Admiral - Monroe

Introduction

I happened to be on the southern stretch of I-75 and decided to make a couple of stops for charging site reviews.  Site visit was conducted on June 27, 2026.

Admiral

747 S Telegraph Rd, Monroe, MI 48161 

Red E Charge

2 Stalls (1 CCS and 1 J3400; split 360kW site power)

$0.50 per kWh

The Admiral – Monroe station was the 2nd charging stop on this trip.  I elected to stop and charge here instead of the nearby Tesla location because it should be faster and cheaper.  This small gas station is soon to undergo major renovation with the EVSE potentially being moved and unavailable as part of the process.  (Site opened in December 2025).  

Accessibility

The Admiral site is an intersection corner location with the EVSE furthest from the major road.  The site is 3.1 miles from I-75 at exit 13.  West of the highway along slow speed city streets brings you to Telegraph Rd (M-24).  South a bit at the intersection with 7th St.  This single unit has one CCS and J3400/NACS that can be used at the same time.  No dedicated accessible parking location.  Pulling a trailer through this parking lot would be a challenge with no easy way to interact with the charger.

Amenities

Dining options include: Don Larson’s Bar

Shopping options include: Auto Value, Finishers Unlimited

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

Concentration

This is a single dispenser with one CCS port and one J3400/NACS port.  Both can be used at the same time and the power will split.  Angled parking would mean getting both vehicles positioned to connect easily would be challenging.

Location

This site supports I-75.  Along this highway to the north are Detroit at 40 miles, and Flint at 100 miles.  To the south are Toledo at 25 miles, and Dayton, OH at 180 miles.

50 Mile Loop:

150 Mile Range Estimate:

Speed

The Autel MaxiCharger DH480 unit used here can go up to 480kW.  The power can be split and dispensed in 80kW increments.  This unit was capped at 360kW total power.  Cables are 400A nominal with a boost to 500A, enabling even 400V architecture vehicles to get their best speeds.  At this site there is a 300kVA transformer, which means they are depending on the transformer to be able to oversupply to reach the peak power levels.

(150kW at 60% is average charging speed in the Ioniq 6)

Summary

This site is quite off the beaten path, and I would not recommend using it while on a road trip.  This site is more of a local community support or opportunity charge location.  In addition to the not great location, the amenities are not great either.  Maybe with a gas station facility remodel this will become a more pleasant stop.  The real highlight of this stop was the chance to use the ‘new to me’ Autel DH480.  The implemented screens on this model are great and a step up from the already good MaxiCharger screens.  They have now added the available current/power to show what the car is asking for, with the onscreen notes that power delivery is in this case limited by the car.  The screen updated as the unit did the normal bring up the first 80kW unit and then bring more power as requested.  During my session there remained 270kW available to the NACS connector.

What I paid for this stop:

Total Cost: $10.30 = $9.72+$0.58 tax

Total kWh: 21.61 kWh

Time: 10.2 minutes

Average Charge Speed: 127 kW

Cost per kWh: $0.45

Total Score (Max 44)	Score	Accessibility	Amenities	Usability
15	D	3	2	10

Alternatives:

Burger King - 1975 Welcome Way, Monroe, MI 48162 - $0.57/kWh – 325kW x 12 (Tesla)

BP – 8733 Swan Creek Rd, Newport, MI 48166 - $0.45/kWh + $1 – 160kW x 4

(Red E)

Questions or Comments:

dantheevman@gmail.com

Burger King - Monroe

Introduction

Follow up visit to a Michigan Tesla Supercharger site open to non-Telsa vehicles missed in the last trip.  Site visit on June 27, 2026.

Burger King

1975 Welcome Way, Monroe, MI 48162

Tesla

12 Stalls (3 sets of 4 dispensers, total 750 kW site power)

$0.57 per kWh, $0.41 per kWh for membership

The Burger King in Monroe was the 1st charging stop on my trip to check off some sites that I missed on my first big road trip.  This medium sized site with 12 dispensers using the newer V4 dispensers.  This site is also the newest Supercharger location in MI, until the new DTW airport location opens.  (This station opened in November 2025).  

Accessibility

This Burger King site takes up the entire eastern edge of the parking lot.  The site is 0.3 miles from I-75 at exit 15.  Just east of the highway, along Dixie Highway.  The stalls are arranged along the outer edge of the parking lot.  The dispensers are all in a row which doesn’t leave good parking option for those needing to charge while trailering.  The stall furthest from the entrance is the dedicated accessible stall.  Most spots will be clear anytime, but the ones on the end might have trouble with drive thru traffic if the business is busy.

