FLO, an electric vehicle (EV) charging company based in Quebec City, Canada, states it will invest $3 million to open its first U.S. manufacturing facility later this year in Auburn Hills as part of a plan to accelerate the execution of its U.S. market strategy.
FLO expects that the facility will make a major contribution to Michigan’s electrification future. By producing more than 250,000 EV chargers by 2028 for the U.S. market. The facility is expected to create 730 direct, indirect, and induced jobs in that time.
“The future of EVs is in Michigan. We are proud to announce our facility today — our first in the U.S. — that will not only create jobs for Michiganders, but also help meet rising demand for smart, reliable charging stations, and to continue to expand the FLO network across the USA,” says Louis Tremblay, president and CEO of FLO.
The Auburn Hills manufacturing facility will also include an advanced testing lab that will allow the company to achieve increased charging alignment to new EVs arriving on the market in coming years, increasing the level of experience to FLO’s customers and new EV owners.
According to the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE), sales of new EVs in the U.S. grew by 85 percent since 2020 but represent less than 3 percent of all U.S. vehicle sales, and automotive executives believe more than half of their sales will be EVs by 2030.
EV sales have been slowed by high prices, slow charging times, range anxiety, the use of child labor to source some raw battery materials, limitations in the electric grid, recycling challenges, and other factors.
The Auburn Hills facility is expected to be a cornerstone in FLO’s effort to expand in the U.S. market, joining a nationwide collective of organizations supporting EV efforts as more Americans switch to EVs.
“DTE is building the grid of the future to support economic growth and electrification for the state,” says Tony Tomczak, DTE vice president of electric sales and marketing. “We are excited for FLO to open its Michigan facility and for partnership opportunities in the future.”
An economic report released by BW Research, estimates the FLO manufacturing facility will generate $134 million in revenue from sales of EV chargers produced at the facility and $76 million in gross state product in the state of Michigan by 2028.
The facility itself will generate 500 jobs and another 230 jobs in industries unrelated to the manufacturing facility that benefit from the increased economic activity in Michigan.
FLO states it has installed thousands of charging stations in New York City, southern California, and many other areas across the U.S. with plans for further expansion to meet the needs of consumers nationwide.
