US automotive supplier Lear (Southfield, Michigan; www.lear.com) plans to convert three plants in the US for the expected business with electromobility. The company is spending USD 112 mn (EUR 105 mn) to refit and expand its plants in Independence Township, Traverse City, and Sterling Heights in the US state of Michigan.

According to CEO Ray Scott, parts and entire components for charging controls and battery systems are to be manufactured there – to a large extent from plastics. The latter are produced in particular at the Sterling Heights plant, which will reportedly receive the bulk of the investment.

Lear has recently received several orders, which will run until 2030, from General Motors for their Ultium, battery-powered electric vehicle platform. These include so-called Battery Disconnect Units used to safely connect the battery to the vehicle’s electrical system as well as frames and holders for battery cells called Intercell Connect Boards, and wiring harnesses.

Related: European automakers want government support for recovery

The supplier recently worked its way out of previous year’s red figures: in the first three quarters of 2022, the company generated a turnover of USD 5.2 bn (previous year: USD 4.3 bn) and a profit of USD 92.3 mn (USD -26.5 mn).

Despite US President Joe Biden’s goal of half of all newly registered cars and light trucks being powered either electrically, hybrid-electrically or with fuel cells by 2030, the US is still lagging far behind China and Europe, at least in terms of battery-electric vehicles.