SK Signet, the electric car charger manufacturing company of SK Group, is preparing to produce the fastest charging speed electric car chargers in the United States, targeting the ultra-fast charger market dominated by Tesla, according to Korea Economic News.
It is learned that SK Group’s EV battery charger manufacturing plant in Texas, USA was officially completed on Monday, which is the first EV charger plant built by a Korean company in the US.
At the completion ceremony, Hyundai President Shin Jung-ho said that Hyundai is confident that it can compete with Tesla in terms of charging speed and compatibility with a wider range of electric vehicles. “The Tesla Supercharger is designed specifically for Tesla electric cars, so it may be less compatible with other electric cars.”
The plant, located in Plano, 20 miles northeast of Dallas, will produce 10,000 400 kWh electric vehicle chargers per year starting next month. Currently, Tesla and Hyundai’s all-electric IONIQ 5 uses a 230 kWh charger, which means it can charge 230 kWh per hour.
In simple terms, a 400kWh charger can charge the IONIQ 5 to 80 percent in 15 minutes and allow it to travel 400 kilometers on a single charge, the distance from Seoul to Busan, South Korea’s second-largest city.
This compares to 360 kWh for GM’s Electric Horse and Porsche Taycan electric cars. Therefore, the 400 kWh charger from SK Signet allows for faster charging and can also support new electric vehicles with larger battery capacities.
