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Electricians throw switch on new vehicle charging stations

Date Posted: October 1 2010

LANSING – Charge!

A new era in automotive history will come into place in November , when the Chevy Volt will be available to the public. The car, which runs on batteries, is an extended-range plug-in electric vehicle with an on-board gasoline generator.

Electrical contractors and workers around Michigan are interested in the plug-in part. Charging stations for the Volt and other electric vehicles are just starting to be installed in public areas. DTE Energy, for example, got the wheels rolling by installing four stations at its Detroit headquarters and three in Ann Arbor. Two others – the first outside of Southeast Michigan – were installed last month through a dual effort by DTE and the Lansing Board of Water and Light at a parking lot in Lansing.

“We suspect we’re seeing the tip of the iceberg for this technology,” said David Ellis, DTE Energy’s program lead for power systems technologies. “From our perspective, we see it as an opportunity to sell more electrons, and we’re studying how it will impact the grid. As electric cars become more available, the charging stations are going to be manufactured and installed by many companies – some of them new, some of them that have been around for 100 years.”

Last month, Swan Electric installed the first two charging stations in Lansing, which were put in the ground side-by-side in front of parking spots at the Michigan Public Service Commission building. IBEW Local 665 electricians Tyler Evans and Tom McGlinnen tapped into the power in the MPSC building, ran conduit underground to the devices, and made them ready to put a 208-volt charge into any vehicle that can use the juice.

Signs at the parking spots indicate the spots are charging stations. The electricity will be available free for two years in what is basically a demonstration project. Then it will be under the control of the building management company.

Joe Roberts, project manager for Swan Electric, said while the charging stations are new, the installation process is fairly routine.  “Whether these are going to be built in residential or commercial, the biggest thing is going to be knowing what the customer wants and giving them what they need. Installations are going to vary in cost depending on how far you have to go to get power.”

When asked if Swan would be looking to perform more charging station installations, Robert said, “we’re working on that right now.”

No one knows how well electric and gasoline hybrid vehicles will catch on with the public. Gasoline prices will certainly help dictate demand. So will styling and the price of the vehicles. According to GM, the Volt will come with a $41,000 sticker price, but that will be lowered by a $7,500 tax credit. The car can also be leased for $350 per month for 36 months (12,000 miles).

Receptacles for plug-in vehicles will be standardized across all makes and models with the same five-pin plug. Three plugs are for power and two are for communication. Ellis said there are a total of 15 plug-in vehicles that are or soon will be available to U.S. car-buyers.

“We’ve studied how plug-in vehicles will affect our grid, and as more plug-in cars enter the market, we’ll do more follow-up study of peak hour usage.” Ellis said, “But with our existing infrastructure, especially during off-peak hours, we feel we can easily handle the loads.”


IBEW LOCAL 665 members Tyler Evans (l) and Tom McGlinnen show off one of the first electric vehicle charging stations in Lansing in front of the Michigan Public Service Commission. They’re employed by Swan Electric.