Amenities

Dining options include: Burger King, Angelo’s Chop House

Shopping options include: None

Car-related services (windshield cleaning, air): Citgo gas station across the street

There are plenty of hotels in the area.

Concentration

This is medium 12 stall V4 location.  The dispensers are arranged along the outer edge of the parking lot.  The power cabinets are placed directly behind the dispensers.  The 12 stalls are from 2025 and are prefab style installation.  The longer V4 cables support more model types, but no magic dock here; bring your own adapter.  The positioning of this site in the parking lot leaves lots of room to maneuver to connect.

Location

This site supports I-75.  Along this highway to the north are Detroit at 40 miles, and Flint at 100 miles.  To the south are Toledo at 25 miles, and Dayton, OH at 180 miles.

50 Mile Loop:

150 Mile Range Estimate:

Speed

The currently installed V3 power cabinets can produce up to 500V and 600A.  The power cabinets are connected by the high voltage DC bus, and thus can share power amongst all the dispensers.  Of course, this 500V limitation reduces the peak charging speeds for some 800V architecture vehicles, but the 600A output works well for lower voltage higher amperage vehicles.  Transformer power for the site is a full 1000kVA, just enough power for 3 power cabinets that can peek at 325kW each.

Summary

I thought this was going to be one of only two Tesla sites I have visited and had no cars charging, however, just as I was leaving a Tesla did pull up and start charging.  I did not charge this time at this location as I had planned to charge at another location nearby that was cheaper.  The overall vibe of this location is very sparse with few amenities beside the 2 close restaurants.  I guess some of the nearby hotels would be walkable if you needed an after-hours stop, but none of those routes would be well lit for walking.

What I paid for this stop:

I couldn’t charge here.

Total Cost: -

Total kWh: -

Time: -

Average Charge Speed: -

Cost per kWh: -

Total Score (Max 44)	Score	Accessibility	Amenities	Usability
31	B	5	1	25

Alternatives:

Admiral – 747 S Telegraph Rd, Monroe, MI 48161 - $0.45/kWh – 360kW x 2

(Red E)

BP – 8733 Swan Creek Rd, Newport, MI 48166 - $0.45/kWh + $1 – 160kW x 4

(Red E)

Questions or Comments:

dantheevman@gmail.com

Hampton Inn - Commerce Township

Introduction

A new DC Fast Charging site opened near to me.  I was curious what this new site brought as far as charging hardware.  Site visit was conducted on May 31, 2026.

Hampton Inn

169 Loop Rd, Commerce Township, MI 48390

EV Charging LLC (EVGateway)

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

$0.45 per kWh

Visiting the Hampton Inn – Commerce Township station was the purpose of the trip.  A new site with completely new hardware deserved an investigation. (Site opened in May 2026).  

Accessibility

The Hampton Inn location is in the back corner of the hotel parking lot.  The site is 0.4 miles from M-5, the major north/south route in this area.  East on 14 Mile Rd and then north on Loop Rd brings you to the front of the Hampton Inn.  The chargers are in the southwest corner of the parking lot.  Four ports, each dispenser having one CCS and one J3400/NACS cable.  No signage for usage of these parking spots.  No stall designed for pull thru parking.

Amenities

Dining options include: Wendy’s, GOAT Indian Grill, Spicy Bangkok, Leo’s Coney Island, Jimmy John’s, Domino’s Pizza

Shopping options include: None

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

(The parking lots are connected, but it is not well marked)

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 definitely a destination charge point designed to offer amenity to the hotel guest, it can be used for some travel.  To the north Flint is 50 miles away, to the west Lansing is 70 miles, and to the south Toledo, OH is 70 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 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.

(150kW at 47% is not great charging speed in the Ioniq 6)

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

On this visit it was clear to me that the site was not quite yet complete.  The cable management was not installed or adjusted correctly.  Some of the cables still had shipping wrapping on them.  There was still some ground under repair.  That said these units didn’t appear to be especially robust and I wonder how long they will remain operational.  At this point any charging is good charging, but I worry that sites like this if not well maintained. There is a similar layout site in Sterling Heights with the same equipment.  After a brief struggle to figure out the sequence to pay by credit card, the charging did start and power was delivered as expected during the session.  In a test of the support system, I called the support number provided but was unable to connect to anyone to get help.

