PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Diversified industrial manufacturer Eaton Corporation has received a $1.84 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) for the development and demonstration of more efficient commercial electric vehicle (EV) chargers. The project will promote smart charging technology that better manages the efficiency, availability and reliability of power, especially during peak times and at popular charging locations.
Eaton’s grant is part of a larger federal research and development program to help reduce the current costs of EV chargers by 50 percent over the next three years and to support the adoption and deployment of EVs.
“Smart charging technology will provide more options to consumers and strengthen the charging infrastructure and the electric grid,” said John Wirtz, business unit manager, Eaton’s Electrical Transportation Infrastructure. “By providing real-time monitoring and reporting, Eaton’s participation in this project will help EV fleet managers, businesses and power companies to increase system uptime, reduce energy costs and maximize the reliability of their chargers.”
Two of the four selected projects receiving federal funding will focus on improving residential EV chargers. The other two selected projects, including Eaton’s, will focus on alternating current (AC) Level 2 charging stations used at commercial and public locations to charge large numbers of vehicles, such as commercial fleets of delivery vehicles.
Eaton is an industry leader in EV infrastructure and hybrid electric vehicle technologies. With a range of charging stations currently deployed in Ontario (Canada), Pennsylvania, California, Washington, Oregon, North Carolina, South Carolina, Indiana and Illinois, Eaton is working to advance the EV charging infrastructure throughout North America, with more than 2,000 charging stations already shipped or installed. Eaton has a wide range of expertise in other markets that use free-standing electrical charging, including truck-stop electrification, ports, marinas, recreational vehicles, government and major public-sector infrastructure. For more information, contact Eaton EVSE support at 855-ETN-EVSE (855-386-3873) or visit www.eaton.com/plugin.
Eaton’s electrical business is a global leader in power distribution, power quality, control and automation, power monitoring, and energy management products and services. Eaton is positioned, through its Cutler-Hammer®, Moeller®, Powerware®, Holec®, MEM®, and Santak® global electrical product series, to answer today’s most critical electrical power management challenges.
Eaton Corporation is a diversified power management company with more than 100 years of experience providing energy-efficient solutions that help our customers effectively manage electrical, hydraulic and mechanical power. With 2011 sales of $16.0 billion, Eaton is a global technology leader in electrical components, systems and services for power quality, distribution and control; hydraulics components, systems and services for industrial and mobile equipment; aerospace fuel, hydraulic and pneumatic systems for commercial and military use; and truck and automotive drivetrain and powertrain systems for performance, fuel economy and safety. Eaton has approximately 73,000 employees and sells products to customers in more than 150 countries. For more information, visit www.eaton.com.