Bluetti was founded by Wondar Law and James Ray after their paths and ideas crossed during the summer of 2019 in Walnut, California.
With over two decades of experience in the energy storage industry between them, they formed their veritable dream team, and after flitting for some time between Denver and LA, decided to establish Bluetti headquarters in Nevada, Las Vegas.
As such, you’d be forgiven for assuming that Bluetti power stations are manufactured on US soil, but like a lot of tech companies, Bluetti is just a small section of a large network of businesses that reach far beyond the confines of these United States.
Bluetti is the brand branch of the company, Maxoak, that has operations bases set up all around the globe, and Maxoak itself is a branch of parent company, Shenzhen Poweroak Newener co. LTD, headquartered in Guangdong, China.
It’s on these Eastern shores that all our Bluetti power stations get their start, but that’s not to say the folks over at Bluetti are sitting around twiddling their thumbs in their Nevada base.
What Does Bluetti Do on US Soil?
Bluetti may not be an entirely USA-based outfit, but they’re not just white labeling existing components from foreign manufacturers, then fitting them together and slapping the Bluetti or Maxoak brand on them. On the contrary, every aspect of Bluetti power stations, down to the finest detail, is mapped out in the US.
The Nevada team has always been and always will be project managers. They come up with everything — we’re talking BMS motherboard technology, MPPT technology, inverter technology, and they even have the final say on enclosure materials.
Are Bluetti Power Station Batteries Made in China?
When it comes to the actual production of lithium cells found in our Bluetti power stations, the company looks to South Korean-based outfit and world leader of the chemical industry, LG Chem.
In light of this, there’s a chance that a certain amount of Bluetti batteries hail from LG Chem’s home nation, but what a lot of people don’t realize is that this company has a vast network of battery production plants in China too, so your Bluetti battery could just as well be of Chinese descent.
Should I Be Worried That Bluetti Power Station Components Are Crafted Outside the US?
From a performance perspective, there are no issues with Bluetti components arriving from overseas, especially considering that all Bluetti R&D is done in-house by Wondar Law, James Ray, and their team of dedicated experts.
The units themselves are dreamt up on US soil, then the Bluetti team sends their state-of-the-art schematics off to their production bases so they can get to work on the physical components.
All construction is carried out to Bluetti’s extremely high standards, so where it takes place is largely irrelevant.
Now, I know you’ve probably heard the horror stories of Chinese batteries leaking here and exploding there, but what you don’t hear about are all the triumphs coming from China in the way of lithium batteries.
China is the biggest producer of lithium batteries in the world, by a large margin, and to assume everything they create is of substandard quality would be incredibly short-sighted. The caliber of Bluetti products is a testament to just how far Chinese lithium cell technology has come in recent years.
Why Does Bluetti Use Production Bases in China and South Korea?
What I want to make clear right off the bat is that Bluetti’s outsourcing of power station construction isn’t part of any nefarious anti-patriotic ethos or even them trying to make a quick buck out of cheap labor. They do it because they have to.
And, it’s not just Bluetti that turns to production companies in foreign nations. Almost all the big names in the battery backup industry are doing exactly the same thing, and the reasons for doing so are two-fold…
1. Meeting Demand
As it stands, China owns over 70% of the global lithium reserves, and the US, only about 12%, meaning the United States cannot support its own population’s need for lithium batteries.
Companies such as Tesla are trying to even out the ratio slightly by building battery factories on US soil, but tipping the balance on such disparity is a slow process, one that will go on for decades, if not hundreds of years.
Lithium batteries have become an essential part of Western society. They’re found in our laptops, our cell phones, our locks, our hearing aids… you name it, and in order to supply everyone with these essential power sources, Bluetti must engage in cross-nation collaborations.
2. Affordability
It’s not that you can’t find US-developed lithium power technologies; there are a few notable companies fighting the good fight, but it’s important to remember the golden rule of economics: with scarcity comes value.
The fact that we don’t have all that much lithium to work with, means that any lithium-based batteries built on American soil are going to cost a pretty penny.
Let’s face it, Bluetti products (or any green power company products for that matter) are not exactly inexpensive as they are.
If you were to switch out their Chinese/South Korean cells for US-developed lithium tech, you’d have to prepare for a serious price hike, a price hike that would take Bluetti power stations well out of the budget of the average American.
And, ultimately, with access to green battery backups limited to only the most affluent across the nation, the environmental impact of Buetti products would be greatly diminished.
My Bluetti Recommendations
- If you’re looking for an incredibly powerful, portable battery backup that you can take with you on extended camping trips, I’d go for the Bluetti AC200MAX.
- If you’re on the hunt for a true UPS unit to save your sensitive electronics during blackouts, then you need the amazing Bluetti EP500.
- Should you be looking for something a little more modest in terms of size, power, and price, I can’t speak highly enough of the Bluetti EB70S.
Summing Up
It’s nice to support American business, but, for now at least, it’s impossible to ignore the fact that anything with a lithium battery is probably going to be created overseas, but this is no reason to avoid Bluetti products.
Bluetti has earned its place in the green power industry by creating reliable, long-lasting, and effective battery backups. Their devices are trusted by tens of thousands of Americans to keep their lives going when mains power isn’t an option, and that trust isn’t given freely, it’s earned!