As an experienced manufacturing company celebrating its 126th year in business, Ohio-based Lincoln Electric has provided specialized high-powered electrical equipment that powers progress across infrastructure projects nationwide. Now, they’re leveraging their heritage in hardy, reliable DC machinery to deliver a new class of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations built to handle tough conditions for years.
Let’s dive into the details of Lincoln’s planned entry into the fast-charging marketplace.
Steady, Reliable DC Power is What Lincoln Does Best
Lincoln Electric’s decades of experience producing robust DC welding gear positions them uniquely to develop EV chargers designed for maximum uptime in all weather conditions. Key traits like ruggedness and reliability that define their industrial welders capable of 24/7 operation should translate well to meet demands of a public fast charging network too.
As a $3 billion industrial manufacturer, Lincoln has tremendous technical expertise and supply chain capacity to build large volumes of any complex electrical system. In fact, the core technology behind high-powered DC fast chargers is very similar to the high-output welders that Lincoln Electric has been perfecting for over a century.
Both applications require efficiently generating and sustaining hundred to thousands of amps (A) of electrical current and dozens to hundreds of volts (V). This chart highlights key equipment Lincoln produces that forms a natural foundation for fast DC EV chargers.
Gap in Reliable Fast Charging Options Must Be Addressed
Recent sourcing shows concerning reliability issues with many existing public EV fast charging stations. A 2022 study by Plug In America revealed 14% of U.S. EV drivers rank broken chargers as a “major difficulty” regarding convenient ownership.
UC Berkeley research focused on California’s networks uncovered even more alarming statistics:
| Charging Provider | % Non-Functional Stations |
|---|---|
| ChargePoint | 36.6% |
| EVgo | 25.5% |
| Electrify America | 19% |
With the Biden administration targeting 50% EV sales nationwide by 2030, America desperately needs more convenient fast charging capability to make this vision practical. Maximizing station uptime and resilience, especially in harsher northern climates, will play a major role in driving mainstream adoption.
Lincoln Electric is betting their over 100 years of experience in highly durable electrical equipment can help address the shortfall of reliably available fast charging connections.
What Lincoln Electric‘s Planning for Its Charging Network
Thus far, Lincoln Electric has developed a 50 kW charger leveraging existing welding technology that can scale up over 300 kW. This ultra-fast output allows capable EVs to add 200+ miles of range from just 30 minutes of charging.
Lincoln is aggressively expanding its EV engineering staff and plans to begin full-scale manufacturing of these chargers in the U.S. by late 2023. With strong federal support for domestic production through new infrastructure packages, Lincoln Electric is positioned well to capitalize if its charging equipment delivers on performance and longevity promises.
The core goals for Lincoln’s chargers are enabling speedy recharging while maintaining – or even elevating – the durability standards that the company’s industrial welding gear is known for.
Can Lincoln Find Its Place Among Giants in the Charger Market?
Lincoln Electric’s proven expertise delivering specialized high-output DC electrical machinery makes them a serious contender in the competitive fast charger space. Leveraging that 100+ years of experience to maximize uptime could help their network stand out when winters bring freezing rain or summer heatwaves strain the grid.
Station reliability and extreme weather resilience may give Lincoln an extra edge competing for public infrastructure grants or supply contracts. For regular drivers, that peace of mind while out on road trips could be a real differentiator too.
However, as a newcomer to EV ecosystems, Lincoln Electric has much to prove before earning significant U.S. market share. They also risk falling behind in technology without sufficient R&D investments as charging standards continue advancing at a rapid pace. For example, today’s 50-150 kW chargers may be considered too slow in just a few years.
While federal funding incentives exist today, running a profitable nationwide fast charging network long-term is no easy feat either. Unless Lincoln can match or undercut competitor pricing, its ruggedness merits alone may not be enough incentive for hosts or individual drivers to consistently use their stations over rivals.
Conclusion: Big Manufacturing Brawn Backing Better Charging Brains
In the quest to make EVs a more turnkey transition for Americans, Lincoln Electric brings unique strengths thanks to its specialized electrical engineering foundation. By delivering on promises of reliability, the company looks primed to fill noticeable gaps in today‘s fast charging status quo.
If Lincoln can build a charging portfolio focused on maximum practical uptime for site hosts and drivers, it has a fighting chance at becoming a major third-party network. For the country’s EV trajectory, having another frictionless high-speed charging player can only help accelerate the path to widespread adoption. But the company must keep pushing the technological envelope in charging speeds, connectivity, and hardware durability to thrive long-term in this steadily evolving industry.
