Chaebi, the No. 1 domestic CPO for electric-vehicle fast-charging infrastructure operations, has begun establishing a local production system to expand in North America.
Chaebi said on the 3rd that it plans to build a production base in California to meet the requirements of the U.S. Build America, Buy America Act (BABA). As $4 billion (about 6 trillion won) in subsidies under the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program begins in earnest, the company aims to secure order competitiveness through a local production base.
The U.S. fast-charging infrastructure market continues to grow steeply. As of last year, it surpassed about 70,000 ports, and the annual number of new installations was 18,041 ports, up 39% from a year earlier. With more electric vehicles on the road, the fleet is expected to grow to about 27 million by 2030, and the charging infrastructure market is also forecast to expand to about 53.7 trillion won by 2033.
The NEVI program, based on the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), totals $5 billion, but the current execution rate remains about 16%. With large-scale orders expected, budgets are concentrating in key states such as California and Texas, making local production a key competitive factor.
Chaebi secured local performance by being selected as a charging operator and manufacturer in the California Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Project (CALeVIP) subsidies program. Based on this, the company plans to build a new manufacturing line in the first half of this year to simultaneously expand NEVI orders and strengthen its position in the North American market.
The local production system will be established through collaboration with EVmode LLC, a global electric-vehicle charging platform corporations. Chaebi supplies 150 kW and higher fast chargers tailored to the corporations's brand and user interface (UI), and provides a full-stack solution that combines a software-as-a-service (SaaS)–based integrated operating system.
The company is also strengthening its technological competitiveness. Chaebi obtained OCPP 2.0.1 certification, the global charging communication standard, for six DC fast chargers for North American exports, and demonstrated its technology through Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) certification in the United States and a CES Innovation Award.
In the North American market, the company secured product reliability by supplying chargers to major automaker dealership networks, including Free2move, the mobility brand of Stellantis, the world's No. 4 automaker group, as well as Ford Motor Company, Mercedes-Benz, Audi, MINI, and GMC. It is also in the process of certifying Plug & Charge (PnC) technology linked with Hubject, a global charging roaming platform.
Products range from 180 kW to 400 kW. The 400 kW ultra-fast charger "Supersonic" applies the NACS standard, enabling Tesla vehicles to ultra-fast charge at 300 kW or higher without a separate adapter and to fully charge in about 20 minutes. It features high-output performance while meeting the NEVI minimum standard of 150 kW and four ports.
Chief Executive Choi Young-hun said, "The point at which the U.S. NEVI subsidies market opens in earnest is an opportunity to prove technological competitiveness," and noted, "We are building a system that can respond quickly in line with the finalization of local production criteria."
Meanwhile, Chaebi is the first among electric-vehicle charging infrastructure operators to pursue a KOSDAQ listing. Through this initial public offering (IPO), the company plans to offer a total of 10 million shares. The desired offering price range is 12,300 won to 15,300 won, with the offering size at about 123 billion to 153 billion won. The book-building will be held on the 10th to 16th of this month, and subscriptions for retail investors will take place on the 20th to 21st of this month.