Bosch has begun production of electric motors at its Charleston, South Carolina manufacturing facility. The company plans to invest an additional $260 million to further expand production of electrification products at the site.

Bosch is producing rotors and stators, and assembling the motors, in a building where diesel powertrain components were once made. The company announced in January 2020 that it would wind down production of diesel components, and work to expand its electrification-related business.

Now the company says it has secured additional electromobility orders that require expansion at the plant—an additional 75,000 square feet will be added to the existing 200,000-square-foot facility to make room for future production. The expansion, including the deployment of new high-tech manufacturing equipment, is expected to be complete by the end of 2023.

Bosch’s range of motors can deliver anywhere from 50 to 500 kW of power, and 150 to 1,000 Nm of torque. Voltages range up to 850 V, and applications include passenger cars and light commercial vehicles.

“We have grown our electrification business globally and here in the North American region,” said Mike Mansuetti, President of Bosch in North America. “We’ve invested more than $6 billion in electromobility development, and in 2021 our global orders for electromobility surpassed $10 billion dollars for the first time. Local production helps to advance our customers’ regional electrification strategies, and further supports the market demand for electrification.”

As part of the site transformation, Bosch has provided reskilling and upskilling opportunities to associates to prepare for the production of electric motors. The company is also collaborating with local schools to add electrification topics to the curricula. The Bosch Community Fund has made $2.5 million in grants for STEM education in the Charleston area since 2013.

Source: Bosch Group