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 | Marathon/Admiral |
Address | 1149 M-89, Plainwell, MI 49080 |
Network | Red E Charge |
Station Details | One 160kW Dual Port EVSE |
Cost | $0.50/kWh + $0.50 Session fee |
The Marathon/Admiral in Plainwell, MI station was the 10th charging stop on my trip to check out added charging options along the I-94 corridor. This gas station just off the highway makes for a decent travel stop. (This station opened in April 2024).
Accessibility
This station is placed in the back corner of the parking lot for this convenience store. Located 0.1 miles from US-131 exit 49, this gas station is at the northwest corner of the intersection with M-89. The spots are marked for EV charging only. No pull thru options here for anyone pulling a trailer, but parking spaces are wide enough to enable this if only one vehicle charging.
Amenities
Very limited amenities at this site.
Dining options include: Starbucks, Wendy’s, Burger King, McDonald’s
Shopping options include: None
Car-related services (windshield cleaning, air): Marathon 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 number of stations here matches the expected need for supporting travel on this route.
Location
I am happy to see that the Detroit based Red E Charge continues to invest in charging throughout the state. This site supports the west site of MI in the Douglas area. At about 195 miles to Detroit and 145 miles to Chicago, this offers a coastal stop
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 180kW 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. The onsite 300 kVA transformer supports this unit and could support an expansion to one more in the future.
Summary
Built for expansion, it is good to see electric vehicle mobility supported by continually expanding infrastructure. This site is on par with many of the other Red E Charge sites I reviewed this year. I was amused because at the time of my visit the gas pumps at this gas station were all marked off and non-functional. I would have been able to ‘gas’ up at this location, but normal gas cars would not have been able to do the same.
I didn’t charge at this location, having just charged up at the previous site and planning to charge at the next.
What I paid for this stop: (I did not charge at this site)
Total Cost:
Total kWh:
Time:
Average Charge Speed:
Cost per kWh:
Questions or Comments:
dantheevman@gmail.com
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