The last of 10 new EV charging stations were installed in downtown Northville recently as part of a contract between the Downtown Development Authority (DDA) and Red E Charging, LLC, of Detroit.
Four level 2 charging stations are located at the lower level of the Cady Street parking deck and at the Northville Square parking lot near the parking deck ramp, and two units have replaced those installed in 2018 at the surface parking lot at Wing and Main.
“We're really excited to have these new charging stations,” said Lori Ward, DDA director. “As part of the city's enhanced EV infrastructure, they will fill a growing need in the region to be able to charge electric vehicles faster.”
The DDA was paying approximately $4,000 annually to provide free EV charging. The five-year contract allows the DDA to retain an annual cost sharing of 3.4 percent of the revenue generated, officials said. To fuel an EV vehicle, the energy cost is $1.50 compared to $2.76 per gallon for an internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicle, according to the Dept. of Energy eGallon website. On average, it costs motorists about 50 percent less to drive an electric vehicle, according to the website.With a charging speed of 19.2 kW, it takes two to four hours for a full charge. On average, according to the company, customers spend one to two hours in the area while their vehicle is charging.
The new EV charging stations can be found on many online locator sites, such as PlugShare and ChargeHub. Signs are being made for the spaces denoting they are for active charging only with a three-hour maximum. Non-EVs are not permitted to park in the spaces.
