Switzerland-based ABB announced that it had invested $30 million (~₹2.25 billion) to construct its new manufacturing facility in San Giovanni Valdarno, Italy.

In its press statement, ABB said that the new facility would produce its entire range of direct current electric vehicle (EVs) battery chargers, right from domestic chargers to those dedicated to the urban transport system. The company added that the new manufacturing unit would reinforce its growth and innovation in the e-mobility sector.

The 16,000 square meter facility is expected to be operational by the end of 2021.

“As global demand for sustainable transport continues to increase, this new facility will ensure that ABB can meet that demand and remains the go-to provider for our end to end e-mobility solutions,” said Frank Muehlon, Head of ABB’s global business for e-mobility infrastructure solutions.

According to ABB, the manufacturing facility will have rooftop solar panels, an optimized heating, and cooling system, and a fleet of EVs for logistics, sales, employees, and service teams to minimize the environmental impact of the new facility.

This news follows a $10 million investment in a new fully sustainable global e-mobility headquarters and R&D center built on the TU Delft Campus, Heertjeslaan, the Netherlands, which is set to launch later this year officially.

According to the company, ABB has so far sold more than 14,000 DC fast chargers across more than 80 countries.

In March 2020, ABB completed acquired a majority stake in Chargedot Shanghai New Energy Technology Company Limited, a Chinese e-mobility company. The acquisition was expected to help the company gain a foothold in the expanding EV market in China, which is the world’s biggest market of EVs and broadens the company’s e-mobility portfolio.

In January this year, Ashok Leyland, the flagship of the Hinduja Group, and ABB Power Grids signed a Memorandum of Understanding to expand the e-mobility ecosystem in the country by providing environment-friendly electric buses in India.

Harsh Shukla is a staff reporter at Mercom India. Previously with Indian Express, he has covered general interest stories. He holds a Masters Degree in Journalism from Symbiosis Institute of Media and Communication, Pune.

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