June 5, 2019—DTE Energy on Tuesday announced its plan to bring the benefits of electric vehicles (EVs) to more Michigan residents and businesses through its new "Charging Forward".
Michigan is the nation's automotive center, but it lags many other states in EV adoption. Limited consumer awareness and "range anxiety" – the fear of running out of power before reaching a destination – are two factors suppressing increased EV acceptance. DTE's Charging Forward initiative takes both concerns head-on with increased customer education campaigns as well as incentives that will foster the development of an expanded infrastructure of EV chargers.
DTE will provide a rebate of up to $500 to a residential customer who purchases or leases a new or used EV, installs a qualified Level 2 charger and enrolls in a special rate beneficial for EV charging. DTE's business customers can also receive incentives of $2,500 per port and $20,000 per charger when they install Level 2 or DC Fast Chargers.
The program will encourage DTE customers to charge their EVs during off-peak hours, which will help spread the demand on the electric grid. The distributed demand is expected to add efficiencies to DTE's electric distribution and put downward pressure on prices, creating a win-win-win opportunity for DTE customers, local economies, and the environment.
Additionally, DTE has formed partnerships in the public and private sectors to extend charging stations to public areas. As part of the Detroit Mobility Innovation Initiative, DTE will install chargers in public areas such as Detroit's Beacon Park, with future sites under consideration. In addition, DTE has partnered with both GM and Ford in testing tools to enable EV charging features that are grid-friendly.
