Tritium opens first global DC fast charger factory in Tennessee, USA
Tritium’s new global DC fast charger manufacturing facility has opened in Lebanon, Tennessee, and once fully operational is expected to host six production lines producing up to 30,000 DC fast charger units per year.
Tritium’s new Tennessee facility. Image: Tritium.
Tritium ($DCFC) is an Australian success story. The DC fast charger manufacturer started in Brisbane, and quickly expanded to the point where the company decided to shift operations to the United States. The company has seen record growth in sales and revenue, earning between $50 and $60 million USD per quarter. In January this year, they even listed on the NASDAQ after a merger with special purpose acquisition company Decarbonization Plus Acquisition Corp.
Now, Tritium has opened its first US-based EV fast charger manufacturing facility in Lebanon, Tennessee. The facility will employ more than 500 Tennesseans over the next five years, helping to build EV charging infrastructure and meet US government goals for the electrification of transport. Once fully operational, the facility will host six production lines and produce up to 30,000 DC fast charger units per year.
Tritium’s Tennessee facility will initially produce the RTM fast charger, followed by the PKM150 early next year. Tritium’s PKM150 fast charger is expected to meet Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) Buy America Act standards in Q1 2023, making that fast charger an ideal candidate for National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program funding.
The PKM150s are unique because customers can connect up to four fast chargers to one power cabinet, saving money on equipment, installation, and maintenance. The modular system allows upgradeability, with servicing and replacement taking just minutes. This flexibility gives customers the ability to choose between 100kW or 150kW of dual-cable charging station power depending on their business needs.
The Tritium PKM150. Image: Tritium
“The opening of our Tennessee factory is an important milestone for Tritium, for Tennessee and most importantly, for American drivers. As many as 35 million electric vehicles are expected to be in use by 2030 and those vehicles will require more powerful and convenient charging infrastructure,” said Tritium CEO Jane Hunter. “It’s crucial that America’s charging infrastructure is built right here in the US. Americans will rely on it to get to work, to school, to doctor’s appointments, and more. It needs to be reliable, and it needs to be able to grow to meet their needs. And when we make chargers here in the US, we reduce supply chain and shipping delays, and we help build the manufacturing ecosystem that will employ more Americans.”
The Tennessee facility was announced in February at a press event at the White House with President Biden, Department of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm, National Climate Advisor Gina McCarthy, Director of Made in America at the Office of Management and Budget Celeste Drake, among others. The Tritium manufacturing facility was highlighted as a key part of the Biden administration’s initiative to create clean energy jobs and reduce carbon emissions.
EV Brief’s take
It’s wonderful to see how far Tritium has come from its humble origins in Brisbane, Queensland. Tritium does have some problems to solve however; with strong sales growth and continued worldwide parts/logistics delays, the company has found delivering customer orders and spare parts to be a challenge. We hope these new units can improve on the reliability and uptime of current model DC fast chargers.
With the increasing EV demand and subsequent increased DC charger usage in Australia, EV drivers have found Tritium units to be offline, or broken for weeks or even months. We’ve also documented our own experiences with failed chargers. While charging networks such as Chargefox and Evie Networks have tried to placate customers’ concerns and complaints, they are often hamstrung by delays in spare parts or technicians able to repair the units. Combined with the increase in price for high-powered 350kW chargers from both providers to $0.60/kWh, it is understandable Australian consumers are sometimes angry.
Tritium Rings Nasdaq Closing Bell in Honor of Listing
Australian EV charging startup Tritium DCFC Limited began trading on Nasdaq on January 14, 2022, and it is expected the company will announce plans for a US manufacturing facility in the coming weeks.
Australian EV charging startup Tritium DCFC Limited began trading on Nasdaq on January 14, 2022, following the close of its business combination with Decarbonization Plus Acquisition Corporation II. On the afternoon of January 27, Company management rang the Closing Bell at Nasdaq MarketSite in New York’s Times Square in honour of its listing on the exchange.
