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South Korean firm SK Signet Inc., a leading manufacturer of electric vehicle chargers, plans to seize up to 30% of the global market by 2025. Its strategy involves the production of ultra-fast chargers, directly challenging Tesla's current dominance in the field.
The fast charger market is currently being dominated by Elon Musk’s Tesla company thus, SK Signet is also looking to challenge the Austin, Texas-headquartered EV maker to become the producer of the fastest chargers for EVs.
According to The Korea Economic Daily, the charging solutions unit of the SK Group already completed its manufacturing plant in Texas, and it is now ready to produce the chargers. The facility is the first EV charger plant that has ever been built by a South Korean firm in the U.S.
At the ceremony for completion, SK Signet’s chief executive officer, Shin Jung Ho, said they are confident in their ability to compete with Tesla in terms of EV battery charging speed. Moreover, he pointed out that Tesla’s chargers are mostly exclusive for its own vehicles while SK Signet’s is compatible with a broader range of EV brands.
“Tesla Supercharger is dedicated to Tesla EVs, so it might be less compatible with other EVs,” he commented. Korea Post further quoted the CEO as saying, “Currently, there are few manufacturers that have established factories in the U.S. and meet the subsidy requirements, so SK Signet is in an advantageous position to preoccupy the U.S. market.”
The company said this after explaining that Tesla and Australia’s Tritium are currently the only EV charger makers in the country that have passed the US subsidy requirements. At any rate, SK Signet’s new plant is located in Plano, Texas, and it is expected to produce 10,000 units of 400 kilowatt-hours (kWh) fast chargers per year. The production is set to begin next month.
Photo by: SK Signet Newsroom
