Greentech Lead America: Eaton Corporation, a manufacturer
of EV infrastructure and hybrid electric vehicle technologies, has received a
$1.84 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) for developing
efficient commercial electric vehicle (EV) chargers.
The company said that the 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.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DoE) is funding four
projects, out of which two 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.
“Smart charging technology will provide more options
to consumers and strengthen the charging infrastructure and the electric grid.
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,” said John Wirtz, business unit manager, Eaton’s
Electrical Transportation Infrastructure.
The company added that 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.