Italian tech company picks Charlotte for new US HQ, bringing 300 jobs in EV sector
An Italian electric vehicle charging station manufacturer plans to invest a total of $18.3 million and create 300 jobs opening its U.S. headquarters in Charlotte, state and local officials said Tuesday.
Alpitronic Americas LLC, a manufacturer of high-power electric vehicle charging stations, will open its headquarters operation and a service center in Mecklenburg County, Gov. Roy Cooper said Tuesday. The site is off Westpark Drive in Charlotte, according to county officials.
This is the second EV-related jobs announcement in the Charlotte area in as many weeks.
“Our state is developing a burgeoning e-mobility supply chain with the support of yet another clean energy company,” Cooper said in a statement.
In addition to administrative operations, the alpitronic Americas headquarters will operate a technology, test and repair center to service its EV charging stations within its 70,000-square-foot space, according to the news release.
The average annual salary will be $90,158, which is above the average wage for Mecklenburg County of $80,349. The majority of jobs include product developers, engineers and service technicians, as well as finance and accounting, human resources, IT, and sales, according to the city.
Mayor Vi Lyles praised the move by alpitronic, stating, that it also will help the local economy expand and diversify. said in a statement.
For its investment, alpitronic Americas will receive over $3.1 million in state tax incentives over 12 years, according to the governor’s office.
The city is offering the company an investment business grant of $181,846 to be paid out over seven years, while the county is providing $145,265 over three years in incentives.
The state’s incentive is based on the company’s entire investment while county and city grants are tied to about half of the investment and based on the increased property tax value, city spokesman Lawrence Corley III said.
Alpitronic Americas also is negotiating terms for its new headquarters site and hopes to close on the property this week,” Corley said.
About alpitronic
Founded in 2009 in Bolzano, northern Italy, alpitronic is the developer and producer of the hypercharger, a high-power DC charging station, which recharges vehicles with up to 400kW, according to a news release.
The company also develops and manufactures proprietary hardware and creates its own software. It cited rapid growth as the reason for moving its headquarters in Italy to nearby Terlano.
In a statement, alpitronic CEO Philipp Senoner said the company chose North Carolina because of economic conditions in a state that is “developing towards an e-mobility cluster.”
Charlotte beat out other cities considered for the project including Greenville, South Carolina, and Phoenix, according to the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance.
Other regional EV company expansions
Two weeks ago, another electric vehicle charging technology company announced plans to expand in Mecklenburg County. Atom Power is investing $4.2 million to expand its Huntersville operations and add 205 jobs.
And in March, Charlotte-based Albemarle Corp. said it will invest $1.3 billion to build a lithium hydroxide plant in Chester County, South Carolina, creating over 300 jobs.
The facility will serve electric vehicles using lithium-ion batteries.
UNC Charlotte collaboration
UNC Charlotte also is playing a role in supplying employees for the EV industry through its North Carolina Battery Complexity, Autonomous Vehicle and Electrification Research Center, according to the city of Charlotte.
The center focuses on the safety, durability, vehicle integration and recyclability of next-generation batteries.
“With our growing academic and research strength in energy and EV technology, we are committed to producing a diverse pipeline of graduates,” UNC Charlotte Chancellor Sharon Gaber said in a statement.
This story was originally published May 23, 2023 at 12:26 PM with the headline "Italian tech company picks Charlotte for new US HQ, bringing 300 jobs in EV sector."