Napa Valley Beverage Co - Sterling Heights

Introduction

In the past I have done dedicated trips to review individual networks in the area.  For this trip I combined stops at many new or significantly upgraded sites.  This stop is like a local review of the same provider at Hampton Inn.  Site reviews from July 7, 2026

Napa Valley Beverage Co 

35030 Mound Rd, Sterling Heights, MI 48310 

EV Charging LLC (EVGateway)

4 Stalls (2 dispensers with 2 ports; each dispenser rated for 240kW)

$0.45 per kWh

This small store at the corner of a busy intersection is also trying to cram in EV charging.  I stopped by to see if the hardware and site layout here was any different than my previous review of a EV Charging LLC site. (Site opened in March 2026).  

Accessibility

The Napa Valley Beverage Co is at the intersection of Mound Rd and 15 Mile Rd.  The site is on the eastern edge of the parking lot, most easily accessed from 15 Mile Rd.  M-53 is one mile to the east and I-75 is 4.5 miles away.  Not well placed for long distance travel support.  Four ports, each dispenser having one CCS and one J3400/NACS cable.  No signage for usage of these parking spots in any accessible way, with both credit card readers mounted above a standard accessible height.  No stall designed for pull thru parking.

Amenities

Dining options include: Burger King, Johnny’s Coney Island

Shopping options include: None

Car-related services (windshield cleaning, air): BP across 15 Mile

Concentration

Four ports across two dispensers.  Each dispenser seems to be able to output 240kW, however the right-side unit was not well marked.  That 240kW of power does seem to be able to split, again no clear indication of exactly at what power level this splitting is supported.

Location

While this is a destination charge point designed to support those who live locally with no at home charging, it can be used for some travel.  To the north Flint is 55 miles away, to the west Lansing is 100 miles, and to the south Toledo, OH is 80 miles.

50 Mile Loop:

150 Mile Range Estimate:

Speed

Searching based on the name plate, this unit seems to be made by Chinese company Teison; their DC Pro series.  From the name plate available this unit can output up to 350A per port. I am not sure if the right unit is paired or separate from the left unit, as it seems to be from a different manufacture.  At this site there is a 300kVA transformer, hopefully these units have been configured to split the power and manage this input power limitation.

Both units use different cables and connectors.  The left uses Sinbon and the right uses Amphenol.  In all cases all the cables/connectors appear to be rated at 350A.

Summary

Seeing this site changes my feelings on the previous site of this type.  Apparently, the cable management on these units doesn’t prevent the cables from laying on the ground, or the installers haven’t figured out how to enable this.  To this end, they have opted to just place a mat for the cables to lay on and get dirty.  I am sure that dirt will quickly get on anyone trying to maneuver thick and heavy air-cooled cables, not to mention snow and ice in the winter time.  At least while I was there the parking lot was quite busy and not a lot of room to turn around for various charge port locations.

I did not charge at this location.

What I paid for this stop:

Total Cost: 

Total kWh: 

Time: 

Average Charge Speed: 

Cost per kWh: 

Total Score (Max 44)	Score	Accessibility	Amenities	Usability
18	D	3	2	13

Alternatives:

Meijer - 29555 Mound Rd, Warren, MI 48092 - $0.61/kWh – 350kW x 12 (EVgo)

Oakland Plaza - 272 John R Rd, Troy, MI 48083 - $0.60/kWh – 350kW x 10 (Electrify America)

Questions or Comments:

dantheevman@gmail.com

Troy Marketplace - Troy

Introduction

I took a trip to visit several local charging sites that I haven’t had a chance to review in the past couple of years. Winding my way across some newer sites in the metro Detroit area. I had the opportunity to visit this newly opened Rivian Adventure Network (RAN) site.  Site visit was conducted on July 7, 2026.

Troy Marketplace

780 E Big Beaver Rd, Troy, MI 48083

Rivian Adventure Network

8 Stalls (4 sets of 2 dispensers, each share 300kW; total 1200kW site power)

$0.51 per kWh, $0.43 per kWh for Rivian vehicles 

The Troy Marketplace station was the only new RAN site since my previous trip to cover all the RAN locations in MI. This is also the first RAN site in MI that has J3400/NACS plugs, and only these. (This station opened in June 2026).  

Accessibility

The Troy Marketplace site is in the parking lot of the strip mall.  The site is 0.4 miles from I-75 at exit 67.  North from the exit and on the southwest corner of Rochester Rd and Big Beaver Rd.    Eight stalls in 4 spots on either side of the perpendicular parking.  The 4 middle spots are mostly blocked from being pull-through by a light pole in the middle of the parking spots.  The two rows on the end, covering 4 parking spots, do allow for some pull-through.  This busy shopping center parking lot would not be my first choice to bring a trailer.  The spot on one end is larger and clearly marked as the accessible charging stall.