What I paid for this stop:

Total Cost: $13.65

Total kWh: 30.33kWh

Time: 13.33 minutes

Average Charge Speed: 136.5kW

Cost per kWh: $0.45

(I need to go back and test charging at this site as activated from the app and on the alternative dispenser)

Total Score (Max 44)	Score	Accessibility	Amenities	Usability
21	C	4	4	13

Alternatives:

Walmart - 26090 Ingersol Dr, Novi, MI 48375 - $0.60/kWh – 350kW x 4 (Electrify America)

Chase Bank - 33200 W 12 Mile Rd, Farmington Hills, MI 48334 - $0.61/kWh – 350kW x 2 (EVgo)

Questions or Comments:

dantheevman@gmail.com

Briarwood Mall - Ann Arbor

Introduction

The first bp Pulse site to open in Michigan and it is a Gigahub.  Just reported as open and available in the app.  Site visit was conducted on the opening weekend: April 3, 2026.

Harvest Market

910 Briarwood Cir, Ann Arbor, MI 48108

bp Pulse

20 Stalls (10 dispensers with 2 ports; total 640kW site power)

$0.35/kWh 22:00-06:00, $0.45/kWh 06:00-14:00, $0.55/kWh 14:00-22:00

This site is listed at the Briarwood Mall in Ann Arbor; however, it really is in the parking lot of the newly opened Harvest Market adjacent to the mall. With the site newly open and bp Pulse offering $0.10/kWh spring savings I had to go and check it out.  (Site opened in April 2026).  

Check out the video of my site tour here:

Accessibility

The Harvest Market site is along the eastern edge of the parking lot, going all the way from the front of the building to the outer rim of the lot.  The site is 0.6 miles from I-94 at exit 177.  North from the exit follow State St to Briarwood Circle.  West toward the mall, follow the road counterclockwise and I recommend you turn on Harvest Market Way to easily access the chargers.  Twenty ports, 6 CCS and 14 J3400/NACS.  One charger with two stalls is signed and designated for accessible use.  No stall designed for pull-thru parking.

Amenities

Dining options include: Man vs Fries, PF Chang’s

Shopping options include: Harvest Market

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

Extra note:  There is plenty of lighting and there is also an open wi-fi available for use.

Concentration

With 20 total stalls, this qualifies as the largest single CPO site I have visited.  The strong balance toward J3400 ports points to a forward-looking intent with most new cars now being sold with this connector.  The gap between the 2 sets of 5 chargers does leave a little room for expansion if needed.

Location

This site supports I-94 and is close enough to potentially support US-23.  At about 45 miles to Detroit and 100 miles to Kalamazoo.  North 100 miles from here along US-23 is Flint.  The area has competition with both Tesla and Electrify America having sites one exit west on I-94.

50 Mile Loop:

150 Mile Range Estimate:

Speed

Each standalone Alpitronic HYC400 is capable of 400kW total output.  In this installation, the J3400/NACS cables are limited to 380A so those units show a maximum peak output of 380kW.  The CCS units have 400A limited cables meaning only 400kW at full 1000V.  At this site there is a 3000kVA transformer, slightly oversubscribed if the site is fully utilized.

Summary

On this visit, I saw plenty of other electric vehicles driving by, but no one else stopped to charge.  I had some initial difficulty with the app as the stall I first pulled up to suddenly showed unavailable.  I moved over one unit and was able to plug in and get charging without issue.  My cars battery was slightly below temperature to enable peak charging speeds, but the dispenser was able to smoothly deliver all the power that was requested.  Being my first time using an Alpitronic HYC400, I was surprised by how silent the charging was.  With other charging, there is always at least a level of low hum, but that was not present during this charging session.

The pricing here is already competitive with the EA station one exit west, and I suspect that the off-peak time-of-day rates are even going to be competitive with the V2 Tesla Supercharger.  The question is, how is the general EV driver going to know this station even exists?

What I paid for this stop:

Total Cost: $13.74

Total kWh: 37.0268kWh

Time: 50.2 minutes

Average Charge Speed: 44.19kW

Cost per kWh: $0.35

[36% to 85%]

(Time of Day usage fees are in place at this location up to $0.45/kWh + 6% tax)

Total Score (Max 44)	Score	Accessibility	Amenities	Usability
34	A	4	5	25

Alternatives:

Target - 2000 W Waters Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48103 - $0.56/kWh – 350kW x 8 (Electrify America)

Meijer - 3145 Ann Arbor-Saline Rd, Ann Arbor, MI 48108 - $0.40/kWh – 50kW x 2 (ChargePoint)

Questions or Comments:

dantheevman@gmail.com