State grants to fund 18 more fast-charging electric vehicle stations

State grants to fund 18 more fast-charging electric vehicle stations

State officials have announced a second round of grant funding totaling nearly $450,000 to support 18 new electric vehicle fast-charging stations along a coordinated network across Michigan.

The Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy on Wednesday announced the grants for two stations each in Mt. Pleasant, Kalamazoo, Shelby Township, Marlette, Grand Rapids and Owosso. Six more direct current fast chargers (DCFC) will be added at existing sites in Marshall, Indian River and Northville.

EGLE’s Charge Up Michigan Program, funded through the state’s $64.8 million allocation from the Volkswagen diesel emission settlement, offers up to $70,000 in grants to public and private entities for fast-charging stations. The state, charging companies, researchers and utilities have been planning an optimal network of fast-charging stations that’s meant to ease electric vehicle drivers’ “range anxiety,” ensuring easy access to charging ports. The goal is to have the network completed by 2030.

In the latest funding round, Merle Boes Inc. in Grand Rapids received $46,845 while Maple Hill Auto Group Transit LLC in Kalamazoo received $50,850.

In August, the state awarded $1.7 million in grants for 36 fast-charging stations statewide. EGLE Director Liesl Clark said at the time the Volkswagen settlement will help “facilitate EV adoption” and is a “significant step toward an electrified transportation future that will keep Michigan in the forefront of cutting-edge mobility and writes another chapter in the state’s storied history of innovation in the transportation industry.”

Grant funding remains available, and applicants proposing fast-charging stations in the Upper Peninsula, the northern Lower Peninsula and southern Michigan along the Indiana and Ohio borders will be prioritized.