Comments (1)

By Sandra, March 16, 2010 8:05 am

Taking a momentary break from our usual SmartPlug marine news we are excited to let you know that we have recently entered into the Emergency Vehicle market.  In the past few weeks we shipped out several units to an ambulance company in Virginia who have converted their entire emergency vehicle fleet with 30 Amp SmartPlug inlet and connectors.  We also have units on ambulances in Antioch, IL, on fire boats in Anderson Island, WA and in the Miami-Dade department as well as requests for our 50 Amp SmartPlug from the Seattle Harbor Patrol.

Emergency Vehicles are subjected to harsh environments similar to boats.  They are exposed to all different types of weather, vibration, contamination by various chemicals such as oil and fuel as a boat would be while plugged in.  Since they are currently using the same twist lock plug to supply electricity as the marine industry uses they are susceptible to the same dangers such as burning and melting.   Those who have contacted us from Virginia, Illinois, Seattle and Miami have expressed their frustrations and concerns of finding their plugs in this condition and were looking for an alternative with a similar cost. 

Once the ambulance company in Virginia received a SmartPlug to test on one of their emergency vehicles they realized there was no better choice.  Not only has the SmartPlug offered them a much more dependable and safer option but it has also saved them a large amount of money too! 

Comments (2)

By Kristian, November 17, 2009 9:10 am

SmartPlug staff attended the Seattle Auto Show this past week to speak with electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers and Plug-in Conversion companies on display. Much like we have seen in the marine market, the response was overwhelmingly positive. Representatives from each company spoke to the need for a better option for plugging their vehicles in and were excited about the design and features of the SmartPlug. In fact, after seeing the SmartPlug we brought with us to the show, one manufacturer summed it up by saying, “that’s a lot better than what we have.”

SmartPlug Systems will be following up with these contacts in the coming days to see about meaningful partnerships within the EV market. As with marine shore power applications, the SmartPlug provides many benefits to EV users including several easy-of-use and important safety features. One additional consideration for this market would be OEM and consumer cost as many of the plug options under review for standardization are both cumbersome and expensive. SmartPlug staff intends to work closely with those in the EV industry to meet the needs of the end users and provide a superior alternative to what is currently available.