Here's why Manistee now has electric vehicle charging options

MANISTEE — Electric charging stations have cropped on River and Washington streets in downtown Manistee.The charging stations come as a result of both a statewide push for electric charging stations and a public-private partnership between the city of Manistee and HAGE Auto/Red E Charging.

Kevin Kardel, COO of HAGE Auto made a presentation to Manistee City Council in September. The proposal called for four electric charging stations to be installed. Two stations would be installed in northwest corner of the city-owned parking lot located on Washington Street across from North Channel Brewing Co.

The remaining two stations will be in the northeast corner of the Downtown Development Authority-owned parking lot on River Street near Dick's Barbershop.

As an EV driver himself, Kardel has a vested interest in building up the state's charging infrastructure. That's because of the limited range of most electric vehicles compared with gasoline powered cars.

"There's nothing scarier than knowing that your range is running low," Kardel said.RELATED: Manistee sees amended grant for electric vehicle charging station funding.

He noted that in order for electric Vehicles to be successful going forward, it is essential that the infrastructure for charging stations to be built up statewide and not just in large cities like Detroit but smaller cities and rural areas, particularly if EV drivers want to travel.

Manistee's attorney worked with Kardel to secure a license for the Red E charging stations. Some of the main details of the license agreement are as follows:

• Red E Charging is responsible for the installation, maintenance, repair and all costs associated with the electric vehicle charging stations

• The city will receive $0.03 per kilowatt hour used

•The initial term of the agreement is for 10 years with the option for an additional five years. The agreement can be extended beyond 10 years

• The agreement has an early termination option.

Kardel said in an interview with the News Advocate that Manistee was an ideal location for charging stations because of its location and the city's interest in the revitalization of downtown.

Kardel also noted that Manistee as a vacation town could greatly benefit from expanded tourism and EV drivers could stay longer, maybe taking an extra hour at North Channel Brewing Co. while they charge their electric vehicle. Kardel also noted that Manistee was an immediate success. That's because it often takes a week or more for people to start using the electronic charging stations after they are installed, according to Kardel, but Manistee had at least one person charging their EV in the initial 24 hours after the installation of the charging stations.

Last year, four charging stations were installed by CBS Solar along Cadillac Highway in Copemish.

Three of the stations were standard level two chargers which operate on 240-volt system and take 4 to 8 hours to fully charge most electric vehicles. The other station was a level three charger designed for Tesla vehicles and operates on 480-volt system and takes around 15-30 minutes to fully charge.

Plugshare which is website that maps locations of electronic charging stations, notes there are 23 charging stations in Manistee County and more than 50 in the northern Michigan area.