Introduction
This is a site review from part 3 of the ongoing series to follow the EVgo expansion in the metro Detroit area. As part of this series, I took the opportunity to visit some intermediate sites. Visits done on June 23, 2025
Business/Location Name | BP |
Address | 204 W Grand River Ave, Brighton, MI 48116 |
Network | ChargePoint |
Station Details | 2 linked 62.5kW Stations or 125 kW from the pair. |
Cost | $0.48 per kWh + 6% sales tax |
The BP in Brighton station was the 2nd charging stop on my trip to update EVgo station build out in Michigan. This ChargePoint location was installed with CCS and J3400 connectors plugs making this site excellent for future use as more and more vehicles start to use the J3400 connector standard. Even with lower speeds and higher costs this site seems to get adequate usage. I am stopping here to add to my US-23 route coverage as this site did not exist on my previous trip. (This station opened in November 2024).
Accessibility
This BP site is in the parking lot of the gas station. The site is accessible from multiple highway exits, 0.9 miles from I-96 exit 147 (if coming from the east) 1.3 miles from I-96 at exit 145 (if coming from the west) and I came from US-23 exit 58 being 2.5 miles away. Coming from I-96 exit 147, south along Grand River will bring you to the gas station. The charge points are easy to locate from the major road, located to the southeast of the building. The stalls are arranged side by side. The pull beside station layout means that plenty of consideration of charge port location is required. There is no pull-though spot at this location.
Amenities
Dining options include: Tim Hortons, Sushi Zen, Lu & Carl’s Grill, Dairy Queen, Sidecar Slider Bar
Shopping options include: CVS and various downtown small business shops
Car-related services (windshield cleaning, air): BP gas station
Concentration
This is a baseline 2 charger site for ChargePoint. This station is the pull beside configuration. The cables are not overly long, so make sure to pull into the parking space with the best reach to your charge port. Not much room for expansion at this site, but there are plenty of charging options in this area.
Location
This site supports I-96 east/west interstate and the US-23 north/south highway. About 50 miles to Detroit and 50 miles to Lansing, this is about the mid-point between these 2 cities east to west across the state. Flint is 40 miles to the north and the Ohio boarder is 70 miles to the south.
50 Mile Loop:
150 Mile Range Estimate:
Speed
These ChargePoint shared power chargers represent a decent destination charging solution. Elektra will not pull more than the single station max output (62.5kW) unless the battery is low and at optimum temperature, Voltron does a better job of taking the rated power. The 125A and 200A current limits based on the operating mode will have most EVs charging slower than drivers might expect. The 150kVA transformer on site provides plenty of power for these units.
Summary
This stop reflects some of the best in how a quick travel stop should work. I pulled up, tapped my RFID car, plugged in and was charging in a manner of seconds. The EVSE units output their maximum power for the full 7 minutes and in that time I added the equivalent of about 77 miles of range. Overall a positive experience. I thought I was also saving money, as this site is listed as $0.48/kWh, less than the Red E $0.50 or the Tesla $0.49, but I did not realize that here they add in a 6% sales tax, making the real rate more like $0.51. Shop smart and look closely at all the pricing details.
What I paid for this stop:
Total Cost: $6.58
Total kWh: 12.9376 kWh
Time: 7 minutes
Average Charge Speed: 111 kW (near the max of what a well configured CPE250 pair can do)
Cost per kWh: $0.48 + 6% sales tax
Alternatives:
Shell – 8281 Grand River Ave, Brighton, MI 48114 - $0.50/kWh(+$1.00) – 160kW x 4
(Red E Charge)
Meijer – 8650 W Grand River Ave, Brighton, MI 48116 - $0.49/kWh – 250kW x 12
(Tesla)
Questions or Comments:
dantheevman@gmail.com
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