Electric vehicle owners who want to explore some of Michigan’s most popular tourist destinations could do so more easily as soon as next year, according to officials with the Whitmer administration.
With the clopping of horses in the background during the Mackinac Policy Conference on Wednesday, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and other officials offered up the Lake Michigan Electric Vehicle Circuit, a plan to add charging stations all along the shoreline, covering communities, lighthouses, basically anything around the lake that Tim Allen might have waxed poetic about in a Pure Michigan ad.
“We’re building out our charging infrastructure, and we’re going to serve as the best new road trip for electric vehicle owners in America,” Whitmer said, noting a potential for the project to bring in tourists from Chicago and Milwaukee.
The news of the Lake Michigan circuit follows Whitmer’s announcement on Tuesday at Motor Bella in Pontiac that the state plans to create the country’s first section of public road for wirelessly charging an EV, an effort that would put Michigan in a race to beat Indiana to the finish line.
One of the major worries expressed about EV ownership involves range anxiety and concerns that someone might not be able to easily complete a long trip. Although most EVs can more than handle typical daily driving needs, the long trip, particularly through remote areas, can still be a challenge for full battery electric vehicles that need a place to plug in.
Creating a better charging network could “eliminate the concern, or the excuse, that someone can’t buy an electric vehicle because they can’t drive it Up North and back,” said Trevor Pawl, the state’s chief mobility officer.
The details of the project, including cost, will follow a feasibility study, but Pawl said “this is something that, you know, I want to see next year be something that impacts families in a real way, where you and your family can begin to plan your EV road trip.”
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The circuit would feature a mix of DC Fast and Level 2 charging. Fast charging can be done in 20 to 30 minutes, and Level 2, which can take three to eight hours, might be fine “if you’re going on a hike,” he said.
Pawl said he’d like to begin talks with Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin as soon as possible to turn the circuit into a real loop.
Whitmer and others also announced a jobs and talent development plan tied to electric vehicles, dubbed the Michigan Revolution for Electrification of Vehicles Academy/Academies, or MiREV.
The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity wants to partner with up to five organizations, according to a news release. A request for proposal on the project, which envisions a total $5 million investment, has been issued, with an application deadline of Nov. 8. Go to Michigan.gov/MICA for details.
The program will work with employers on a range of efforts, from determining job openings to “reskilling and upskilling” workers, the release said.
Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter: @_ericdlawrence. Become a subscriber.