Roan & Black – Saugatuck #2

Introduction

This is a site review from my trip to cover updates to the I-94 east/west corridor and beyond.  Site visits on November 8, 2024.

Business/Location Name	Roan & Black Art Gallery
Address	3315 Blue Star Hwy, Saugatuck, MI 49453
Network	Red E Charge
Station Details	One 180kW Dual Port EVSE
Cost	$0.49/kWh + $0.30 Session fee

The Roan & Black Art Gallery in Suagatuck, MI station was the 7th charging stop on my trip to check out added charging options along the I-94 corridor and beyond. I have stopped at this location before; in June 2022, I was here reviewing the ChargePoint units.  Since that time they also added this Red E Charge unit.  (This station opened in June 2023).  

Accessibility

This station is 2.1 miles from I-196 at exit 41, directly on the Blue Star Highway.  It is located less than 2 miles from downtown Saugatuck and Oval Beach.  The expansion of the charging options makes this stop easy to find.  The spots are marked for EV charging only.  No pull thru options here for anyone pulling a trailer.

Amenities

Very limited amenities at this site.

Dining options include: Pennyroyal Café and Provisions

Shopping options include: Roan & Black Art Gallery

Car-related services (windshield cleaning, air):  None

Concentration

This is a single Red E Charge Zerova DC 180kW unit capable of outputting power to both connectors at the same time.  This station is the pull/back into configuration, easy charging with Elektra’s front port location or when backing in with Voltron to charge.  This is a good destination site for charging at this destination area location.  Combined with the two ChargePoint units and 4 cars could charge at this site at one time.

Location

Near to the tourist destination of Saugatuck, MI, this is more of a destination charging location than a travel corridor location.  I can support travel along I-196, but now there are better options closer to the highway.  The art gallery and the café provide nice distractions to pass the time while charging.

50 Mile Radius:

150 to 200 Mile Range Estimate:

Speed

This Zerova DS 180 is a step up from the ChargePoint CPE 250 units populated for destination charging. The rated 180kW is achieved by using the air-cooled cables that can do up to 300A.  This will likely limit lower voltage vehicles to max charge rate near 120kW.  Higher voltage vehicles should be able to take advantage of the output power from these units.  The onsite 300 kVA transformer should be able to support the CPE 250 units (125kW) and this Zerova unit (180kW), but just barely.

Summary

Clearly, this site has seen enough fast charging traffic for them to invest in adding more charging, which is a very good sign.  Of note in addition to the new Red E Charge units the ChargePoint units have be retrofitted with J3400 cables to be able to plug directly into a Tesla without an adaptor.  This does mean unfortunately, no more charge support for ChaDeMo vehicles in the area.

What I paid for this stop: (I did not charge at this site)

Total Cost: 

Total kWh: 

Time: 

Average Charge Speed: 

Cost per kWh: 

Total Score (Max 44)	Score	Accessibility	Amenities	Usability
16	D	4	2	10

Questions or Comments:

dantheevman@gmail.com

Weathervane Mall – Douglas

Introduction

This is a site review from my trip to cover updates to the I-94 east/west corridor.  Site visits on November 8, 2024.

Business/Location Name	Weathervane Mall
Address	10 Blue Star Hwy, Douglas, MI 49406
Network	Red E Charge
Station Details	One 160kW Dual Port EVSE
Cost	$0.50/kWh + $0.50 Session fee

The Weathervane Mall in Douglas, MI station was the 6th charging stop on my trip to check out added charging options along the I-94 corridor. Having charged up at the previous stop, my time here was for only a site review.  This site is 1.4 miles from I-196 and first of 3 sites within a couple of miles.  (This station opened in December 2023).  

Accessibility

This station in the front parking lot of this small strip mall, closest to the road.  This site is 1.4 miles from I-196 directly on the Blue Star Highway.  The spots are marked for EV charging only.  No pull thru options here for anyone pulling a trailer.

Amenities

Very limited amenities at this site.

Dining options include: The Farmhouse Deli & Pantry, Vicki’s Diner

Shopping options include: None

Car-related services (windshield cleaning, air):  None

Concentration

This is a single Red E Charge Autel MaxiCharger capable of outputting power to both connectors at the same time.  This station is the pull/back into configuration, easy charging with Elektra’s front port location or when backing in with Voltron to charge.  This is a good destination site for charging at this destination area location.

Location

I am happy to see that the Detroit based Red E Charge continues to invest in charging throughout the state.  This site supports the west site of MI in the Douglas area.  At about 195 miles to Detroit and 145 miles to Chicago, this offers a coastal stop.  Key in that this site is 45 miles from Grand Rapids.

