The Adventures of Elektra, and Voltron: EVs in Michigan: Roundtree Place

Introduction

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

Business/Location Name	Roundtree Place
Address	2539 Ellsworth Rd Ypsilanti, MI
Network	Electrify America
Station Details	6 Stations (2 - 350 kW, 4 - 150 kW)
Cost	$0.31 per kWh

The Roundtree Place EA station was the 7th and next to last stop on my lap around Michigan. This site is at I-94 exit 181, 0.8 miles north of the highway.

Updated to the latest Electrify America Hardware (02/2023)

Accessibility

I-94 exit 181 onto Michigan Ave, northeast from the highway. Turn left onto Hewitt Rd and then left again onto Ellsworth Rd. The site is in the middle of the parking lot for the Roundtree Place, a rather disappointing little strip mall. Less than a mile from the highway, this site offers easy access while road tripping.

Amenities

Dining options include: Popeyes, Taco Bell, Chicken Shack, Koney Island, Blazin’ Burgers, Macheko, Dunkin’, Hong Kong Chinese Food, Wendy’s

Shopping options include: Ollie’s, Big Lots, Harbor Freight

There aren’t any close options for your standard car-related services (windshield cleaning, air).

Concentration

This is a denser 6-station layout for EA. These are in the pull-beside layout, which is easier for cars that have the charging port on the side fender, but more difficult for those with the charging port in the front. From the picture you can see it was easiest for me to connect Elektra to a unit with the screen away from the car.

Location

This site is well positioned to support the I-94 corridor. It’s towards the east, 52 miles to the next EA station along I-94 in Roseville, MI and to the west, 110 miles to the next stop along I-94 in Portage, MI. To the north, the Bay City, MI stop is just 120 miles away. 192 miles south is a stop in Dayton, OH.

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

Having seen almost no other cars charging, I was surprised encountering 2 vehicles at this stop. When I arrived, I was shocked to find another Kia Niro EV! The friendly driver purchased the 2021 Kia Niro EV new in May of 2021 and had already put nearly 21,000 miles on the car.

We discussed the local charging infrastructure and some of the more secret free charging locations. While we were talking, a Nissan Leaf pulled in. With what looked to be a new owner, myself and the other Niro owner helped get the new electric car connected and educated the driver on some of the basics of EV ownership. I arrived with 18% battery, 42 miles range, and 25 minutes later left with 55% battery, 150 miles range which was way more than what I needed to get to the final stop.