Amenities

Dining options include: Mission BBQ, Burger King, First Watch, Nothing Bundt Cakes, Poke Poke, Beyond Juicery, Olga’s Fresh

Shopping options include: Men’s Wearhouse, J. Crew Factory, Nordstrom Rack, REI, PetSmart, Bath & Body Works

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

Concentration

As the Rivian Adventure Network has expanded, they have moved to larger sites.  While all the other sites in MI are 6 stall sites with 2 power cabinets each splitting power across 3 dispensers; at this newer site we have 8 stalls with 4 power cabinets each splitter power across only 2 dispensers.  This means more consistent high-power delivery even when the station is busy.

Location

This site supports metro Detroit and the I-75 travel corridor.  Quite a popular location for charging in Michigan.  Connecting major cities including Grand Rapids – 160 miles WNW, Grayling – 190 miles N, and Toledo – 75 miles S.

50 Mile Loop:

150 Mile Range Estimate:

Speed

Rivian has evolved the site design making for a more consistent power delivery experience.  There are eight dispensers that are configured in pairs(A/B).  Each power cabinet can then split power between two linked dispensers.  Each set shares a combined 300kW output.  The dispensers have liquid cooled cables with NACS/J3400 connectors supporting 600A, while the dispensers are still rated at a maximum of 500A.  Unless the site is full, most vehicles on the market today are going to arrive and get all the power they can request.  At this site the transformer is slightly oversized at 1500 kVA and would allow all 4 power cabinets to be delivering 300kW at the same time.

Summary

The Rivian Adventure Network continues to expand and evolve.  I found it interesting that even though most of the Rivian vehicles on the road today are CCS this site was installed with no CCS connectors.  I expect that this site can be used by local mall visitors, but there are lots of options in this area.  

(Charging cables are rated for 600A)

(Reasonable rates for Rivian and non-Rivian users)

(Current Rivian R1S using the J3400 to CCS adaptor since there are no native CCS cables at this location)

I did not charge at this location due to the short distances of each stop on this trip.

What I paid for this stop:

Total Cost: 

Total kWh: 

Time: 

Average Charge Speed: 

Cost per kWh: 

Total Score (Max 44)	Score	Accessibility	Amenities	Usability
35	A	4	6	25

Alternatives:

BP/Concord Market - 32751 Concord Dr, Madison Heights, MI 48071 - $0.50/kWh(+$0.50) - 240kW x 4 (Red E)

Arcturus – 3150 Livernois Rd, Troy, MI 48083 - $0.40/kWh(+$0.49) – 62.5kW x 2 (ChargePoint)

Questions or Comments:

dantheevman@gmail.com

BP - Southfield

Introduction

I took a trip to visit several local charging sites that I haven’t had a chance to review in the past couple of years. Winding my way across some newer sites in the metro Detroit area. Site visit was conducted on July 7, 2026.

BP

28995 Telegraph Rd, Southfield, MI 48034

Red E Charge

8 Stalls (6 CCS and 2 NACS/J3400; 4 – 240kW dispensers)

$0.49 per kWh

The BP – Southfield station was the 2nd charging stop on this trip.  This site is on the southwest corner of 12 Mile Rd and Telegraph Rd, on the south side of the gas station/convenience store.  The dispensers are on the edge of the parking lot closest to the Jax Kar Wash.  (Site opened in February 2024).  

Accessibility

The BP site is an intersection corner location with the EVSE arranged all in one row.  Based on exit routings this is between exit 8 and exit 10 on I696.  Coming from the east 2.4 miles from exit 10.  Coming from the west 2.5 miles from exit 8.  In parallel, one can use exit 18 from M-10.  North of the highway along Telegraph Rd (M-24).  There are two dedicated CCS units in the middle with the end units split NACS/J3400 and CCS (the NACS plugs are on the side that makes the most sense for Tesla vehicles and the normal back in parking.  No dedicated accessible parking location with all dispensers up on the curb.  Pulling a trailer through this parking lot would be a challenge with no easy way to interact with the charger.

Amenities

Dining options include: Chinatown Express, Star Deli, Bar 7 & Grill, Five Guys, Potbelly, Taco Bell, Panera Bread

Shopping options include: Meijer, Lowe’s

Car-related services (windshield cleaning, air): BP gas station

Concentration

This site has 4 dispensers and 8 total ports.  Seeing 8 cars charged here all at the same time would be quite interesting.

Location

This site is close to I-696 and thus is available to support any vehicles traveling this corridor that need a high-power charge.  This location can support travels to Port Huron, Lansing, and the Detroit Metro area.  This site provides a nice mix between supporting high power charging for those travelling and ports to support locals that may not have access to home charging.  The site is also relatively close to local amenities making it a productive location to stop.

