VW unit Electrify America selects suppliers for U.S. EV chargers

By Nick Carey

DETROIT (Reuters) - Volkswagen AG (VOWG_p.DE) unit Electrify America said on Tuesday it has selected several suppliers, including Switzerland's ABB LtdS> and South Korea's Signet EV Inc, to install more than 2,000 high-speed electric vehicle chargers in the United States by the end of 2019.

The chargers will be installed at 484 charging stations across the country. Electrify America said the fast chargers will deliver 20 miles of range per minute of charge, seven times faster than chargers currently in operation.

Other suppliers chosen include Portugal's Efacec Electric Mobility, S.A. and Santa Ana, California-based BTC Power Inc.

VW has agreed to spend $800 million in California and a total of $2 billion nationwide on clean car infrastructure as part of its agreement with federal regulators after admitting to diesel emissions cheating.

ABB said it would supply its Terra HP charging stations, which can recharge "even the largest electric vehicle battery in under 15 minutes."

A lack of public charging infrastructure for U.S. consumers to recharge their vehicles is seen is as a major barrier to the mass adoption of electric vehicles as consumers remain concerned over their limited range.

(Reporting by Nick Carey; Editing by Dan Grebler)