Lake Michigan shoreline to become ‘electric Route 66′ with EV charging stations

EV charging stations dot Lake Michigan shoreline to create electric road trip route

MLive File Photo. The Lake Michigan EV Circuit Tour will be a network of electric vehicle chargers spanning over 1,100 miles of drivable shoreline around Lake Michigan. Pictured: Seawall along the Lake Michigan shoreline on North Shore Drive in Ferrysburg on Thursday, April 16, 2020. (Cory Morse | MLive.com) Cory Morse

Scenic road trips just got supercharged as the Midwest works together to create an electric route along the Lake Michigan shoreline.

The Lake Michigan EV Circuit Tour will be a network of electric vehicle chargers spanning over 1,100 miles of drivable shoreline around Lake Michigan.

The circuit was announced after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb, Illinois Governor JB Pritzker, and Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers agreed to build and maintain charging stations along the lake in their home states.

“With this announcement, we are putting the country on notice that the Midwest is the place to be for clean energy and small business growth,” Whitmer said. “The circuit will allow travelers to experience Lake Michigan and visit countless communities in and around the route. I am so proud that we came together to forge this bipartisan agreement. Let’s keep Michigan — and the Midwest — moving forward.”

The circuit is being dubbed an “electric route-66,″ encouraging EV drivers to take part in eco-tourism.

The key to this partnership will be reliable chargers along Lake Michigan’s coastline. The chargers will be installed in key coastal communities at lighthouses, state parks, breweries, vineyards, restaurants, and other small businesses.

Along the route will also be existing charging infrastructure networks at large entertainment attractions in cities along the route including Chicago, Milwaukee, and Green Bay. Many of the network’s chargers are operable today, and drivers can expect the remainder to be installed within the next few years, according to Whitmer’s office.

Electric vehicles sales throttled forward in the quarter of 2022, marking a record of nearly 200,000 new EVs sold. That represents a 13% increase from the beginning of the year and a 66% increase compared to last year, according to data provider Cox Automotive.

Overall, new car sales were 20% lower than expected for the second quarter due to low inventory. However, automakers are prioritizing EVs and other luxury vehicles during the current chip shortage.

Even with short supply of parts, production of EVs continues to expand. In just the last year the number of models on the market went from 19 to 33, according to Cox Automotive.

Electric vehicle sales now account for 5.6% of the overall market. Powering the momentum was the rise in gas prices in the second quarter.

A survey released by AAA found that a one in four Americans are considering buying an EV for their next auto purchase. Among them, 77% said fuel prices were their top concern.

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