John Deere Electric Powertrain is investing $69 million for its North American headquarters and a new battery and charger manufacturing facility in Kernersville, North Carolina.
At the new facility, John Deere will produce Kreisel battery packs for high performance and large, off-highway equipment applications. Deere acquired a majority ownership share of the Austrian-based Kreisel in 2022.
“North Carolina’s leadership in manufacturing, innovation and clean transportation is creating great jobs from global manufacturers like this. With our shared values on sustainability, we look forward to creating a cleaner future together,” said North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper.
The factory will also manufacture Chimero charger technology for e-mobility, stationary systems and Level 3 charging solutions.
The new venture will build a state-of-the-art facility with sustainable energy features in a 10,684 square metre space to expand the manufacturing of Kreisel batteries and chargers in the North American market.
“As the demand for electric solutions continues to increase, this strategic investment in growing our production capacity will help strengthen our position as an international battery technology leader,” said Pierre Guyot, Senior Vice President of John Deere Power Systems and Chairman of Kreisel Electric.
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“Within the evolving off-highway equipment market, we are prioritizing the development of a robust charging ecosystem and battery portfolio that can support and sustain the long-term adoption of electrification across a wide variety of applications.”
A performance-based grant of $100,000 from the One North Carolina Fund will help with John Deere Electric Powertrain’s location in North Carolina.
The One NC Fund provides financial assistance to local governments to help attract economic investment and create jobs.
“This is outstanding news for our region,” said N.C. Representative Donny Lambeth. “We appreciate John Deere’s vote of confidence in our people for this new venture and the work of the economic developers and local and state officials that helped the company make their decision.”
In addition to the North Carolina Department of Commerce and Economic Development Partnership of North Carolina, other key partners in this project include the North Carolina General Assembly, North Carolina Community College System, Forsyth Tech Community College, Forsyth County, Town of Kernersville, Greater Winston-Salem, Whitaker Park Development Authority and Duke Energy.
