Lowe’s to sell electric car chargers

Lowe’s home improvement stores, in partnership with General Electric (GE), will introduce an electric vehicle charging station for home or commercial use at five California stores this August. Following the California introduction, the E WattStation will be available to 60 total stores in September, Lowe’s said, and nationwide through Lowes.com.

The GE WattStation, a Level 2 charger, fully charges an electric car in four to eight hours compared with standard overnight charging that can take as much as 12 to 14 hours. The wall-mount unit can be installed in an EV user's garage or outdoors, operates on a 208-240VAC circuit and is designed to work within the EV ecosystem. The design of the GE WattStation is NEMA 3R rated to resist rain, sleet and even ice, according to GE.

Lowe's installed a GE DuraStation EV Charging Station for use at its headquarters in Mooresville, N.C., and will also install commercial GE WattStations at select stores for public use. The GE WattStation is manufactured at a GE facility in Mebane, N.C.