G.M. and Utilities Want to Install 5,300 Electric Chargers in Michigan

DETROIT - While Michigan’s history is inseparably linked to the gasoline engine, General Motors said on Tuesday that more than 5,300 home and workplace electric-vehicle charging stations would be installed within the state to meet the demands of an emerging fleet of plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles.

Among those pitching in to power up the state are two major Michigan electrical utilities: DTE Energy and Consumers Energy, reported The New York Times. Each company has agreed to cover up to $2,500 of the cost of 2,500 240-volt home charging stations. In Lansing, the city’s Board of Water and Light has pledged another 25 stations.

Of course, G.M., which introduced the Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid earlier this week, will be part of the electrification effort. The automaker plans to have 350 charging stations available for its Michigan employees. G.M. said that more than 100 had already been installed. Some of the stations at G.M. facilities would be powered by solar energy. The Detroit-Hamtramck assembly plant, where the Volt is built, already has 10 stations in place that draw current from photovoltaic systems.

But the vast majority of new charging stations will be installed on residential property. Tom Stephens, G.M.’s vice chairman of global product operations, said, “Since our homes may soon be our fueling stations of the future, we believe the most important way to make communities plug-in ready is by enabling residential charging.”

Nearly all of the charging stations installed by DTE Energy will be in private residences. A DTE Energy spokesman, Scott Simons, said the utility had received approval for a special electric-vehicle rate from the Michigan Public Service Commission. That rate is about 40 percent less than the utility’s standard rate, and it’s applicable during off-peak hours, which run from 11 p.m. through 9 a.m., Monday through Friday, and around the clock on weekends. As an alternative, a flat rate of $40 a month will be offered to the first 250 DTE customers who express an interest in that plan.