Blink chargers will come as either a wall-mounted option for home use of a stand-alone option for commercial use

Electric vehicle recharging technology firm ECOtality is to work with Michigan firm Roush Manufacturing to produce a new line of home and commercial electric vehicle chargers.

Roush Manufacturing, which is based in Livonia, Michigan, will manufacture the Blink vehicle charges on behalf of San Francisco-based ECOtality.

The Level 2 home and commercial chargers were unveiled this week. The systems are designed to be networked so that electric vehicle drivers can charge their vehicles at the most convenient times.

Drivers can program the chargers to boost their vehicle battery when electricity prices are lowest.

ECOtality President and CEO Jonathan R Read said his company’s manufacturing partner has already been hard at work creating the tooling to build prototypes and the first Blink chargers.

Mr Read said: “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.”

Roush COO Doug Smith said: “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.”

Blink

Blink chargers will come as either a wall-mount unit or a commercial stand-alone charger.

Able to charge a battery in two to six hours, the chargers are designed to allow drivers to simply plug in their vehicles and walk away.

ECOtality said the chargers would also work with smart grid systems, allowing utilities to make use of integrated communication systems as they balance the potential drain on the grid.

The first Blink charging stations are expected to be installed this fall, as part of the federally-funded EV project, in which ECOtality is deploying nearly 15,000 charging stations in 16 cities across the US.