Finnish electric vehicle (EV) charging developer Kempower has steadily grown its North American presence. The company is known for making cold weather-resistant chargers for the Nordics. In February 2023, The firm announced that it was opening a North American facility in Durham, North Carolina, to expand its global reach.
A Nov. 10, 2023, press release shared with The Business Download explained that the company received its “Electrical Testing Laboratories” certification for Intertek Testing Laboratories. This announcement greenlighted Kempower to start producing its charging tech.
“This is a major milestone for our company, specifically for production that can now officially take place here at our production site in Durham,” Tim Joyce, Kempower North America’s president, said in a statement.
“ETL certification gives Kempower authorization to produce and ship complete charging stations from our new facility, opening a door for large-scale mass production and distribution.”
The testing by Intertek certifies compliance with national EV charging standards. Retailers and drivers will know they are receiving tested, reliable equipment.
The Durham plant will manufacture chargers aligned with the North Carolina Department of Transportation’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure (NEVI) Program. NEVI is a federal strategy to increase charging and alternative fuel corridors to reduce transportation emissions. The federal government hopes to have 500,000 corridors set up by June 2027.
The Raleigh-Durham area is becoming one of the fastest-growing technology hubs in the U.S. Companies like HP, Duke Energy, Google, and IBM are setting up headquarters between the two cities and Charlotte. Kempower is bringing more jobs to the area with manufacturing and other technical roles.
Photo Courtesy Kempower
Beyond the auto world, Kempower has been working on electric boat chargers. At the 2023 Annapolis Boat Show, the company exhibited the power of its charging systems. The company met with top electric powerboat manufacturer Candela to demonstrate the marine charger’s capabilities.
“Safe, scalable, serviceable DC chargers are crucial in the growth of maritime infrastructure across Canada and the USA,” Sofia Lerm, business development, Candela, said in a statement. “As an example, Kempower’s technology was essential in Candela’s execution of the world-record-breaking 420NM, done over just 24 hours!”
“The endurance record proves that long-range high speeds are feasible for electric maritime transportation,” Lerm continued. “With DC fast charging, a Candela is fully charged from an empty battery in 45 minutes, just enough time for the boater to use the restroom, grab a lunch, conduct a vessel inspection, and get back on the water.”
Kempower’s European operations are also scaling up more EV charging solutions. The company signed a contract with Milence, one of Europe’s heavy-duty charging companies, to deliver electric truck charging solutions. Milence is a joint venture between Traton, Volvo, and Daimler Auto Groups. They hope to have 1,700 high-performance charging stations around the continent.
Photo Courtesy Kempower
Kempower opened its Electric Mobility Research Center in Lahti, Finland, on Nov. 28, 2023. The company will work with LUT University to research and develop new electric mobility solutions.
“The center signifies Kempower’s commitment to staying at the forefront of our industry,” Mikko Veikkolainen, Kempower’s chief technology officer, said in a statement. “With our unique data from the field and LUT University’s resources, we will be able to envision EV drivers’ future needs and continue to offer reliable and user-friendly EV charging solutions for everyone and everywhere.”
Kempower’s North American presence continues to scale up EV charging stations in the U.S. as more state and federal mandates encouraging EV adoption are signed into law. Faster chargers and more access will ease anxiety over the lack of access and the speed of the charger.
The first order of North American-made EV chargers was shipped to Canada in December 2023.
In February, Kempower became the official charging partner of electric-powered rally racing Extreme E. The DC fast chargers will be deployed throughout Extreme E’s season, which began in Saudi Arabia in early February. Extreme E tapped Kempower for its scalability and maneuverability.
“In the U.S., driving long distances is more common than in Europe, which makes the reliability of chargers an even more pressing issue,” Tomi Ristimäki, Kempower’s CEO, said in a statement. “By having a tried and tested system in place to ensure the reliability of Kempower chargers, we have the confidence that our chargers are fit to serve the continent’s EV drivers.”
