skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Monday, June 16, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

American Bar Association sues Trump administration over executive orders targeting law firms; Florida universities face budget scrutiny as part of 'anti-woke' push; After Hortman assassination, MN civic trainers dig deeper for bipartisanship.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Political tensions rise after Minnesota assassinations. Trump's DOJ demands sweeping election data from Colorado. Advocates mark LGBTQIA+ pay inequity, and U.S. and U.K. reach a new trade deal.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

EV charging stations are harder to find in rural America, improving the mental health of children and teachers is the goal of a new partnership in seven rural states, and a once segregated Mississippi movie theater is born again.

Energy Companies Developing Infrastructure, Grid to Power Electric Vehicles

play audio
Play

Wednesday, September 28, 2022   

For some time, electric vehicles have been seen as the wave of the future, but developments in Detroit, Stuttgart, and Nagoya suggest tomorrow has arrived.

After a period of hesitancy, carmakers are now moving at full speed to put nonpolluting EVs in American garages, and energy companies are planning to roll out the charging infrastructure to power the new technology.

This is National Drive Electric Week, and automakers and power companies are preparing for the transformation.

Brian Wheeler, media relations manager for Consumers Energy, said things are happening quickly.

"For Consumers Energy and other energy providers, this is the time for us to prepare," Wheeler explained. "We know that if we have about 25,000 EVs that we serve today, that number should climb to about 1 million by 2030. So that really gives you a sense of that growth."

Wheeler expects it will take several years before carmakers move from gas and hybrid cars to producing only fully-electric vehicles, but power companies are working now to educate businesses and individuals on the economic and ecological benefits of EVs.

Another part of National Drive Electric Week is to address consumer concerns about owning an electric car or truck, such as driving range, battery life, and maintenance issues. Wheeler said Consumers Energy wants to make it easier and more economical for Michiganders to own an EV.

"We're really committed to providing rebates and incentives that make that EV choice more affordable," Wheeler pointed out. "And also, if we encourage people to charge at the right time, which is typically overnight, they can take advantage of the best rates, and the lowest cost."

Wheeler said while gasoline-powered cars will likely be on the roads for another decade or more, the changeover to EVs is happening faster than many people realize.

"It's really an exciting time, and we've seen so much growth already," Wheeler observed. "We've been talking a lot about electric vehicles, but we also know it's a new experience for many people. And, of course, the vast majority of drivers today have gas combustion engines. So there's a big transformation at work."

Disclosure: Consumers Energy contributes to our fund for reporting on Community Issues and Volunteering, Energy Policy, Environment, and LGBTQIA Issues. If you would like to help support news in the public interest, click here.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
Griot Arts, a nonprofit in Clarksdale, Mississippi, plans to turn 32,000 square feet of vacant downtown property into a vibrant arts and cultural center.

Social Issues

play sound

By Susannah Broun for The Daily Yonder.Broadcast version by Trimmel Gomes for Mississippi News Connection for the Public News Service/Daily Yonder Col…


Environment

play sound

By Seth Millstein for Sentient.Broadcast version by Chrystal Blair for Missouri News Service reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collaborat…

Environment

play sound

By Jessica Scott-Reid for Sentient.Broadcast version by Terri Dee for Ohio News Connection reporting for the Sentient-Public News Service Collaboratio…


Social Issues

play sound

Minnesota and the nation are feeling the emotional weight of political violence after this weekend's assassination of a top Democratic state lawmaker …

Upgrades to the Arkansas Water Plan include structural analysis of flood mitigation infrastructure and programs, and proposed solutions to reduce the impacts of flooding. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Arkansas lawmakers passed several bills during this year's legislative session to upgrade and improve the state's water and wastewater systems…

Social Issues

play sound

Local Jewish advocates for Palestinians are joining forces to draw attention to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. They are calling on the U.S…

Social Issues

play sound

Washington's Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction has revised its public school discipline policies, and advocates for children said …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021