50 Mile Radius:

150 to 200 Mile Range Estimate:

Speed

This Autel MaxiCharger is a step up from the ChargePoint CPE 250 units populated for destination charging. The rated 160kW is achieved by using the air-cooled cables in boost mode to provide up to 400 A for short periods of time to match the charging curves of many vehicles.  Higher voltage vehicles should be able to take advantage of the output power from these units.  The onsite 150 kVA transformer is undersized for the reported 160kW power output.

    

Summary

Built for expansion, it is good to see electric vehicle mobility supported by continually expanding infrastructure.  This site is on par with many of the other Red E Charge sites I reviewed this year.

What I paid for this stop: (I did not charge at this site)

Total Cost: 

Total kWh: 

Time: 

Average Charge Speed: 

Cost per kWh: 

Total Score (Max 44)	Score	Accessibility	Amenities	Usability
16	D	4	2	10

Questions or Comments:

dantheevman@gmail.com

Meijer – Benton Harbor

Introduction

This is a site review from my trip to cover updates to the I-94 east/west corridor.  Site visits on November 8, 2024.

Business/Location Name	Meijer
Address	1920 Pipestone Rd, Benton Harbor, MI 49022
Network	Electrify America
Station Details	6 Stations (350kW shared power)
Cost	$0.56/kWh

I visited the Benton Harbor Meijer location as part of my trip to cover newly added charging infrastructure along I-94.  This was the 5th charging site review stop on my trip.  This Electrify America(EA) is one of 4 sites added since my original 2021 lap of Michigan.  The other 3 new sites were added: two in the Grand Rapids area, one of which I have reviewed previously and the other site I have not yet visited and one in Livonia, MI with a review coming soon.  (This station opened in September 2024). 

Accessibility

This site on I-94 at exit 29 is at the edge of the large parking lot, directly in line with the Tesla Superchargers.  Just 0.7 miles from the highway, still it seems like a lot driving around the parking lot.  The units themselves are on the northwest corner of the parking lot.  I could not easily see the chargers from the main road and even from the middle of the front of the store they were difficult to find.  There is no pass thru or trailer friendly parking here.

Amenities

Dining options: Wings Etc, Biggby Coffee, Joanna La Michoacana Taqueria, 

Shopping options: Meijer, Aldi (across the street)

Car-related services (windshield cleaning, air): Meijer Gas Station at the other end of the parking lot

Concentration

This is the latest standard 6 station layout for EA.  These new sites share power with each set of 2 units sharing power from one cabinet. Each unit is capable of 350kW output with a single cable.  The parking is pull in, with no pull through parking.  The longer cables on this latest generation hardware removes most concerns about cables reaching charge ports.  There is a benefit that there are 6 units, but power sharing can limit speeds if multiple cars are plugged in at the same time.  This strategy matches how Tesla builds out the Superchargers.

Location

This site is on I-94 about halfway between Kalamazoo and the Indiana border.  This site fills in I-94 that had a gap from the new Michigan City site to the Portage site.  Neither of these Electrify America locations were available when I brought Elektra home 3 years ago.  Both would have made that trip much easier.

50 Mile Radius:

150 to 200 Mile Range Estimate:

Speed

Electrify America has chargers that support the fastest speeds available today.  This site is set up with Gen 4 BTC Power units that are all listed as 350kW.  These newest units support power sharing, so the 350kW is shared among 2 stalls.  With 3 sets capable of the maximum output there is plenty of power to support charging at this site.  One 1000kVA transformer provides plenty of power to the site.  (Units made: Feb. 2024)

Summary

When I arrived, there was a Mach-E, Polestar 2, Ariya and i4 all charging, indicating that this site is plenty popular.  Also at this location is a 12-stall version 3 Supercharger.  These 12 stalls are powered by the same size 1000kVA transformer so even if there are more stalls the total power output from the 2 providers are the same.  If 12 Teslas were all plugged in at the same time (unlikely) the site would have to limit the maximum power to each.  Overall, a great charging location for everyone to charge.

What I paid for this stop (I didn’t charge, just stopped for the review):

Total Cost: $0

Total kWh: 0 kWh

Time: 0 minutes

Average Charge Speed: 0 kW

Cost per kWh: $0.56

Total Score (Max 44)	Score	Accessibility	Amenities	Usability
27	B	3	3	21

Questions or Comments:

dantheevman@gmail.com