Twenty-five new electric vehicle charging locations coming to Michigan will be in Consumers Energy‘s communities — another jolt that will continue fueling the huge growth in public EV charging the energy provider is powering this decade.
Over 40 fast-charging locations from Traverse City to Flint to Jackson were picked this month to receive close to $23 million in federal dollars. Consumers Energy will power 25 of these locations, adding to the 54 fast-charging and over 230 other public locations it already has helped install.
“Consumers Energy is powering Michigan’s electric vehicle transformation by offering solutions that make EV driving convenient and affordable,” says Lauren Snyder, Consumers Energy vice president of customer experience. “Our support for public charging is improving the EV driving experience, giving people confidence they can power up quickly and affordably anytime they hit the road in Michigan.”
In the past four years, the number of public charging locations statewide has more than tripled, according to the Alternative Fuels Data Center.
Consumers Energy provides rebates for public charging through its PowerMIDrive program, part of its commitment to meeting EV drivers’ needs. EV sales continue to accelerate in Michigan. Consumers Energy is powering over 31,000 EVs, a number that has grown 23% from just one year ago.
In 2023, Consumers Energy also kicked off an effort to promote EV charging for community and multifamily locations, meeting the needs of drivers who don’t have their own house or driveway. The energy provider also is working with school districts and has pledged to provide EVs to seven service organizations to help ensure Michigan’s EV transformation is fair and equitable for everyone.
In all, Consumers Energy has provided incentives for over 5,600 EV chargers for homes, businesses and along roads across the Lower Peninsula.
“Despite what some pundits may claim, more and more electric vehicles are continuing to show up on Michigan roads,” says Snyder. “Consumers Energy has an important role to safely and reliably charge EVs in our communities. We’re making sure Michigan — the birthplace of America’s auto industry — is in the driver’s seat for the next generation of clean, zero-emissions vehicles.”
Consumers Energy is Michigan’s largest energy provider, providing natural gas and/or electricity to 6.7 million of the state’s 10 million residents in all 68 Lower Peninsula counties.