50 Mile Loop:

150 Mile Range Estimate:

Speed

The Autel MaxiCharger units used here can go up to 240kW.  The power can be split and dispensed in 80kW increments.  Cables are 300A nominal with a boost to 400A, enabling vehicles requiring a high charging current to achieve reasonable, but not peak speeds.  These units were made in Vietnam and have proven to be quite reliable thus far.  At this site there is a 750kVA transformer, which is less than what a full site could pull, but the likelihood of that is small and I am sure the site has smart design to limit overall draw as the limit of the transformer is reached.

Summary

Next stop on this charging site review trip was the BP gas station at the corner of 12 Mile and Telegraph.  Quite the busy intersection with lots of commuting and business traffic.  This location is one of the larger Red E Charge locations with 8 total ports.  This site makes for a good local stop to top up while in the area.  Amenities provide various food and shopping options.

I did not charge at this location on this trip.

What I paid for this stop:

Total Cost: 

Total kWh: 

Time: 

Average Charge Speed: 

Cost per kWh: 

Total Score (Max 44)	Score	Accessibility	Amenities	Usability
33	A	3	6	24

Alternatives:

Marvel Technologies – 28275 Telegraph Rd, Southfield, MI 48034 - $0.56/kWh - 350kW x 4 (EVCOH)

Chase Bank – 28660 Northwestern Hwy, Southfield, MI 48034 - $0.61/kWh ($1.00 session) – 350kW x 6 (EVgo)

Questions or Comments:

dantheevman@gmail.com

Great Lakes Crossings – Auburn Hills

Introduction

I took a trip to visit several local charging sites that I haven’t had a chance to review in the past couple of years. Winding my way across some newer sites in the metro Detroit area. I had the opportunity to visit two newly opened Electrify America sites.  Site visit was conducted on July 7, 2026.

Great Lakes Crossings – Auburn Hills

4000 Baldwin Rd, Auburn Hills, MI 48326

Electrify America (EA)

6 Stations (350kW x3, 1050kW total site power)

$0.60/kWh 10:00–22:00, $0.40/kWh 22:00–10:00 

I visited the Great Lakes Crossings EA station as part of my travels.  This site adds EA stalls to this large mall property on top of the existing 4 ports available from EVgo.  Even at close to midday on a Tuesday, this site was seeing consistently usage with 2 stalls in use.  (This station opened in December 2025). 

Accessibility

This site supports I-75 at exit 84. The units are situated at the far edge of the parking lot from the mall, at least a 3-minute walk to the nearest entrance.  0.6 miles from the highway with multiple entrance to the mall parking lot options.  The units themselves stand out as there is nothing else in this part of the parking lot.  Since the address is generic for the mall it helps to know the chargers are in the southwesterly corner.  There is no pass thru or trailer friendly parking here.

Amenities

Dining options: McDonald’s, Dos Amigos Cantina, Chili’s, Cuppicino, mall food court

Shopping options: 2nd & Charles, Dollar Tree, all available mall stores

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

Concentration

This is the latest standard 6 station layout for EA.  These new sites power-share with each set of 2 units sharing power from one cabinet. Each cabinet is capable of 350kW output with dispensers having a single cable.  The parking is pull in with the long cables easily reaching most port locations.  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 supports I-75 at the far northwestern edges of Detroit.  From here: Flint is just 35 miles north, Port Huron is 65 miles northeast, Lansing is 90 miles west and Toledo is 95 miles south.

50 Mile Loop:

150 Mile Estimated Coverage:

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 2 sets capable of the maximum output there is plenty of power to support charging at this site.  The 1000kVA transformer provides all but absolute peak site power demands.  (Units made in the Philippines: March 2025)

Summary

I found it interesting that Electrify America would add charging at a location that already has high powered charging.  The EVgo stalls at this mall are down the way and much closer to the entrance of the building.  The EVgo units are also in a much higher traffic area that makes parking, especially if you must back into the spots, more difficult.  Additionally, the Delta units at this location have tended on the less reliable side.  The usage clearly indicates that the demand was more than the 4 EVgo spots were able to supply.  Great to see the charging offerings continue to follow the demand.

(A long walk to anything from this charging location)

I did not charge at this location due to the short distances of each stop on this trip.

What I paid for this stop:

Total Cost: 

Total kWh: 

Time: 

Average Charge Speed: 

Cost per kWh: 

Total Score (Max 44)	Score	Accessibility	Amenities	Usability
31	B	4	6	21

Alternatives:

Great Lakes Shopping Center - 4000 Baldwin Rd, Auburn Hills, MI 48326 - $0.61/kWh max (TOU) - 350kW x 2; 100kW x 2 (EVgo)

The Auburn Mile Shopping Center - 850 Brown Rd, Auburn Hills, MI 48326 - $1.00 + $0.32/min – 50kW x 2 (Jule)

Questions or Comments:

dantheevman@gmail.com