Ford and Best Buy team up for home car charging

Toronto—Ford Motor Co. of Canada, Ltd. and consumer electronics firm Best Buy Canada are teaming up to open a new market and service model for electric vehicles with a new home charging station and installation service.

Best Buy will sell Ford’s 240-volt home charging station—as well as consultation and installation—for the Ford Focus Electric battery electric vehicle and future plug-in electric vehicles.

The charging stations were co-developed with Leviton, a Melville, N.Y.-based manufacturer of electrical and wiring solutions.

Geek Squad Agents will conduct a quick electrical survey to ensure a prospective residence can support the 240-volt charging station. Once the residence passes the electrical survey, the Geek Squad agent will schedule a master electrician for installation.

Once installed, the Ford charging station can be replaced or upgraded without tools and will supposedly fully charge cars in as little as three to four hours.

Ford charging station details:

• The charging unit can be plugged into a 240-volt outlet instead of being hard-wired into the electrical breaker box in the event the owner moves.
• Best Buy and Geek Squad will sell, deliver, install and service the home charging station, including contracting any additional home electrical needs for 240-volt service. Best Buy will also handle warranty and repair claims for the charging station.
• the home charging station with standard installation will retail for approximately $1,599.00.
• When the connector is plugged in to the vehicle’s charge port, conveniently located between the driver’s door and front wheel well, it activates a light ring that loops around the port twice in acknowledgement of connectivity. The light ring then illuminates in quadrants as the vehicle charges. Flashing quadrants represent charge in progress and solid-lit quadrants show stages of charge completion. When the entire ring is solidly lit, the vehicle is fully charged.