By Jarrett Renshaw and Nandita...

By Jarrett Renshaw and Nandita Bose

https://www.reuters.com/technology/biden-tritium-ceo-tout-tennessee-charger-plant-white-house-2022-02-08/

WASHINGTON, Feb 8 (Reuters) - President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced that an Australian company that makes chargers for electric vehicles will build a manufacturing facility in Tennessee, while reiterating his commitment to turn the U.S. government's fleet of cars electric.

The new plant will produce up to 30,000 electric vehicle chargers per year and create 500 local jobs, according to Biden and the Brisbane-based company, Tritium. State officials said production is scheduled to start in the third quarter of 2022.

Biden touted "an American manufacturing comeback." Tritium's chargers will "use American parts, American iron, American steel," and will be installed by union workers, Biden said. He said the federal government's fleet of 600,000 vehicles will "end up being electric vehicles."

"The benefits are going to ripple through thousands of miles in every direction and these jobs will multiply," Biden said, adding the manufacturing plants will lead to a growth in steel mills, small parts suppliers and construction sites throughout the country.

Tritium CEO Jane Hunter appeared alongside Biden at the White House and said Biden's policies "have contributed to enormous demand" for Tritium products in the United States. This "directly led us to pivot and change our global manufacturing strategy."