“We are pleased to celebrate this important milestone for Tritium here at Nasdaq,” said Jane Hunter, Tritium’s Chief Executive Officer. “The transport industry is being electrified, which means it is more important than ever for EV owners to have access to rapid, reliable charging infrastructure. We are proud to provide this networked infrastructure to our customers. As a public company, we expect to continue to expand our product suite and global footprint, which has already enabled more than 3.6 million high-power charging sessions across 41 countries—delivering over 55 GWh of energy. I want to thank the Tritium team and Board of Directors, our investors, our partners at DCRN and our transaction advisors for their support and dedication through this process.”
Tritium embodies the Australian technology success story, and emphasises why investment in similar startups is critical. Founded in 2001 by e-mobility pioneers Dr. David Finn, James Kennedy, and Dr. Paul Sernia, the company draws on two decades of power electronics experience in the renewable energy field, and has well and truly established itself as a global leader in the DC fast charging space for EVs.
Tritium will look to have its US manufacturing plant up and running before the end of September, as it seeks to rapidly expand following the on Nasdaq. The company has been affected by global pandemic-related supply issues, and a stateside factory will go a long way to calming investors’ nerves around the continuing global transport delays and semiconductor shortages. Tritium had $US2 million (AUD$2.7 million) sitting in ships off the Port of Long Beach in December, en route from Australia, unable to dock.
EVGateway to provide software for Revel New York City EV Charging Superhubs
Electric mobility company Revel, which recently announced plans to launch an all-electric rideshare service in New York City has also committed to building a network of EV fast-charging Superhubs across New York City to be powered by Tritium and EVGateway.
Revel’s first EV charging Superhub is expected to open in Brooklyn by July 2021. Images: Revel
An artists impression of Revel’s first Superhub.
Electric mobility company Revel, which recently announced plans to launch an all-electric rideshare service in New York City has also committed to building a network of EV fast-charging Superhubs across New York City.
The Network will be open to the public, and not limited to Revel’s rideshare drivers. Pricing has yet to be announced.
Partnering with Tritium and EvGateway, the sites will utilize Tritium’s newest modular RTM75 DC chargers, with specialized software provided by EVGateway.
"The EvGateway software can be customized for every client and charging requirement. To help facilitate the expansion of EV infrastructure, EvGateway offers solutions for any charging scenario (commercial, fleet, private, residential, employee, hotel, utility, parking lots, etc.). Revel's mission of advancing electrification closely aligns with EvGateway's philosophy of helping to shape a zero-emissions future," said EvGateway President Reddy Marri.
Revel's rideshare service is launching in Manhattan within the next few months, operating below 42nd Street initially. It will expand to other areas of the borough in 2022. 50 blue Tesla Model Ys will be specially outfitted to provide maximum passenger comfort, as well as safety for both drivers and passengers.
The first DC charging Superhub will be going live by July, and is located at 630 Flushing Avenue Williamsburg, on the site of the former Pfizer Building headquarters. It will consist of 30 stations capable of delivering 100 miles (161 km) of charge to vehicles in about 20 minutes, the company announced earlier this year. The chargers will be open to the public on a 24/7 basis and accessible to owners of any electric vehicle brand.
Source: Newswire
Revel’s rideshare Model Y will be modified to provide maximum passenger comfort.
Australian commercial EV manufacturer SEA Electric completes US$42 Million equity financing
This week, SEA Electric announced it has closed initial private placement equity financing for total gross proceeds of approximately US$42 million. The net proceeds from the investment will allow SEA Electric to solidify its position as a market leader in the electrification of commercial vehicles whilst funding its considerable backlog and facilitating more pilot programs with operators.
The SEA-Drive Power System. Images: SEA Electric
Founded in Australia in 2012, SEA Electric Holdings Pty Ltd. (SEA Electric) has become an international success story with its proprietary electric power-system technology (known as SEA-Drive®) now found across the world's urban delivery and distribution fleets.
With products in seven countries including USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Indonesia and South Africa, SEA Electric has more than one million miles of independently OEM-tested and in-service operation behind its technology.
This week, SEA Electric announced it has closed initial private placement equity financing for total gross proceeds of approximately US$42 million. The net proceeds from the investment will allow SEA Electric to solidify its position as a market leader in the electrification of commercial vehicles whilst funding its considerable backlog and facilitating more pilot programs with operators.
