Ford teams up with best buy Canada to offer home charging station

One of the main problems of owning an electric car or a plug-in hybrid is where and how to recharge its batteries. Ford of Canada promises to offer a simple solution to owners with a home charging station, which will be supplied and installed by Best Buy Canada. The 240-volt home charging station is suitable for the all-new Focus Electric battery electric vehicle as well as Ford’s upcoming plug-in hybrid models in Canada. Best Buy said it will supply the charging station and offer complete consultation and installation services through its Geek Squad and third-party licensed electrical contractors. The electronics retailer will also handle warranty and repair claims for the charging station. “By working with Best Buy and Geek Squad to offer the charging station installation service solution, Ford is providing electric vehicle customers in Canada with a familiar, trusted source to turn to for their installation needs,” said Steve Ross, product marketing manager of Ford Canada. The company says that the 240-volt home charging station will allow Focus Electric owners to fully charge their cars in as little as three to four hours, and makes a point to note that this is half the time needed by the Nissan Leaf. Ford says that the system can easily be replaced or upgraded without the use of tools “thanks to its innovative design and mounting bracket”. The home charging station with standard installation will retail for around CA$1,599 (€1,205 or US$1,597).