Ford Focus deal can give Leviton and LI a boost
Leviton Manufacturing Co. of Melville has a contract to build a home charger for the Ford Focus Electric. (Undated) Credit: Handout
A Melville company has won an exclusive contract to supply electric car charging units for the Ford Focus Electric, a new line of alternative-energy vehicles.
Leviton Manufacturing Co.'s 240-volt home chargers will retail through Best Buy stores for $1,499, including installation. They will not be included as standard equipment with the Focus, but the automaker said it expects most buyers will purchase them.
Ford plans to make a first run of 5,000 to 10,000 of the Focus Electric cars beginning later this year.
With the Leviton charger and the Focus Electric's internal hardware, it will take less than four hours for a full charge that lasts up to 100 miles, the companies said.
Leviton, a privately held business with more than $1 billion in annual sales, is optimistic that the chargers could add significantly to its income, said Mike Mattei, a Leviton vice president.
All electric vehicles use the same standard plug, so owners of other models - the Chevrolet Volt and the Nissan Leaf - can also buy the charger, the companies said.
The chargers are manufactured at Leviton's plant in El Paso, Texas, though the corporate headquarters in Melville has already begun hiring professional and executive staff for its Evr-Green electric vehicle charger business, Mattei said.
"We believe this will be a measurable percent of our business," Mattei said. "If the EV industry is successful, it could grow to be another business all by itself."
Leviton has more than 7,000 employees, with 450 based in Melville.
Ford expects that most Focus Electric buyers will see the benefits of having a Leviton 240-volt charger at home, said Ford spokesman Dan Pierce.
"One of the benefits of our electric car is the ability to charge it in half the time of our competitors, and we believe that most, if not all, are going to want to use the at-home system" instead of the 120-volt recharging cord that comes standard with the Focus Electric, Pierce said.
"The reason we chose Leviton is they are recognized in this industry as being the highest-quality company, with a track record of making quality charging systems," he added.
The electric cars are made on the same Wayne, Mich., assembly line as hybrid and gasoline-powered Focus models, so if the electric cars are a hit with consumers, Ford can easily ramp up production to meet demand, Pierce said.
Focus buyers can arrange for delivery of the chargers when they buy their cars, or they may do so in advance. If the charger is purchased along with the Focus, the dealer will call Best Buy, which will arrange for a licensed electrician to install the required 240-volt outlet, which is similar to an electric appliance plug.
Once the wiring is complete, the customer can plug in the Leviton charger and it's ready to go. If car owners move to a new house, they just unplug the charger and take it with them.
The electric Focus will go into production later this year for sale initially in 19 metropolitan areas, from New York to Seattle.
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