Vol. 5 [Texas News] SK Signet and City of Plano, Texas Strengthen Partnership Around North American EV Charging Infrastructure

The visit

• On April 2, Plano Mayor John Muns and city officials traveled to SK Signet's headquarters and R&D center in Korea.
• The delegation toured key facilities including the ultra-fast charger design and validation lines, an EMC chamber, and a vehicle simulator — directly assessing the company's manufacturing and quality verification capabilities.

What was discussed

• Plans for expanding EV charging infrastructure across North America, using Plano as the primary operational base.
• Strategies for strengthening local manufacturing capacity.
• Public-private collaboration aligned with U.S. federal and Texas state clean transportation policy goals.

SK Signet's U.S. footprint

• Established a production facility in Plano in 2023 to anchor its North American expansion.
• Has deployed over 3,000 ultra-fast chargers across the U.S. to date.
• Plano's business-friendly administrative environment, skilled workforce, and logistics access have been cited as concrete advantages supporting the company's growth.

What both sides said

• SK Signet CEO Hyeonggi Jo highlighted Plano's strategic position as a foundation for business growth and committed to expanding North American charging infrastructure while growing alongside the local community.
• Mayor Muns acknowledged SK Signet's role in advancing EV adoption nationwide and pledged continued administrative support, including closer coordination with state and federal authorities.

New product — 400kW integrated ultra-fast charger

• Incorporates high-density silicon carbide (SiC) power modules, raising energy efficiency to 96.5%.
• Reduces installation footprint by approximately 54% compared to previous models — making it well-suited for space-constrained locations such as urban gas stations and large retail sites.
• Features water-cooled cables and an upgraded cable management system for improved durability.
• Supports both NACS and CCS1 connectors simultaneously, enabling compatibility across vehicle types.
• Targets an uptime rate exceeding 99%, as part of SK Signet's broader goal of evolving from a hardware manufacturer into a full integrated solutions provider.

(Source: Donga)