Electric car owners offered charging stations by Detroit utility, SPX

[WopOnTour]

Electric car owners offered charging stations by Detroit utility, SPX

MARCH 2,2011 --DETROIT -- SPX Service Solutions will install electric vehicle home charging equipment in a pilot program offered by DTE Energy Co., a Detroit utility company.

DTE said Tuesday it would provide up to $2,500 for each of up to 2,500 customers to pay for charging units and installation fees for electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles such as the Nissan Leaf and Chevrolet Volt.

In addition to the installation stipend, the program gives participants a choice between discounted Monday-through-Friday nighttime electricity rates or paying a monthly electricity fee of $40 per vehicle.

“We want to jump-start the plug-in electric vehicle market in southeastern Michigan,” Trevor Lauer, DTE Energy vice president of marketing and renewables, said in a statement. “DTE Energy is working closely with all the automakers to understand their models and how we can integrate with them to make the PEV experience seamless to our customers.”

DTE Energy provides electricity to 2.1 million customers in southeast Michigan.

Turnkey offering

For the pilot program, SPX Service Solutions will manage all aspects of home charging, including home surveys, installations of 240-volt charging stations, permitting, inspections and coordinating with the utility.

SPX Service Solutions, a subsidiary of SPX Corp. of Charlotte, N.C., has a national service network in place from the rollout of the Volt. In October, General Motors Co. chose SPX Service Solutions to provide home-charging services for the plug-in hybrid.

SPX Service Solutions offers several charging units with prices starting at $750 before installation, said President Tanvir Arfi. A typical installation costs $900 to $1,500, he said.

“Every major OEM has an electric car coming out, so absolutely this will be for everybody,” Arfi said. “DTE consumers will essentially get the entire package we offer at once.”

Arfi said SPX Service Solutions is in talks with other utility companies in California, Arizona, Florida and Georgia for similar programs. Those states include some of the launch markets of the Volt and the Leaf.

The DTE Energy pilot program is under way and continues through 2012.

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[maynard]

Yes WOT...I have been in contact with them. We are waiting until mid April when we will return to Detroit from Florida. Yeah, I know life is tough living on a boat in Florida during winter. I will pick up our Volt, as we already own it. It is sitting in our dealers showroom getting oogled. When we get home, DTE will get this going right away.

[WopOnTour]

Yes WOT...I have been in contact with them. We are waiting until mid April when we will return to Detroit from Florida. Yeah, I know life is tough living on a boat in Florida during winter. I will pick up our Volt, as we already own it. It is sitting in our dealers showroom getting oogled. When we get home, DTE will get this going right away.

LOL I wish I was down there with ya maynard! You're not missing much!! (weather wise at least)
So awesome of you to let your dealer keep your Volt in the showroom. (Gonna have a LOT of paw prints though. lol)
Hopefully the program meets the needs of Michigan Volt owners, with no gouging
Enjoy yourself Snowbird!
WopOnTour