Introduction
A review from my last big road trip of 2022 where I drove north and then west.
Business/Location Name | Dean Arbour Ford - West Branch |
Address | 3382 E Michigan 55, West Branch, MI 48661 |
Network | Shell Recharge |
Station Details | 2 Stations (2 x 175kW) |
Cost | $0.25 kWh |
I typically don’t visit or review dealership location charge points, but this site seems to be completely public and the only relationship with the dealer is the location. (This station opened in April of 2022)
Accessibility
This stop is 1 mile off I-75 at exit 215 (M-55 East). The Ford dealership is 1 mile to the east of the highway. Once you enter the dealership parking lot there is good signage directing you to the back right of the parking lot. This location is not trailer friendly.
Amenities
Dining options include: None
Shopping options include: None
Car-related services (windshield cleaning, air): None
There is a Meijer directly off the highway that you pass on the way to this location, but it's not walkable from the charger so I didn't include it in the Amenities list.
Concentration
There are two charging stations here. They are the pull/back into configuration, which makes charging with Elektra’s front port location easy, but those with fender locations may need to stretch the cables to make the connections, and these are very short cables, so make sure to pull up nice and close. Unfortunately, the location in the parking lot does not allow for easy connection with a trailer.
Location
On the I-75 corridor on the north side of Grand Rapids, this site is well positioned as a road trip rest stop. This site is 170 miles from Detroit and 150 miles from Lansing, thus putting it in a comfortable range for most modern EVs with 200+ mile range. This gives drivers another 70 miles to Grayling, 124 miles to Mackinaw and 95 miles to Traverse City, allowing most trips north to be completed with a single stop.
Speed
Shell Recharge has installed two 175kW units. Even though the label shows these dispensers are capable of 500A output, based on the fact they are listed as 175kW, I did some research and found that with a single power cabinet connected they're limited to 375A. This means 400V vehicles can expect to get a max of 150kW at this location. While not the fastest units on the market, these two will provide plenty of power to anyone doing a road trip into northern Michigan.
Summary
While this site scores very low (only 18 points for a D), it is affected mostly by the total lack of amenities, which is one of the reasons I avoid vehicle dealership sites. Outside of the lack of things to do around this site, it is well positioned for the standard north or south trip along I-75. Drivers can stop earlier in Bay City and charge faster at the Electrify America location, or if drivers have the range they could stretch to Gaylord, but then they would be limited to the 50kW units there. I stayed here longer than ABRP planned but that was mostly to let the battery warm up to ensure faster future stops on the rest of the trip.
What I paid for this stop:
Total Cost: $8.10
Total kWh: 32.38 kWh
Time: 35 minutes
Average Charge Speed: 55 kW
Cost per kWh: $0.25
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