Consumers Energy commits to powering 1 million electric vehicles in Michigan by 2030

Consumers Energy proposed a major advancement for vehicular transitions to electric last week, pledging to power 1 million electric vehicles (EVs) within the decade and support the larger auto industry’s 2030 goal of 50 percent electric vehicle sales.

Only about 12,000 EVs are currently registered within Consumers’ territory, although EV sales are growing 20 percent annually. With the U.S. automaker pledge to the green transition, though, Consumers predicted this growth to accelerate heavily over the coming years. It’s a change also made possible by statewide efforts to build a network of fast EV charging systems.

“Consumers Energy is committed to Michigan’s EV transformation, and all the road signs show an all-electric automotive future is moving closer to becoming a reality,” Lauren Youngdahl Snyder, Consumers Energy’s vice president of customer experience, said. “Michigan is doing the right things when it comes to manufacturing EVs and making ownership convenient, and we’re confident we can ensure our state is ready for this transformation.”

Nationwide, estimates put U.S. electric vehicle sales to top 3.5 million per year by 2030, creating a total of 18.7 million vehicles by then. Consumers intends to keep Michigan as a major part of this ongoing transition. To do this, it is promoting fasting-charging stations through rebates, as well as adding 200 fast-charging stations over the next three years. The company also has two programs — PowerMIFleet and Bring Your Own Charger — working to guide businesses through fleet electrification and grant EV owners energy savings and monthly rebates for charging during non-peak periods, respectively.