Leviton selected by Honda to provide charging stations for Honda Fit EV

Honda has announced selection of Leviton as the preferred provider for charging stations (EVSE's) for the companies upcoming Honda Fit EV and the Honda Accord Plug-In Hybrid Sedan. Leviton is a large manufacturer of electrical wiring systems that has a well-developed range of electric car charging station products.

Honda has a pair of electrified cars coming soon. The first is the Honda Fit EV, based on the Honda Fit, which delivers a 123 city/95 highway mile range (estimated) and a 6.6 kW onboard charger allowing full recharges in as little as three hours. The 2013 Honda Fit EV is due for delivery beginning this summer under a very limited production. The second is the Honda Accord Plug-In Hybrid Sedan due next winter, which will have up to 15 miles of driving range per charge.

Honda joins Ford in selecting Leviton as the preferred electric car charging station provider. The company offers four charging stations meant for residential use, as well as other charging station equipment like wiring kits, and charging stations meant for commercial use. A couple weeks ago Leviton unveiled a new charging station capable of charge rates up to 32 amps at 240 volts AC (7.7 kW output). The Evr-Green 320 Level 2 Home Charging Station can either be hard wired to a distribution panel, or connected to a NEMA 6-50P plug, and has either a 15-foot or 25-foot charging cable.

"As leaders in the fields of advanced technology for mobility and energy solutions, Leviton and Honda both have unique missions to create a more sustainable future," said Steven Center, vice president of the Environmental Business Development Office at American Honda. "Pairing Leviton’s EV charging solutions with Honda’s advanced Fit EV and Accord Plug-In Hybrid Sedan electric vehicles will enable a more convenient and seamless ownership experience for our customers."

A part of the electric car revolution involves the electric infrastructure companies creating products for managing and distributing electricity. Companies like Leviton, Schneider Electric, GE and others are all selling electric vehicle service equipment products and working towards smart grid integration as well. These companies make the boring grey boxes located in electrical service rooms in the basements of buildings around the world. While boring, having the correct grey boxes is necessary to support the adoption of electric vehicles.

The 7.7 kilowatt charge rate supported by Leviton's 32 amp charging station does not magically give electric cars connected to the charging station a faster charging rate. The 32 amp charge rate is simply the maximum supported by the companies new charging station.

"Leviton is excited to work with American Honda as they launch their electric vehicle program here in America. At a high level we share a very similar overall mission; to supply products of the highest quality at a reasonable price for complete customer satisfaction,” said Michael Mattei, Vice President and General Manager for Leviton’s Commercial and Industrial Business Unit. “In addition, we hope to continue to enable the electric and hybrid electric industry through simple, easy to purchase, easy to install and easy to use products, while providing the highest level of consumer safety."