Introduction
This is a site review from my trip to cover updates to the I-94 east/west corridor. Site visits on November 8, 2024.
Business/Location Name | BP |
Address | 5195 Beckley Rd, Battle Creek, MI 49015 |
Network | Red E Charge |
Station Details | One 240kW Dual Port EVSE |
Cost | $0.45/kWh |
The BP in Battle Creek, MI station was the 2nd charging stop on my trip to check out added charging options along the I-94 corridor. Having charged up at the previous stop, my time here was for only a site review. This site is just 7 miles along I-94 from my previous stop; highlighting how the concentration of charging sites continues to get better over time. (This station opened in September 2024).
Accessibility
The BP gas station is 0.3 miles from exit 97 of I-94. This station is in the side parking lot of this gas station/convenience store. The angled parking does not line up well with the 2 connection ports of the charger. Additionally, there is not a lot of room to maneuver as the entrance from the road is opposite the charger location. The spots are marked for EV charging only. No pull thru options here for anyone pulling a trailer.
Amenities
This site does well for some close amenities.
Dining options include: Subway, Culver’s, Sakura Sushi, Qdoba, Bob Evans, Burger King, Panera Bread
Shopping options include: None
Car-related services (windshield cleaning, air): BP gas station at this location
Concentration
This is a single Red E Charge Autel MaxiCharger capable of outputting power to both connectors at the same time. This station is the pull/back into configuration, easy charging with Elektra’s front port location or when backing in with Voltron to charge. The angled parking near the entrance makes parking a little more complicated than other sites.
Location
I am happy to see that the Detroit based Red E Charge continues to invest in charging throughout the state. This site directly supports I-94. At about 120 miles to Detroit and 170 miles to Chicago, this offers another potential mid-point between those 2 cities.
50 Mile Radius:
150 to 200 Mile Range Estimate:
Speed
This Autel MaxiCharger is a step up from the ChargePoint CPE 250 units populated for destination charging. The rated 240kW is achieved by using the air-cooled cables in boost mode to provide up to 400 A for short periods of time to match the charging curves of many vehicles. Higher voltage vehicles should be able to take advantage of the output power from these units. This stop as well as others by this EVSE manufacture, you start out at a lower speed for the first minute or so, and then the unit brings additional power modules online to work up to maximum power. The onsite 500 kVA transform could support 2 of the 240kW units if demand warrants.
Summary
Other than the tricky parking, especially if you need to reverse into the spaces, this site is on part with many of the other Red E Charge sites I reviewed this year. Built for expansion, it is good to see electric vehicle mobility supported by continually expanding infrastructure. I would plan future stops here, if my travels take me by this location.
What I paid for this stop:
Total Cost: $5.34
Total kWh: 11.87
Time: 8 minutes
Average Charge Speed: 89kW (calculated)
Cost per kWh: $0.45
Questions or Comments:
dantheevman@gmail.com
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