PITTSBURGH, PA -- Industrial manufacturer Eaton Corp. announced plans for the deployment of 45 new electric vehicle charging stations along Interstate 376, a major auxiliary route of the Pennsylvania Interstate Highway System.

The installations are made possible by a $238,467 Pittsburgh Region Clean Cities (PRCC) grant from the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection as well as a private investment of approximately $400,000.

“The Energy 376 Corridor project will create one of the most extensive public EV charging station networks in America and will help set the stage for widespread regional adoption of EVs,” said John Wirtz, Eaton’s business unit manager for electrical transportation infrastructure. “The initiative can also serve as a model of sustainable transportation for other regions across the nation, and it would not have been possible without PRCC and strong regional collaboration.” 

Energy 376 Corridor is a collaboration of 19 regional public and private organizations working to expand electric vehicle infrastructure in the region. 

”Eaton Corp. should be applauded for creating the vision of an electric vehicle corridor along I-376 and for their leadership in bringing together a broad group of public and private stakeholders to help implement it,” said Jan Lauer, president of PRCC. “This project represents a great step forward for the region in deployment of electric vehicle technology.” 

Clean Cities is the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE) flagship alternative transportation deployment initiative, sponsored by the Vehicle Technologies Program. Its mission is to advance the energy, economic, and environmental security of the United States by supporting local actions to reduce petroleum use in transportation. 

For more than 20 years, Eaton has developed electrical and hybrid power systems for trucks and buses. The company is now developing solutions for hybrid power systems in commercial vehicles.