Cleveland's Eaton Corporation is accelerating its presence in the electric car market thanks to a new collaboration with Mitsubishi Motors North America and Best Buy. Eaton will be providing the Level 2 home-charging mechanism for Mitsubishi's i MiEV electric vehicle, which goes on sale in the fall of 2011. Eaton also will provide infrastructural support and Level 2 chargers to all of Mitsubishi's North American dealerships.

Level 2 charging stations are installed in a home garage to help reduce the charging time of lithium-ion battery-powered vehicles.

Eaton will design and manufacture the Level 2 charging station equipment, which will be sold and distributed through Best Buy. In addition, Eaton will be the sole supplier and installer of the Level 2 charging stations required at Mitsubishi dealerships that will be selling the MiEV cars. The company has been developing innovative hybrid and electrical power systems, including electric-vehicle charging infrastructure for commercial vehicles, for more than 20 years.

Rich Stinson, president of power distribution operations for Eaton's Electrical Sector, says that this collaboration between Eaton, Mitsubishi and Best Buy will allow residential drivers "to confidently go about their daily business, without being worried about where and when they will charge their vehicles.


SOURCE: Eaton Corp.
WRITER: Diane DiPiero