Electric vehicle charger manufacturer Alpitronic opened its U.S. headquarters in Charlotte on Thursday to help meet the growing demand for EV-charging infrastructure. The European-owned company makes EV charging stations at its manufacturers in Wisconsin and Italy.
Outside the headquarters, Chris Davis, Charlotte’s fleet manager, parked the city’s electric semitruck at Alpitronic’s 400-kilowatt charging station. It can charge Davis’ semitruck fully in three to six hours.
Federal programs are pushing states to ensure access to electric vehicle charging stations every 50 miles along national highways. Charlotte aims to electrify its municipal fleet by 2030, although the city is only 3% of the way there. Transportation emissions are the largest single source of greenhouse gas pollution in the city.
The $9.3 million facility in Charlotte includes a testing lab, training facility and repair center, though most repairs will be conducted virtually or onsite.
The city and county agreed to pay over $300,000 in grants to the company over seven years to bring the project to Charlotte, and the state offered Alpitronic nearly $3 million.
The company currently has only one U.S. public EV charging station, in Portland, Oregon. Mike Doucleff, Alpitronic’s CEO, said they plan to employ about 60 people at the Charlotte site by the end of the year as more chargers roll out.
Logan Rosevear moved back to Charlotte in 2020 after working in the oil and gas industry. He was looking for work as an electrical engineer when he found the product manager position at Alpitronic.
“I was looking for jobs, and there weren't a lot of electrical engineering jobs in the Charlotte area. So, I was worried that I was going to have to leave,” Rosevear said.
When asked about the lifecycle of the charging stations, Doucleff said the units had a lifespan of 10 years. Alpitronic is currently researching end-of-life options for the units, though none of its charging stations have reached the 10-year mark.
