expects to create at least 350 high-paying manufacturing jobs in the region by 2025.
“We’ve grown our electrification business globally and here in the North American region,” said Mike Mansuetti, president of Bosch North America. “We have invested more than $6 billion in the development of electromobility, and in 2021 our global orders for electromobility exceeded $10 billion for the first time. Local production helps advance our customers’ regional electrification strategies and further supports market demand for electrification.”
Bosch currently manufactures rotors and stators in Charleston in an area that covers nearly 200,000 square feet of Rexroth’s existing campus.
The company says the expansion will allow them to support the additional e-mobility business they recently acquired, but admits the plant will need further expansion to meet future demand. Because of that, there are plans to add an additional 75,000 square feet over the next few years.
“As more electrified solutions come to market, South Carolina’s strong footprint and skilled workforce are well-established to help organizations bring these solutions to market,” said South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster. “We are grateful for another strong commitment from Bosch to our state.”
What about hydrogen?
Photo courtesy of Bosch.
Bosch announced plans to expand its hydrogen business in South Carolina in September and did not mention those plans in this latest press release. Which seems a bit odd, really, given that Bosch has been in the hydrogen fuel cell business since at least 2019, when the company partnered with Powercell to develop fuel cell stacks for vehicles like the Nikola electric semi. Bosch later pulled out of its partnership with Nikola following SEC fraud charges against the company’s then-CEO, Trevor Milton.
So what do you think? Is Bosch shifting gears and committing to all-electric manufacturing, or just – shall we say strategic skipping your fuel cell plans in SC? Scroll down to the comments and let us know what you think.
Source | images: South Carolina Governor’s Office.
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https://cleantechnica.com/2022/10/26/bosch-set-to-invest-260-million-create-350-jobs-in-sc/