Leviton and Honda Increase Customer Satisfaction of EV Owners

Companies remove barriers to improve ownership experience and to optimize electric vehicle charge time

News provided by

Jun 10, 2013, 12:30 ET

MELVILLE, N.Y., June 10, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Beginning June 1, 2013 all Honda Fit EV leases will include the Leviton 32 amp, 240 volt (Level 2) electric vehicle charging station. Leviton's enhanced Level 2 charging station offers customers significantly reduced charging times, and provides unmatched convenience and performance right from the dealership.

"We are pleased to work with Honda to provide a new business model for EV customers," stated Manoj Karwa, Senior Director of EVSE Programs for Leviton. "Leviton and Honda believe that streamlining the acquisition process for charging solutions will help significantly improve customer satisfaction by reducing the time and cost for the EV charging experience."

The Leviton 32 amp charging station utilizes Leviton's patent pending "plugged-in" design and has been tested to exceed National Electric Code and Underwriters Laboratory (UL) standards. Also, it provides safety devices not found in other charging stations in the marketplace, including a watertight enclosure with NEMA 4 rating and proprietary GFCI technology. It is backed by an industry leading product warranty, and lifetime telephone support.

"Leviton has designed a charging station that capitalizes on the efficiency of the all-electric Fit EV," said Steve Center, Vice President of Environmental Business Development at American Honda Motor Co., Inc. "Through the use of the Leviton 32 amp, 240 volt charging station Honda customers can charge their Honda Fit EV in a class-leading three hours."

To obtain the new Leviton charging station, new Honda Fit EV customers need only contact their local dealership to arrange delivery. The charging station has been rigorously tested and verified by Honda – in both the USA and Japan – for use with the Fit EV.

In addition to the 32 amp charger, customers will also receive a proprietary installation kit that, once installed, enables them to remove and re-install the electric vehicle charging station without any special tools. This modularity enables customers to easily take their charging station with them in case they move – an important consideration for customers.

Installation services are optionally available through Leviton at the customer's expense – only the charging station hardware is provided as part of the lease agreement. Customers interested in leasing the Fit EV or learning more about the vehicle are encouraged to visit http://automobiles.honda.com/fit-ev/.

To learn more about Leviton's complete line of electric vehicle charging solutions, visit www.leviton.com/evrgreen.

About Leviton Electric Vehicle Charging Equipment
Leviton's commitment to help create a sustainable environment is further demonstrated in our new line of electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) and support services. Our Evr-green™ line of electrical vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) is compliant with all industry standards, meets the most stringent safety requirements, and is compatible with all major auto manufacturers' electric vehicles (SAE J1772™ compliant). Learn more at www.evrgreeninfo.com.

About Leviton
Leviton is the smart choice, providing the most comprehensive range of solutions to meet the needs of today's residential, commercial and industrial buildings. Leveraging more than a century of experience, Leviton helps customers create sustainable, intelligent environments through its electrical wiring devices, network and data center connectivity solutions, and lighting energy management systems. From switches and receptacles, to daylight harvesting controls, networking systems, and equipment for charging electric vehicles, Leviton solutions help customers achieve savings in energy, time and cost, all while enhancing safety. For more information, visit www.leviton.com, http://www.facebook.com/leviton, http://twitter.com/leviton or http://www.youtube.com/Levitonmfg.

Honda Environmental Leadership
Honda has developed numerous technologies to improve fuel efficiency and reduce CO₂ emissions, including the Honda Accord PHEV, Fit EV, Civic Natural Gas and the Honda FCX Clarity fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV). Honda has also led the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) rankings of overall vehicle environmental performance since 2000, and a Honda vehicle has topped the list of America's greenest vehicles from the America Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) for 15 consecutive years.

Connect with Honda:
Honda Media Newsroom (for journalists) http://www.hondanews.com/
Honda for consumers: www.automobiles.honda.com
Honda on YouTube: www.youtube.com/honda
Honda on Flickr: www.flickr.com/hondanews
Honda on Twitter: www.twitter.com/honda
Honda on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/honda
Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/honda
Instagram: http://instagram.com/honda
Honda on Google+: https://plus.google.com/+honda