Phoenix Contact E-Mobility continues to expand in China

Phoenix Contact is expanding its e-mobility production capacities with a new facility in Lishui, China. Following on from the Chinese headquarters and another production site in Nanjing, this is the Phoenix Contact Group’s third plant in China.

The new location in the Lishui development zone will focus on the production of components for the development of charging infrastructure for e-mobility and charging interfaces for electric vehicles. This has a special lighthouse effect for the entire region: Lishui is focusing on industries for alternative drive systems.

At the new production site in Lishui, Phoenix Contact E-Mobility will develop and manufacture various charging cables for electric vehicles, which will be delivered to Chinese automobile and charging infrastructure manufacturers. The company relies on local-for-local sourcing, where the purchasing, production, and sales markets are located close to each other. In recent years, the Lishui district has developed strongly for the e-mobility industry. Five companies producing electric vehicles and more than 200 companies producing core components for the industry have already settled here.

The foundation stone for the new Phoenix Contact plant was laid at a ceremony at the end of June 2023. Gu Jiandang, General Manager of Phoenix Contact China, emphasized the importance of the new plant in Lishui in his speech: “Phoenix Contact China made a decisive entry into the Chinese market for electric vehicles back in 2010. With the new facility in Lishui, we have reached a new starting point. We will work closely with the region in order to continue to manufacture high-quality products for the industry and complete projects for our customers as planned. Together with the Lishui region, we are inviting other industry partners to participate at the Lishui location and to join us in creating a future for the new vehicle industry”.

Arno Kiefer, Director Strategy & China Coordination, Phoenix Contact E-Mobility, also emphasizes the importance of the new location: “The accelerated development in the e-mobility industry in China demands a third Chinese location. With this, we are continuing the successful cooperation between the Chinese and German teams”.

The new building covers a total area of around 26,000 m² on a site measuring just under 20,000 m². The building is divided into 20,000 m² of production and storage space and 6,000 m² of office space. The workforce will grow to more than 200 employees by the start of production in the first quarter of 2025. Once production is ramped up in the second half of 2025, the aim is to have an annual production capacity of several hundred thousand AC and DC charging cables. In addition, hundreds of thousands of vehicle charging inlets are to be produced for the Chinese market each year.

China is not the only country where e-mobility is on a growth trajectory. New office space for accommodating around 160 employees covering an area of 2,300 m² was created at the Phoenix Contact E-Mobility location in Schieder-Schwalenberg, Germany, in 2023. Developments in the North American market are also marching on dynamically. Phoenix Contact is also expanding its e-mobility activities here and is also focusing on local-for-local sourcing. By extending its sales structures, the company is strengthening its product segments in the North American market.