Sams Club - Portage, MI

 Introduction

A review from my road trip to visit all the Electrify America (EA) sites in Michigan

Business/Location Name	Sams Club - Portage
Address	7021 Westnedge Portage, MI
Network	Electrify America
Station Details	6 Stations (2 - 350 kW, 4 - 150 kW)
Cost	$0.31 per kWh

The Sams Club Portage EA station was the 6^th stop on my lap around Michigan.  This site is at I-94 exit 76.

 

Accessibility

I-94 exit 76 onto Westnedge Ave, south from the highway.  South past the intersection with Romence Rd.  The chargers are in the Sams Club parking lot behind the Texas Roadhouse.  The longer distance from the highway and the high traffic of Westnedge Ave, make this an inconvenient stop when road tripping, as it takes too much time to get from and to the highway.

 

Amenities

Dining options include: Texas Roadhouse, Round Bread Sandwich Company, Thai Cafe, McDonalds, Sonic

Shopping options include: Sams Club, Best Buy and Target

Nearby there is a Shell gas station, and a Sams Club gas station for some car-related services (windshield cleaning, air).

 

Concentration

This is a larger 6-station layout for EA.  These stations are a different diagonal island layout that allow pull-through parking.  Side fender charge port cars will find an easier time connecting than those with front mount ports.  The diagonal parking caused me some issues on my first visit, but I quickly figured out the angle and spacing for the easiest connection to the vehicle.

 

Location

This site is positioned along the I-94 corridor enabling east/west travel.  The distance to the next stop to the east on I-94 is 110 miles in Ypsilanti.  The distance to the next stop to the west is about 150 miles to Orland Park, IL or Evergreen Park, IL.  From here, you can also head north along US-131 and get to the Cadillac location in 150 miles.  To the south, it’s over 200 miles to the next site in Indianapolis.

 

Speed

Electrify America has the fastest chargers available today.  The site supports both 350kW and 150kW stations and seems well-equipped to handle the current number of electric cars on the road, as well as the anticipated future growth.

 

Summary

This is the second time I’ve been to this location and both times, the traffic on Westnedge Ave has been terrible.  The station is difficult to find as you can’t see anything from the main road with the chargers hidden behind the Texas Roadhouse.  There are 2 chargers set up in a diagonal pull-in only configuration and then 4 chargers in a row that support the pull-through possibility.  I arrived with 25% battery and 62 miles range and left with 60% battery and 160 miles range.  I added 35% and 98 miles in 24 minutes.

 

What I paid for this stop:

Total Cost: $8.54

Total kWh: 26kWh

Time: 24 minutes

Average Charge Speed: 65 kW (Calculated)

Cost per kWh: $0.31

 

Total Score (Max 44)	Score	Accessibility	Amenities	Usability
30	B	3	6	21