More EV chargers incoming in Detroit Charge Ahead initiative
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Allie Carl/Axios
As Detroit continues to go all-in on electric vehicle charging infrastructure, a City Council member cautioned the city to explain to residents why these chargers won't be left collecting cobwebs.
The big picture: The city is looking to install public high-speed chargers on businesses' properties under its Detroit Charge Ahead initiative.
- City Council on Tuesday unanimously approved two easement agreements for EV charging at Triangle Hardware on Gratiot Avenue.
State of play: City Council president pro tem James Tate supported EV charging but raised questions in a committee meeting earlier this month on whether data supported the demand for stations, and how the city could assure the chargers wouldn't become an underused resource.
- Tim Slusser, Detroit's chief of mobility innovation, said charger locations were identified via traffic pattern data.
- Slusser said the city needs to build infrastructure to match the amount of usage it wants to see in the future.
Between the lines: "Based on conversations with the departments, (Tate) felt comfortable moving the resolutions forward for approval," per a statement from his office Tuesday after the vote.
- Tate's concerns about utilization remain, but he got clarity that the city is working to ensure infrastructure is used and will collect more data, per the statement.
By the numbers: Slusser said in 2023 he wants Detroit to "be the leader in the Midwest for charging infrastructure." The city has 60 charging sites, according to its website, and is trying to build more high-speed chargers.
- Detroit got a $15.2 million grant from the Biden administration in January and $23.4 million in August to help fund 100 high-speed charging stations in 40 locations in the next two to three years.
Zoom out: EVs have grown to about 9% of all new cars sold in the U.S., but despite big discounts and more choices, charging and affordability are still a hindrance, Axios transportation reporter Joann Muller writes.