Manufacturers charged up for electric cars
Two lighting and electrical manufacturers have announced that they are ready to roll out residential charging stations for electric cars. Leviton, based in Melville, N.Y., is producing the Evr-Green 160 Level 2 Home Charging Station, which has received the Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) Listing for Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) in the United States and Canada.
Slated to be available for purchase mid-April, the charger is part of Leviton’s Evr-Green line of residential, commercial and public charging equipment. Evr-Green chargers comply with all industry standards, including the current National Electrical Code. Assembled in the United States, they also are backed by a three-year warranty, and are compatible with all major automakers’ vehicles.
The Evr-Green 160 Level 2 Home Charging Station provides up to 16 amps at 240 volts AC (3.8kW output). It will be available in a patent-pending plug-in design and a hardwired version. The Evr-Green 160 is compatible with Leviton’s Evr-green Home Charging Station Pre-Wire System. The installation kit was UL Listed in 2010.
Designed for residential markets, the Evr-Green 160 has enhanced safety features, outdoor ratings, environmentally friendly components and a modular design for upgradeability. The Evr-Green products are planned to be available through multiple channels -- electrical distributors, retail, online and through automakers in 2011.
Legrand/Pass & Seymour, headquartered in Syracuse, N.Y., is also offering an electrical vehicle charging station for the residential and light commercial market. The charging stations are weatherproof rated and compatible with all plug-in electric vehicles.
Choices include the Level 1 15A/120V charger, and the Level 2 20A/240V charger. The Level 1 portable charger can be taken on the road, and it’s weatherproof for indoor or outdoor use. It plugs into a standard 15A or 20A receptacle and includes built-in ground fault protection.
Level 2 chargers are hard-wired to a 20A circuit. They charge vehicles faster – approximately three to six hours. Level 2 Chargers are also weatherproof rated and have built-in ground fault protection.