Introduction
This is a site review from my trip to cover updates to the I-94 east/west corridor and beyond. Site visits on November 8, 2024.
Business/Location Name | Roan & Black Art Gallery |
Address | 3315 Blue Star Hwy, Saugatuck, MI 49453 |
Network | Red E Charge |
Station Details | One 180kW Dual Port EVSE |
Cost | $0.49/kWh + $0.30 Session fee |
The Roan & Black Art Gallery in Suagatuck, MI station was the 7th charging stop on my trip to check out added charging options along the I-94 corridor and beyond. I have stopped at this location before; in June 2022, I was here reviewing the ChargePoint units. Since that time they also added this Red E Charge unit. (This station opened in June 2023).
Accessibility
This station is 2.1 miles from I-196 at exit 41, directly on the Blue Star Highway. It is located less than 2 miles from downtown Saugatuck and Oval Beach. The expansion of the charging options makes this stop easy to find. The spots are marked for EV charging only. No pull thru options here for anyone pulling a trailer.
Amenities
Very limited amenities at this site.
Dining options include: Pennyroyal Café and Provisions
Shopping options include: Roan & Black Art Gallery
Car-related services (windshield cleaning, air): None
Concentration
This is a single Red E Charge Zerova DC 180kW unit 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. This is a good destination site for charging at this destination area location. Combined with the two ChargePoint units and 4 cars could charge at this site at one time.
Location
Near to the tourist destination of Saugatuck, MI, this is more of a destination charging location than a travel corridor location. I can support travel along I-196, but now there are better options closer to the highway. The art gallery and the café provide nice distractions to pass the time while charging.
50 Mile Radius:
150 to 200 Mile Range Estimate:
Speed
This Zerova DS 180 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 that can do up to 300A. This will likely limit lower voltage vehicles to max charge rate near 120kW. Higher voltage vehicles should be able to take advantage of the output power from these units. The onsite 300 kVA transformer should be able to support the CPE 250 units (125kW) and this Zerova unit (180kW), but just barely.
Summary
Clearly, this site has seen enough fast charging traffic for them to invest in adding more charging, which is a very good sign. Of note in addition to the new Red E Charge units the ChargePoint units have be retrofitted with J3400 cables to be able to plug directly into a Tesla without an adaptor. This does mean unfortunately, no more charge support for ChaDeMo vehicles in the area.
What I paid for this stop: (I did not charge at this site)
Total Cost:
Total kWh:
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Questions or Comments:
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