Circle K opened its latest EV charging site in Wytheville, Virginia. The site is the first to deploy ABB E-mobility’s new Terra 184 DC fast chargers manufactured in the US.
Circle K deploys the first US-made ABB Terra 184 EV charger
ABB revealed last September that it was planning to invest $4 million to open a factory in Columbia, South Carolina, to manufacture US-made EV chargers.
ABB has already sold over one million EV chargers globally, but the expansion is designed to meet the growing need for charging options in the US, with sales expected to continue climbing.
According to ABB’s plans, the facility will be able to produce up to 10,000 EV chargers, ranging from 20 kW to 180 kW, annually. The chargers are intended for everyday public use, school buses, and commercial fleets.
In less than a year, the first chargers made in the facility are already rolling off the production line, the first of which is being deployed at Circle K, one of the most recognized convenience store names, with more than 5,700 sites in the US and over 15,000 globally.
The first Terra 184 EV charger is being installed along Interstate 81 at State Highway 121 in Wytheville, Virginia, to increase access to fast charging options in the area.
ABB’s Terra 184 can add 100 miles of range in as little as 10 minutes or less than 20 minutes with two EVs at the same time. It supports all charging standards, including CSS, CHAdeMO, and AC.
In addition, the charger is an ideal fit for charging sites as it complies with the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) program and FHWA’s Buy America Act.
The Wytheville Circle K location is the latest of 200 planned EV charging sites across North America, which the convenience store plans to introduce by 2024.
Globally, Circle K has over 1,400 fast chargers available across 300 locations, including Norway, Sweden, and Denmark. Snorre Skeie, director of E-Mobility for Circle K in North America, said:
We are very pleased to make it easier for EV customers in Wytheville and throughout Southwestern Virginia by filling this gap in charging availability along the I-77/81 corridor, and we are proud to celebrate this opening with ABB E-mobility as they roll out their first Terra 184 chargers manufactured here in the U.S.
ABB continues to enable EV adoption with its wide range of chargers that can be used for residential purposes all the way up to heavy-duty trucks.
It is worth noting “that the corridor was essentially taken offline because the EA site in Wytheville is closed while the Sheetz it’s at is being rebuilt,” a spokesperson from ABB tells Electrek.
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
