By Tom Moloughney, InsideEVs
Published Oct. 27, 2022
EV charging equipment supplier Wallbox on Oct. 27 officially opened its first North American manufacturing facility in Arlington, TX.
The state-of-the-art, 130,000-square foot factory will manufacture the company's full line of charging equipment in the U.S.
The $70 million investment by Wallbox is expected to produce 250,000 units and bring more than 250 jobs to the Arlington area by 2025. By 2030, the company expects the facility to be manufacturing more than 1 million chargers and employ approximately 700 workers.
“Today only 3% of the chargers required globally for the next decade have been installed, showing the magnitude of the need for innovative and reliable charging solutions,” said Enric Asunción, CEO of Wallbox. “Bringing Wallbox’s manufacturing capabilities to the U.S. significantly bolsters our ability to meet U.S. needs, deliver to public funding programs and drive the energy transition.”
InsideEVs was on hand for the factory's grand opening and witnessed a live demonstration of the company's latest offering, the Hypernova. The Hypernova is a DC fast charger capable of delivering up to 400 kW. Wallbox said the Hypernova is capable of adding up to 100 miles of range in just five minutes of charging.
That, of course, is dependent on the vehicle being able to accept that much power, as well as its driving efficiency. A Hummer EV, for instance, can add about 30 kWh in five minutes of charging on a Hypernova. However, it can only go about 50 miles with 30 kWh. On the other hand, a Lucid Air can go about 125 miles on 30 kWh.
Wallbox already manufactures a DC fast charger, the Supernova, but that unit is limited to delivering 150 kW and is currently not deployed in the U.S. The Supernova is a stand-alone unit with built-in power modules, while the Hypernova relies on an external power cabinet.
Hypernova has a centralized power system that can feed one or multiple dispenser units. The design allows for a wide variety of configurations that can be upgraded over time, including the addition of more power modules or dispenser units to the installation.
“Hypernova was specifically designed to bolster public charging infrastructure in the U.S.,” said Douglas Alfaro, general manager, North America, at Wallbox. “It aims to solve the current deficit in public charging along key U.S. highway corridors and simplify long-distance traveling for EV drivers. We’re already seeing vehicles with higher power charging capabilities hit the road that would be looking to benefit from faster charging from an ultra fast charger like Hypernova than what’s being installed today.”
Hypernova has an integrated cable management system, interactive lighting and touchscreens that are easy to read even in direct sunlight.
Wallbox will soon begin manufacturing a new level 2 residential unit in Arlington, the Quasar 2, a bi-directional EVSE capable of delivering 11.5 kW of DC power to an EV. The Quasar 2 also allows owners with compatible EVs to use their cars as emergency generators in instances of power outages.
It's important to note the vehicle does have to be capable of bi-directional power flow to use that function. The Quasar 2 will only be available with the combined charging system (CCS) connector.
While the Hypernova and Quasar 2 are upcoming products for Wallbox, the company is already manufacturing its most prominent product, the Pulsar Plus in Arlington. The Pulsar Plus is one of the most popular level 2 residential and commercial chargers on the market today.
Available in both 40-amp and 48-amp versions, the Pulsar Plus is a WiFi-connected smart charger packed with features, currently available for $649 and $699, respectively.