According to President and Founder Tony Fairweather, the financing allows SEA Electric to accelerate its global sales efforts and further utilize its proprietary Sea-Drive® 120b battery power system, while strengthening the delivery and distribution transportation segment for vehicles that operate in urban and metropolitan areas.
SEA Electric issued approximately 1.1 million Series A Preferred Shares at a price of US $40.1995 per share, convertible into common shares of SEA Electric at the option of subscribers and automatically convert to common shares under certain conditions, including SEA Electric completing a public transaction.
Fairweather stated, “We are very pleased to have completed a heavily oversubscribed equity financing and are excited to welcome aboard a global set of institutional investors as partners. The financing allows SEA Electric to grow our backlog as we explore options to seek a public listing in the United States this year.”
SEA Electric currently partners with commercial vehicle OEMs, dealers, operators and upfitters to deliver a new range of zero-emissions trucks and is on schedule to deliver more than 1,000 electric commercial vehicles this year. The company forecast is to have more than 15,000 vehicles on the road by the end of 2023.
“2021 will see a paradigm shift in the way developed markets facilitate uptake of commercial electric vehicles and the unstoppable momentum will build year-after-year” said Fairweather.
It is a notable achievement that in the face of lacklustre government support for clean technology in Australia, a company like SEA Electric has successfully conquered the international market in eight years. Companies like SEA Electric, Tritium and Evans Electric exemplify the technical and creative capital that exist in Australia that must be nurtured to support jobs, manufacturing and the transition to clean energy technologies.
Australia's Gold Coast first to install Tritium's new scalable 75kW chargers across 10 sites
Queensland based EV charging infrastructure manufacturer Tritium has installed the first of 10 new high-speed scalable 75kW EV charging stations at Broadbeach, on the Gold Coast.
Australia’s Gold Coast sees unveiling of world first scalable EV chargers
Above image: ABC Gold Coast, Kimberley Bernard
Queensland based EV charging infrastructure manufacturer Tritium has installed the first of 10 new high-speed scalable 75kW EV charging stations at Broadbeach, on Australia’s Gold Coast. The Queensland Government and Gold Coast City Council have each contributed AUD$350,000 to the project, and the RTM75 charger can deliver 75km (46 miles) of range to an EV in approximately 10 minutes of charging. The charger unit allows for the simultaneous charging of two vehicles and is the world’s first EV charger featuring Tritium’s Modular Scalable Charging (MSC) hardware platform which enables the unit to be scaled up to a maximum of 350 kW in increments of 25 kW as demand increases, offering cost savings for the charger’s operators.
The charger offers two parking bays, and is located right next to Kurrawa Surf Club, Broad each QLD
According to Tritium, the RTM75 supports all charging standards on the market, including CCS and CHAdeMO, and satisfies the needs of all batteries up to 920V. The RTM75 is equipped with Plug and Charge (ISO 15118) technology, eliminating the need for credit card payments or RFID authentication at the charger.
The RTM75 includes advanced liquid cooling, and is also the first to deliver quiet charging (high-speed EV chargers can be noisy!). The charging unit is sealed to protect it from dust, moisture and other contaminants, reducing the need for maintenance time and cost.
Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate said council would charge motorists $5 for 10 minutes at the stations, which would allow a charge of around 75 kilometres range. He stated “It's the comfort factor that should they run low, we will have these parking stations throughout [the city where] they can top up,"
Operated by Chargefox, this charger features Tritium's modular scalable technology. Image: EV Brief Podcast
This progress is welcome news in Queensland, and bolsters the state’s commitment to providing EV buyers with the support and knowledge that charging infrastructure will be in place as the world inevitably transitions to electric vehicles. The state government has an “Electric Super Highway” plan, building over 31 fast-charging sites across the state from Cairns to Coolangatta, over 1,800 kilometres (1,118 miles)
Tritium staff at the recent unveiling of the company’s modular RTM75 high speed EV charger
Source: PV Magazine
