West Michigan International opened Michigan’s first public electric charging stations for commercial vehicles.
Its Kalamazoo location, located directly off I-94, houses the charging station, which is optimized for commercial vehicle charging. According to the Navistar, the station will provide the ability to charge larger vehicles, including Class 8 electric trucks. The DC fast charger features two 24-hour charging hookups.
“We understand that time is money in the commercial vehicle industry, which led us to install one of the fastest chargers offered,” said Ed Rietman, dealer principal, West Michigan International, in a prepared statement. “Similar to diesel fueling stations, drivers who utilize these public chargers will have the convenience of paying at the pump and getting in and out quickly.”
Rietman has grown West Michigan International to include more than 90 service bays with 280 highly skilled personnel across its five locations, according to Navistar, as well as a round-the-clock emergency break down, towing, and recovery service. With EVs becoming an industry focus, Rietman and his team made the decision to invest and aide customers in the transition.
“Our main goal looking forward is to stay aligned with advancing technologies so we can offer the best services to our customers,” said Rietman. “Every business decision we make is with the customers' best interests in mind, and we hope to deploy chargers at all our dealerships in the near future.”
The chargers at the West Michigan International in Kalamazoo were installed with support from Navistar’s charging partner, InCharge. The dealership worked closely with Navistar’s NEXT eMobility team to plan, coordinate and install the vehicle charger. NEXT operates around a model that provides an end-to-end solution for customers looking to transition their business operations to EVs.
“As the industry prepares for the increased adoption of zero-emissions commercial vehicles, the development of a robust public charging infrastructure is critical to that success,” said Jason Gies, VP, eMobility Business Development, in a statement. We’re proud to work closely with West Michigan International as they take this first step in creating a comprehensive charging network.”
Source: Navistar
