KALAMAZOO, Mich. — A Kalamazoo truck dealership held a ribbon cutting for the state’s first public commercial charging station for electric vehicles (EV) Wednesday afternoon.
West Michigan International says the charging station is equipped to charge Class 8 tractor trailers.
We’re told the increasing demand for commercial EVs necessitates expanded charging infrastructure.
The dealership says the event included an interactive experience to educate community members on commercial EVs.
“It does about 135 miles on average loaded. We’re seeing numbers with some of our initial customers quite a bit above that, 150 to 160 miles loaded, diminishing loads, doing their job, so really that pickup, delivery, local routes types of things we’re focusing on today,” explained Jason Gies, vice president of e-mobility development for Navistar.
The company said it's also addressing the concern of having enough space to fit and charge large trucks. Meanwhile, the charging stations are available to passenger cars, as well.
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