Wallbox to produce EV chargers in Texas

Electric vehicle charging systems maker Wallbox said it will build a U.S. manufacturing facility in Arlington, Texas.

The 130,000-square-foot plant will have enough capacity to support its North American expansion plans for the next decade, said the Barcelona, Spain-based company.

Operations are expected to begin as early as June 2022. Wallbox’s Pulsar Plus AC chargers, its Quasar DC bidirectional charger, and its Supernova DC public-use fast charger are planned to have active production lines by the first half of 2023.

The company said it expects to manufacture 290,000 units annually in Texas by 2027. By 2030, the facility is planned to reach its full capacity of 500,000 units per year.

Wallbox currently operates in 68 countries, has a vertically integrated supply chain, and manufactures in-house from design to production.

The company recently entered a strategic alliance with SunPower to provide packaged residential solar and EV charging products. The two are exploring integrating bi-directional chargers with home solar and storage systems, offering greater load flexibility and potential for smart-tech enabled grid services.

(Read: “Home solar makes EVs cheaper, reduces emissions”)

In June, the company entered a merger agreement with Kensington Capital Acquistion Corp. II. At the time, Wallbox was valued at $1.5 billion, and is now expected to join the New York Stock Exchange in the third quarter under the ticker “WBX.”

Under the arrangement, Wallbox is to receive proceeds of about $330 million, including $100 million fully committed private investment in public equity from Janus Henderson Investors, Luxor Capital, Cathay Innovation, and Kensington Capital partners.