Consumers Energy announces 24 charging stations in operation within state network, with plans for 200 more by 2024
As of Earth Week 2021, Consumers Energy has announced that the Lower Peninsula of Michigan now hosts 24 fast charging stations for electric vehicles and that 200 fast charging locations will be rolled out over the next three years.
It is the foundation for the still-under-construction fast charging network in Michigan and an extension of the company’s PowerMIDrive program. That program, which launched less than two years ago, has also provided more than 600 rebates for home, business, and public charging stations to encourage electric vehicle ownership through greater convenience and affordability. The 24 fast charging stations are among those rebates. All are capable of fully powering a vehicle’s battery in less than an hour.
“Our country’s auto industry was born right here in Michigan,” Lauren Youngdahl Snyder, Consumers Energy’s vice president of customer experience, said. “Consumers Energy is excited to charge the next generation of transportation in our home state and help Michigan lead the nation into a clean automotive future. Fast charging means EV owners can power their vehicles wherever they travel across Michigan, and their options are growing by the day.”
At the moment, admitted Youngdahl Snyder, electric vehicles still make up only a small percentage of cars on the road. However, the adoption rate is quickly growing. EV sales are now growing more than 20 percent each year, and just last summer, there were only four charging stations to maintain them.
Another dozen should be in operation within the next six months, by Consumers’ estimates.
