Who will pay for Michigan’s electric vehicle infrastructure?
(The Center Square) – As Michigan eyes electric vehicles (EV) at Motor Bella and Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announces plans for a road that charges EVs while driving, one question remains: Who will pay for EV infrastructure?
At the Mackinac Policy Conference, Whitmer announced two new EV initiatives: the Lake Michigan EV Circuit and the Michigan Revolution for the Electrification of Vehicles (MiREV).
“I am laser focused on growing our economy, creating good-paying jobs and building the future of mobility and electrification right here in Michigan,” Whitmer said in a statement. “Today’s announcements build on our rich Pure Michigan tradition of exploration and bring together communities and small businesses to ensure that we honor our past as the place that put the world on wheels and continue to invest in our workforce as we lead the transition to electric vehicles.”
The Lake Michigan EV Circuit intends to provide an electric vehicle route with reliable charging options along Lake Michigan.
Currently, drivers of gasoline and diesel vehicles pay for the roads via the state’s gas tax and vehicle registration fees. EVs don’t use gas, yet they wear down roads, and questions have yet to be answered by lawmakers whether gas drivers should pay for EV charging infrastructure despite not benefiting from it.
The infrastructure costs for EVs aren’t cheap. The charging sites along the Lake Michigan EV Circuit will include DC fast charging or level 2 chargers, depending on the host site electrical infrastructure. The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE)’s Charge Up MI program will provide $1.25 million in initial funding to eligible partners to install charging infrastructure.
EGLE will partner with the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification and the Michigan Department of Transportation on the initiative.
The Michigan Revolution for Electrification of Vehicles Academy (MiREV) will prepare talent for emerging jobs. The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) is looking to partner with three to five organizations for a total investment of up to $5 million through a competitive request for proposal process (RFP).
“By using an employer-led collaborative approach, we can effectively respond to the specific knowledge and skill demands of the automotive mobility and electrification industry,” LEO Director Susan Corbin said in a statement. “MiREV will deliver a measurable return on investment for both employers and learners.”
LEO’s Office of Employment and Training and the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification released a RFP seeking to identify one or more companies that can lead this statewide initiative, with applications due November 8. More details are here.
“By working collaboratively across both the public and private sector we can continue to encourage EV adoption, enable our workforce and build our manufacturing core all while working to meet our goals to be carbon neutral in Michigan by 2025,” Trevor Pawl, Chief Mobility Officer at the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification, said in a statement.
MDOT hasn’t responded to a request for comment on whether all taxpayers will pay for EV infrastructure that most Michiganders don’t currently use. The Secretary of State’s office counts 5.8 million gas vehicles, and 13,545 EVs, and 105,651 hybrid vehicles registered in the state.
The plan aims to calm “range anxiety” since batteries provide less range and fewer “refueling” options than gas engines. Despite the state promoting EVs, as of Nov. 2020, Michigan ranked 14th-to-last in the nation for the number of EV chargers per 100,000 people.
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