Intertek Certifies Chevy Volt Electric Vehicle Charging Technologies
12 Jan 2011
General Motors’ new electric vehicle bears the ETL Mark; North America’s fastest growing electrical product safety mark
Chicago, IL - Intertek (LSE: ITRK), a global leader in testing, inspection and certification services, has certified General Motors’ Electric Vehicle Charging Station and Portable Charging Cordset to U.S. and Canadian electrical product safety standards. Branded as the “Voltec,” the electric charging station and portable charging cordset are supplied by Lear Corporation and will be available with the General Motors’ 2011 Chevy Volt electric vehicle. Both chargers will bear Intertek’s widely recognized ETL Mark as evidence of compliance to North American product safety standards.
Carmakers are trying to bring new electric cars and supporting technologies to market as quickly as possible. This requires well organized testing and certification efforts as product safety approvals can lead to costly delays in product and component launches. “General Motors is extremely pleased with the support, flexibility, and technical knowledge provided by Intertek,” said Tony Posawatz, Volt Vehicle Line Director.
"Intertek has been deeply committed to the Chevy Volt electric charging station and portable charging cordset ,” said Gregg Tiemann, Chief Executive of Intertek’s Commercial and Electrical division. “From the outset we worked in close collaboration with the Lear team to ensure that the charging systems moved through the product safety and certification process like clockwork to facilitate on-time market introduction of a compliant product to North American code requirements. Product safety organizations have key responsibilities to consumers and manufacturers: to independently evaluate product-safety compliance, and work with commercial customers to meet time-to-market schedules for these high-demand products.”
General Motors’ Voltec charging station and portable charging cordset is an innovation in charging technologies for electric vehicle batteries. Similar to common household appliances, the charging station will be installed at a consumer’s residence for at-home charging of the vehicle. The portable charging cordset, a stand alone accessory, is carried within the vehicle and allows the consumer to plug-in to any common household outlet for charging the vehicle while travelling.
“We are pleased to have another leading company use Intertek’s product safety certification marks,” said Tiemann. “Through superior customer service and turnaround time it’s our goal to make a difference in our customers’ businesses. We’re glad we could support GM in bringing their products to market rapidly in the fast-paced arena of ‘green’ car technologies.”
For more information on Intertek’s ETL Mark and battery testing/energy storage services, call 1-800-WORLDLAB (967-5352) or visit the website at www.intertek.com/energy-storage/.
Contact
For further information, please contact
Linda Hall, Field Marketing Manager
Telephone: 616-656-1347
linda.hall@intertek.com
About Intertek
Intertek is a leading provider of quality and safety solutions serving a wide range of industries around the world. From auditing and inspection, to testing, quality assurance and certification, Intertek people are dedicated to adding value to customers' products and processes, supporting their success in the global marketplace.
Intertek has the expertise, resources and global reach to support its customers through its network of more than 1,000 laboratories and offices and over 26,000 people in over 100 countries around the world.
For further information, visit www.intertek.com
About Intertek’s Electrical Product Certification Services
Intertek provides global testing and expertise to support quality, safety and compliance for renewable energy products and fuels markets. Intertek has become the world’s only full-service provider for performance assessments, product safety compliance and energy efficiency evaluations for solar panels, wind turbines, grid components, inverters, advanced batteries and, among others, electric vehicle charging systems. Intertek’s product safety certifications and marks are used by companies worldwide. In North America Intertek is an OSHA-recognized NRTL (Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory) in the United States and accredited by the Standards Council of Canada (SCC) as a Testing Organization (TO) and Certification Organization (CO).