CHARLOTTE — People who want to buy an electric vehicle say the biggest turnoff is range anxiety, adding that chargers are hard to find and it takes too long to get recharged.
But a company in Charlotte is hoping to change that. Alpitronic is an Italian manufacturer of electric vehicle chargers, and they’ve made thousands of chargers across Europe.
Alpitronic Product Manager Logan Rosevear has been driving an electric vehicle for six years, and he’s seen the good and the bad.
“I’ve driven all over the country, down through Texas out to Wyoming,” Rosevear told Channel 9 Climate Reporter Michelle Alfini.
Outside of the Tesla charging network, he says public charging in the United States has a long way to go.
“So I wanted to be a part of that change to make sure that everyone can charge,” Rosevear said.
[ ALSO READ >> Electric vehicles are taking off but unreliable charging could stand in the way ]
He heard about Alpitronic’s move to Charlotte, and CEO Mike Doucleff says their biggest selling points are speed and reliability.
“If you look at the large unit [that we manufacture], customers would stay there 15 minutes maximum,” Doucleff told Channel 9.
As they start up operations in the U.S., Doucleff says Charlotte’s location and the region’s growing EV and battery manufacturing industry made the city a perfect choice for its American headquarters.
“The talent pool is starting to build more and more,” Doucleff said.
He says the south Charlotte facility will handle training, testing, research and development, service, and maintenance -- basically everything besides the actual manufacturing, which is underway at a facility in Wisconsin.
By the end of the year, Doucleff says they plan to hire 60 employees. As more and more of these chargers roll out, he says they plan to staff up to 300.
“It’s really just a function of the more volume we have, the more support we need for our customers,” Doucleff said.
[ SPECIAL SECTION >> Channel 9 Climate Stories ]
Rosevear is one of their first local hires.
“I thought that I could really help make that transition here,” Rosevear told Alfini.
As a product manager, Rosevear says he’s looking forward to helping tackle the issues drivers like him face across the country, all while building up the industry in his own backyard.
“It’s great that I get to stay right here in Charlotte,” Rosevear said.
(VIDEO: More businesses are using electric vehicles)
This browser does not support the video element.