FRANKFURT, Germany and CHARLOTTE, N.C. — SPX Corp.‘s Service Solutions business unit has been selected by Daimler AG as the preferred provider of turnkey electric vehicle (EV) charging installation services for its smart and Mercedes-Benz electric vehicles. The announcement was made this week at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show by Daimler AG.
SPX Service Solutions is a leading global developer and manufacturer of advanced diagnostic systems and service solutions for automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), their dealer networks and retail and aftermarket channels. The business also provides consulting, strategy and technical information for vehicle servicing and maintenance, as well as for charging and the servicing of electric vehicles. The company offers a dedicated customer-service team for electric vehicle programs as well.
The agreement calls for SPX Service Solutions to provide EV charging installation services to buyers of Daimler’s smart and Mercedes-Benz electric vehicles as well as smart and Mercedes-Benz dealerships. This follows the successful start of a pilot program that began in April for Mercedes-Benz A-Class E-Cell vehicles across five European countries.
"Leveraging our nearly 100 years in the automotive industry and our EV charging infrastructure expertise, SPX is proud to support the roll-out of smart and Mercedes-Benz electric vehicles," said Tanvir Arfi, president of SPX Service Solutions. "Our support of Daimler’s new line of EVs establishes SPX as a truly global supplier of electric vehicle charging services and equipment to vehicle OEMs. We are confident that our strong pan-European presence, coupled with the knowledge and experience we’ve amassed as a supplier of EV charging installation services in the United States, makes us an ideal partner to serve Daimler’s EV infrastructure needs across the continent."
SPX Service Solutions will provide European EV buyers and dealerships a one-stop shopping solution for purchasing and installing the necessary charging equipment for the Mercedes-Benz A-Class E-CELL, the Mercedes-Benz Vito E-CELL and the smart fortwo electric drive. The SPX Electric Vehicle Solutions team will manage all aspects of home and on-site charging, including administering consumer and dealership charging site surveys and coordinating the installation of 230V and 400V three-phase fast charge stations that allow owners to fully charge their EVs quickly. SPX also will provide guidance and help facilitate all necessary permitting and post-installation services.
"Based on the full suite of services we can offer in Europe, North America and Asia, SPX is increasingly becoming the OEM partner of choice for EV charging solutions and installation services," Arfi said. "The fact that we are already in the field overseeing and facilitating EV charger installations is a powerful selling point to OEMs, particularly since we can apply the key learnings we’ve collected in addition to leveraging our existing infrastructure and services."
