Roush To Build EV Chargers
San Francisco-based Ecotality Inc. (Nasdaq: ECTY) said Wednesday that Livonia's Roush Manufacturing will begin manufacturing Ecotality's line of Blink home and commercial electric vehicle chargers.
"Roush has already been hard at work creating the tooling to build our prototypes and the first Blink chargers," said Ecotality President and CEO Jonathan R. Read. "Their attention to detail and automotive OEM (original equipment manufacturer) quality is legendary. They've spent hundreds of hours with our engineers understanding everything from how the Blink networked communications system functions to finding the right way to position the antenna. Now, as we move from prototypes to full-on manufacturing, we are delighted that Roush will continue as our valued partner."
Said Roush COO Doug Smith: "Ecotality had a very clear vision for the project and an acute understanding of the public's needs, which allowed us to effectively leverage our design and engineering expertise. The end result is a truly innovative, outstanding product that will provide drivers an easy and efficient way to recharge their electric vehicles."
The units will be built by Roush in Livonia, and company officials said several new employees had been added for the effort, including a project manager.
The designs of the Blink Level 2 home and commercial chargers were unveiled earlier this week. The sleek, sculptural unit boasts a bright, interactive, networked touch screen that will allow EV drivers to choose the most convenient time to charge and to program the device to charge when rates are lowest, saving consumers time and money.
Added Ecotality North America President Don Karner: "In Blink, we have designed a charger that is simply smarter. It is easy to use and will help drivers make the simple, intuitive switch to electric driving and a Blink lifestyle. Roush's expertise in converting the Blink design into a manufactured product is instrumental to achieving our most important goal: the widespread adoption of electric vehicles in the U.S. and worldwide."
For more information about Blink, please visit www.blinknetwork.com. For more information about Ecotality, please visit www.ecotality.com.
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