Generac expands into home electric vehicle chargers

Generac Power Systems, Inc., a global supplier of power generation solutions and products for consumer and commercial applications, has introduced its first electric vehicle charging system. The 48A/ 11.5 kW Generac EV charger is a Level 2 home charger capable of charging a car battery in as little as four to six hours, depending on the car battery’s capacity and charge need.

The Generac EV charger is a Level 2 home charger capable of charging a car battery in four to six hours. (Photo: Generac)

Generac said the unit’s J1772 connector is out-of-the-box compatible with nearly all EVs on the market today, the company said, and a NEMA-4 enclosure makes the unit rated for both indoor and outdoor residential installation.

“We’ve seen an unprecedented rise in demand for electric vehicles in the United States,” said Joshua Brister, director of product management at Generac. “We’re excited to help satisfy this high demand by adding the Generac EV charger to our network of energy technology products.”

The Generac EV charger will be available through Generac’s omni channel sales outlets including major home improvement retailers, wholesalers, and hardware stores. Customers will also have the ability to have an in-home consultation with a turnkey installation through Generac’s dealer network.

“Electric vehicle owners need confidence that they can quickly charge to get where they need to go,” said Nick Schmidling, senior product manager at Generac. “As a leader in home energy technology, we’re introducing a product that homeowners can rely on, with a name brand they have come to trust for nearly 65 years.”

The Generac EV charger is the latest in Generac’s complete line of home energy solutions and will be mass marketed and available for purchase in the second half of 2023.

Smart thermostats integrated to home standby gen-sets

Generac also announced that its entire line of Wi-Fi and cellular-enabled home standby generators will soon integrate with the latest ecobee smart thermostats, creating a single energy management hub for the home.

Generac’s entire line of Wi-Fi and cellular-enabled home standby generators will be integrated with ecobee smart thermostats, creating a single energy management hub for the home. (Photo: Generac)

By integrating ecobee smart thermostats with Generac home standby generators, home energy management will be incorporated into a central, easy-to-use interface. Homeowners can quickly see that their generator is ready to handle a power outage and for homeowners fueling their generator with propane, they will also be able to digitally link their fuel tank, enabling them to monitor fuel levels 24/7 on the same interface.

ecobee became part of part of Generac Holdings in 2021.

“At Generac, we’re constantly looking for new and innovative ways to make life a little easier,” said Kyle Raabe, executive vice president of Consumer Power at Generac. “By integrating our Generac home standby generators with ecobee smart thermostats, we’re giving customers visual peace of mind that their generators are ready to power on in an outage and helping them keep watch on all their energy management needs in one location.”

The integration will be available on ecobee’s Smart Thermostat Premium and Smart Thermostat Enhanced units, and on all Wi-Fi and cellular-enabled Generac home standby generators. When launched, customers will see the new integration option appear in their Mobile Link app and can choose to participate with the click of a button. The process will take only a few minutes in the app, with no additional installations required from a dealer. Customers can also choose their notification settings on their thermostat or opt out at any time via the Mobile Link app.

Software updates for ecobee thermostats will be available later this spring.