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May 19, 2023

First Binational ‘EV Corridor’ Stretches from Kalamazoo to Quebec

The first binational electric vehicle corridor has been established between Kalamazoo and Quebec City, Quebec, with EV chargers located every 50 miles along the 872-mile stretch.

Crain’s Detroit Business
Kurt Nagl
May 15, 2023

The first binational electric vehicle corridor has been established between Kalamazoo and Quebec City, Quebec, with EV chargers located every 50 miles along the 872-mile stretch, officials said Tuesday.

The initiative continues EV collaboration between the two countries and supports the U.S. objective of 50% of all new vehicle sales being electric by 2030 and Canada’s goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.

U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg joined Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Canadian Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan for the announcement at Detroit Wayne County Port Authority on Detroit’s riverfront.

“It’s already in place. You cannot go more than 50 miles along this corridor without finding a charging station as of right now,” Alghabra told Crain’s after the media event. “It took a while to get there. I can tell you that we’re not stopping here. We want to elongate this corridor into the United States further and into Canada further.

The corridor will feature DC (direct current) fast chargers every 50 miles, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation. The infrastructure is being federally funded by the U.S. and Canadian governments.

It is unclear how many DC chargers have already been installed or how much money has been invested. Crain’s inquired with USDOT and the governor’s office for more information.

DC chargers are the gold standard for juicing up EVs, taking 20 minutes to an hour to fill a battery up. Level 1 and Level 2 chargers take 4-10 hours to charge an EV.

“…We are creating a new generation of good-paying manufacturing jobs, making it possible for drivers everywhere to reap the benefits and savings of these vehicles while helping us fight climate change,” Buttigieg said in prepared remarks.

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, enacted in 2021, called for $7.5 billion to fund a network of 500,000 public EV chargers across the nation by 2030. Michigan is in line to receive $110 million of that funding over five years to build out its EV charging infrastructure.

“There’s nothing more Pure Michigan than accidentally driving into Canada, and now that journey will be electric on either side of the border,” Whitmer said in her remarks. “I am proud that we are working together to build up electric vehicle charging infrastructure.

Michigan joined Wisconsin and Indiana to establish a 1,100-mile EV tour around Lake Michigan. It is also working to install 30 public chargers at state parks, with plans to finish 15 by the end of the year. A pair of Level 2 chargers have so far been installed, at Bay City State Park and Holland State Park, with a DC fast charger coming soon to Belle Isle, according to the state.

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