Consumers Energy has announced plans to provide more electric vehicles (EVs) for its employees.
Consumers Energy, Michigan’s largest energy provider, is the principal subsidiary of CMS Energy. Consumers’ president and CEO, Patti Poppe, said on Tuesday that the company is now buying or leasing EVs instead of purchasing new cars that rely on gasoline. Poppe and an official from General Motors also announced the start of a pilot program to test smart charging for EV owners.
“Electric vehicles are ready for the fast lane, and Consumers Energy wants to support this technology for the good of Michigan and our planet,” Poppe said. “Electric vehicles will reduce our carbon footprint, supporting our company’s Clean Energy Plan to already cut carbon emissions from our power plants in the next two decades.”
“GM’s vision is for an all-electric future with zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion,” added Dane Parker, vice president of sustainable workplaces for GM. “We’re honored to have such strong partners at Consumers Energy who share our commitment to provide more sustainable solutions for everyone.”
The plans include as follows:
- Over the next five years, Consumers Energy expects to replace over 100 sedans with EVs that it will purchase or lease.
- Consumers Energy and GM will work together to test new technology that allows owners to plug in their EVs at home and delay charging to start until overnight hours. Consumers Energy offers rates specifically for EV owners to encourage charging during off-peak hours, when there’s less demand for electricity from the grid.
- Consumers Energy is developing a $7.5 million effort over three years to encourage the development of EV charging stations across Michigan. That would include rebates for charging stations in people’s homes, at their workplaces and along major thoroughfares.
