Piscataway business lands electric vehicle charging station

PISCATAWAY — Leviton, a leading global manufacturer of electrical devices, unveiled one of the first commercial electric vehicle charging stations in Central Jersey at the IEEE Operations Center in Piscataway during a ribbon-cutting ceremony on Friday.

The Leviton Evr-GreenLevel 2 Commercial Charging Station, donated by Graybar, provides IEEE employees who own electric vehicles a convenient location to recharge for free while at work. IEEE is the world?s largest technical professional association advancing technology for humanity, with 400,000 members worldwide.

?Leviton?s relationship with IEEE is a major step in the right direction to help promote the further adoption and expansion of electric vehicle usage,? said Mike Mattei, vice president and general manager for Leviton?s Commercial and Industrial Division. ?At Leviton, we aim to create commercial electric power delivery solutions that are easy to use, and the Evr-Green electric vehicle charging products continue that tradition.?

Designed to meet the needs of customers and employees at organizations such as IEEE, Leviton?s Evr-Green Commercial Charging Stations are easy to use and highly reliable. Power is delivered through a single output that provides 7.2kW Level 2 charging, which is delivered via a standard SAE J1772 connector and 18-foot cable.

Running through the ChargePoint network, the largest network of electric vehicle charging stations in the world, the stations provide 24/7 driver support through a toll-free number, real-time reporting of station activity, station monitoring and access restriction to ensure only IEEE employees utilize the equipment.

To access the station, employees use a ChargePass Card or call ChargePoint?s toll-free customer service number located on the charging station?s screen. Using the ChargePass Card to establish access ensures IEEE?s charging station is only available for authorized employees.

IEEE, the world?s largest technical professional association, is dedicated to advancing technology for the benefit of humanity. Through its highly cited publications, conferences, technology standards, and professional and educational activities, IEEE is the trusted voice on a wide variety of areas, ranging from aerospace systems, computers and telecommunications to biomedical engineering, electric power and consumer electronics. Learn more at www.ieee.org.

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BYD's e6 electric vehicle lands in Rotterdam

Chinese automaker BYD has signed a deal to bring its all-electric e6 vehicle to Europe for the first time.

BYD said May 30 that it will supply authorities in the Dutch city of Rotterdam with electric vehicles as part of the green transportation project 75-EV-RO, which will put 75 electric cars on the streets of the city.

The fleet is designed to ease public concerns and address common misconceptions about electric vehicles such as vehicle safety, charging technology and local environmental impact.

The e6 has been widely shown at international motor shows and has been in use in several Chinese cities for over a year -- the city of Shenzhen operates a fleet of 50 electric taxis, clocking up over 3 million kilometers since May 2010, according to BYD's figures.

Now, the vehicle will be piloted in Europe for the first time, ahead of its launch in the US market, which was scheduled for this year but delayed until 2012 in January.

Unsurprisingly, BYD predicts that the European debut of the e6, which can manage up to 300km in range per charge using an iron phosphate battery, will be a big success.

"The successful operation of the e6 taxis in Shenzhen for over a year now has proven its reliability," said the firm in a statement.

"We are very proud to be a part of the 75-EV-RO project and we are very confident in the performance of our electric vehicles."

Getting electric vehicles out and about is a key priority for automakers, faced with a skeptical public unfamiliar with much of the new technology which will power the cars of the future.

Renault announced May 31 that it is sending two models from its new electric vehicle range? -- the Fluence Z.E. and Kangoo Z.E., on an 11-country European tour.

A total of six vehicles will complete the journey through Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Germany, the UK, Ireland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria and Switzerland, with customers able to book slots on the website to have a test drive.

http://www.byd.com

http://www.renault-ze.com

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