Hey, Consumers Energy! Why do you keep pushing EVs? From what I’ve heard, they struggle to charge in winter and no one is buying them anymore. Not to mention, you’re telling us to reduce energy use in one breath and then telling us to buy an EV that requires electricity to run. Make it make sense!
That’s a lot of EV questions in one question! Let’s break them down by topic, starting with EV sales.
EV sales are down, does that mean people aren’t buying them anymore?
EV sales are down compared to last year. But so are all vehicle sales. And EVs are still taking a large share of overall vehicle sales. In fact, EV registrations have tripled in Michigan since 2022. And while economic conditions are causing lower sales, there are some benefits. For example, there are currently many deals and options for leasing and buying EVs that make it a great time to purchase. And we know many are considering. According to Boston Consulting Group, 38% of Americans are considering an EV as their next vehicle.
We live in Michigan where it gets very cold and I heard EVs don’t charge when it’s cold, so what’s the point?
You may have heard a story about Tesla owners in Chicago whose vehicles wouldn’t charge in the cold temperatures at public charging stations. While it was a big story, it really wasn’t the widespread or recurrent issue the coverage made it out to be.
A large percentage of EV charging happens at home, so in most instances public charging isn’t a daily travel concern. But we understand that it’s still a consideration when taking a road trip. While we can’t speak for chargers across the country, we do know the charging network in Michigan is reliable.
While extreme temps can be problematic for any vehicle, there are steps you can take to mitigate the impact on EVs. In most cases, it isn’t an issue because EV owners typically charge their vehicles overnight at home. But if using a public charger, EV owners can prevent such situations by preconditioning – which involves preheating (or precooling in summer) the car and battery using the electric grid instead of the vehicle’s battery, before driving. The best-case scenario would be preconditioning the vehicle while plugged into your home charger. Many vehicles even allow you to precondition while driving.
You’re asking us to restrict our energy use while also telling us to buy Electric Vehicles that need to be charged? Which one is it?
Well, it’s both. Let’s break it down. During summer months, there are hours when energy use traditionally peaks and can cause a strain on the electric grid – those are also the hours where it costs the most to generate electricity. During these “peak” times (June – September; Monday through Friday; 2-7 p.m.) we encourage customers to limit energy use and offer a cheaper rate on mornings, evenings, and weekends.
As for EVs, yes – we’re excited to be in the driver’s seat for Michigan’s electric vehicle transformation. We have a program designed to shift use away from the peak hours of the day by rewarding nighttime chargers with a cheaper rate. More electric use at night actually benefits the grid, because it allows us to be more efficient. Rather than having our power plants sit useless at night while people are sleeping, they can go to work charging vehicles. Then when everyone wakes up, their cars are charged and our plants can go to work powering the rest of their day. Find out more about our smart charging incentive on our website.
Whether it’s summer rate, EV charging or sharing energy saving tips, we aren’t asking customers to stop using energy, just to be mindful of when they use it.
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