Puff the Magic Drives Electric with Legrand/Pass & Seymour

Exclusive cigar lounge installs its first electric vehicle charging unit and challenges surrounding businesses to do the same

Puff The Magic, one of Massachusetts’ most exclusive cigar lounges, and the only one on Cape Cod, has installed a Legrand Level 2 Pedestal Mounted Electric Vehicle Charging Station. Both PTM’s customers as well as those from surrounding businesses will be entitled to use the EV Charger.

Situated in Hyannis, MA, PTM is Cape Cod’s only indoor smoking facility and has been in business for 15 years. One of about half a dozen cigar bars in the state, PTM is a full service tobacconist that offers a lounge that is fully licensed by the State and the town of Barnstable to serve alcoholic beverages.

Commenting on his reason for selecting Legrand’s Level 2 Pedestal Mounted EV Charging Station, David Wood, President of PTM said, “It was a question of functionality, ease of installation and aesthetics. We needed an EV charging station that was compatible with all plug-in electric vehicles, was safe to use and own, could be sturdily mounted and would work reliably every time. Being in a business location, I wanted the EV charging station to have a unique and professional look and Legrand’s EV charging station offered all of this and more, right down to the 24’coiled charging cord.”

Situating the EV charging station in an accessible location at PTM was important for Wood. “As an owner of an electric vehicle, the location of charging stations is of particular interest to me. My town and State are installing them in many locations that strike me as inefficient.  An electric vehicle owner needs to kill an hour or two while their car charges and town halls and court houses are not the types of places that one can regularly spend a few hours a day.  I felt that a cigar bar or a restaurant is a more practical place for charging a car.  We decided to install an EV charging station and challenge our neighboring businesses to do the same.”

There is a noticeable trend of smaller businesses installing EV charging stations. Kiran Laxman, product manager of electric vehicle supply equipment at Legrand/Pass & Seymour explains, “Initially it was large commercial and residential sites that installed EV Charging stations. This is changing rapidly. Businesses of all sizes are ensuring that they have charging facilities in place for customers who drive electric vehicles.”

Wood, an owner of a Nissan Leaf, is often teased by his customers for owning an electric car. “But I have the last laugh,” he says “When it comes down to cost of ownership they soon realize how cheap it is to own an electric vehicle and convenient to charge – especially if they can do it for free while smoking their favorite cigar!”

PTM purchased their Legrand Level 2 Pedestal Mounted Electric Vehicle Charging Station from Granite City Electric Supply Company’s South Yarmouth, MA location. Installation was carried out by Bulldog Excavation whose owner, David Stocchetti, donated the site work.

Legrand’s Level 2 Pedestal-Mounted EV Charging Station is ETL-certified and is available in both single and dual configurations, making it perfect for installation at light commercial sites such as hotels and resorts, office parks, apartment complexes and shopping malls.

The 16A/240V EV Charging Station is fixed on a sturdy, anodized aluminum Vista Architectural™ column that provides support for both the single and dual charging station configurations. It is also fully weatherproof with a NEMA 3R rating and can be installed outdoors or indoors in covered parking/charging areas.

Legrand also offers a wall mounted Level 2 charger that is perfectly suited for both residential and light commercial applications and is hard-wired to a 20A circuit. They charge vehicles faster – approximately three to six hours. The Level 2 16A/240V chargers are also weatherproof rated and have built-in ground fault protection.

For busy users who want to charge their electric vehicles on the road, Legrand also has a Level 1 12A/120V charger. It is weatherproof for indoor or outdoor use, plugs into a standard 15A or 20A receptacle and includes built-in ground fault protection.

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