Drammen, Norway — Eltek Valere has been selected to supply battery chargers to THINK’s THINK City electric vehicle, marking the company’s first move into the electric-vehicle market. Eltek Valere has traditionally delivered power-supply systems to the telecommunication industry.
“Chargers for electric vehicles represent a new and exciting business area and we have high expectations,” said Eltek Valere’s chief marketing officer Morten Schøyen, in a statement. “We see a great deal of interest for our technology from both large car makers and smaller manufacturers of electric vehicles.”
Eltek’s EV PowerCharger family for electric vehicles minimizes charge time and delivers an efficiency of 96 percent while still maintaining galvanic isolation for optimal safety battery protection, says the company.
Because Eltek Valere uses the same technology platform and logistics organization for both battery charger products designed for electric vehicles and telco applications, the company says it can produce products competitively for the emerging electric-car market.
Eltek Valere will start delivering product to THINK in February to produce its electric car in Valmet, Finland.
THINK recently announced that it would start selling the THINK City in the U.S. later this year. The company plans to invest $43.5 million in building improvements and equipment in Elkhart County. The plant could begin assembling vehicles in early 2011.
“Eltek Valere’s electric-vehicle charger is a lightweight and compact product that is easy to place in a car where space and weight matters a lot,” said Schøyen. “The charger also has a high power efficiency, which lowers the power bill and reduces heat generation. Eltek Valere aims to capture a strong position in this market.”