Graue Chevrolet keeps the business at home purchasing new Electric Vehicle charging station components from Eaton Corp

 

[June 01, 2023] 

On Wednesday, May 31st, staff from Graue Chevrolet joined owner Chris Graue in a visit to the Eaton plant in Lincoln. While there, the group from Graue picked up several containers that will eventually be put together to establish new electric charging stations for electric vehicles that will be coming out on the market from GM later this fall and into next year.

Inside the front lobby at the Eaton Plant, Graue, John Radloff and Dave Awe were met by plant manager David Clarkson, Eaton staff Annette Chapman, Veronica Ohler and Mike Ranta and Tim Branham of the U.S. Electric Company in Springfield. Branham’s company is the distributor for electrical components manufactured by Eaton Corporation in Lincoln as well as its many other factories throughout the country.

Featured in the lobby was a model of a charging station that is made in Lincoln. Graue and Clarkson said that two of the models being taken to the Chevrolet dealership will resemble the one on display. The third unit will be smaller and carry a slower charging time.

Graue was asked about how the chargers would be utilized by the dealership. GM/Chevrolet is coming out with a variety of all electric vehicles starting later this year and going into 2024.

Graue provided the following statement: “General Motors newest line of EVs featuring the ULTIUM battery and propulsion platform will be arriving soon at Graue Chevrolet Buick. An all-electric Blazer will arrive first sometime this fall followed by an all-electric Equinox this winter both with an estimated range of 300 miles. An all-electric Silverado will be arriving sometime in 2024 with an overall range of 400 miles.

“This month Graue Chevrolet Buick of Lincoln will be breaking ground on an Electric Vehicle or “EV” charging island at its facility in Lincoln. The charging island will resemble what you see at a traditional gas station, but to charge EVs and will eventually house it’s new DC fast chargers and level 2 chargers for charging the EVs that will be arriving soon from GM and other manufacturers.

As part of the project, Graue Chevrolet Buick made the decision to purchase the needed level 2 chargers and all of the electrical distribution equipment for the island made by EATON Corporation.”

Graue said that he had been working on establishing the charging stations at the dealership for more than a year. He had mentioned at a meeting of the L.E.A.D. Board where he is a member, that he had a strong desire to do business locally as much as possible, even with something as new age as the charging stations. As a fellow member of that board and an employee of Eaton, Ohler spoke up saying that Eaton was now manufacturing chargers in Lincoln.

That started the wheels in motion for buying local and supporting the local factory, their employees and ultimately the local economy.

Left to right Mike Ranta (Eaton), Chris Graue, David Clarkson (Eaton) and Tim Branham (U.S. Electric Company).

While in the lobby on Thursday Graue talked about all this and Clarkson and Branham also spoke about the purchase.

Clarkson said, “It is great that you are getting into electric vehicles, and we know that these are the future. We appreciate your choice to partner with us in these chargers.”

Branham, whose company is a distributor for Eaton products said it was good be in the room and in the community witnessing the union between the consumer base and one of his company’s biggest suppliers.

Ranta explained the EV model on display and how it works for the consumer. He said Eaton has been manufacturing the units since November.

Clarkson then offered Graue and his group an opportunity to see the interior workings of the plant in general and the line that produces the EV chargers specifically.

After “suiting up” with steel toe slippers, earplugs and eye protection, the group was taken on a tour led by Ranta.

The final steps of the tour were the assembly and quality control area for the EV charging units.

At the end of the day, Graue said the units being installed first will not be for public use, such as someone coming in off the highway. Rather they will be used to charge the vehicles that arrive for sale at the dealership, or to do a charge of a customer vehicle.

At the same time, he did mention that GM and other entities have community programs that will help to make installation of community fast charge stations available in public locations.  He is hopeful that eventually there will be community charging stations in Lincoln.

[Nila Smith]