Introduction
A review from my last big road trip of 2022 where I traveled north and then west.
Business/Location Name | Citgo – Howard City |
Address | 1325 Ensley St, Howard City, MI |
Network | ChargePoint |
Station Details | 2 Stations (62.5kW/125kW linked) |
Cost | $0.25 per minute |
The Citgo – Howard City ChargePoint station was the 7th stop on my trip heading north. (This station opened in January 2021). Note there are many different addresses for this site (1105, 1324, 1104), but it is collocated with the Citgo gas station so I recommend using this when navigating to this site.
Accessibility
This Howard City Citgo site is located off US-131 at exit 118. Head east on M-82 and once in Howard City turn right and head south on Ensley St/Federal Rd. Located more than 3 miles off the highway this is not a quick on off stop. The actual charging units are easy to find in the northwest corner closest to the intersection. The EVSE placement does not allow for pull-through parking; a trailer might work but might also block traffic at the gas station.
Amenities
Dining options include: None
Shopping options include: There is a small grocery store at this gas station
Car-related services (windshield cleaning, air): Citgo gas station at this location.
Concentration
This is the standard double station layout for ChargePoint. This station is 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.
Location
On the US-131 corridor north from Grand Rapids, this site is well positioned as a road trip rest stop. From this stop, Cadillac, MI is about 100 miles north along US-131, Kalamazoo is about 60 miles south along US-131. Lansing is about 70 miles to the east, and I-96 ends in Muskegon about 40 miles to the west.
Speed
ChargePoint is offering a middle of the pack solution targeted for the early adoption phase. These units can output 125kW or 200A. When not paired, or when both are in use the current limit is 62.5kW or 150A. While this does not match the most powerful units on the market, it will support reasonably fast charging for one vehicle.
Summary
This was a long trip, 7 site reviews in one day is a lot. Since I was running behind schedule I didn’t get the normal arrival pictures for the last leg travels. Per minute costs, far off the highway, and not much else around; this site does not get my personal stamp of approval, and I will not plan to stop here again unless I really need to charge.
What I paid for this stop:
Total Cost: $1.24
Total kWh: 5.32 kWh
Time: 5 minutes
Average Charge Speed: 63.84 kW (calculated)
Cost per kWh: $0.23 (calculated)
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