EV corridor to run nearly 900 miles from Kalamazoo to Quebec, US and Canada officials say
Kalea HallDetroit — U.S. and Canadian officials on Tuesday announced the first Binational EV Corridor between the two countries that will have electric vehicle chargers every 50 miles along the nearly 900-mile stretch from Kalamazoo to Quebec City.
Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg joined Canadian Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan at the Port of Detroit along the river across from Canada to discuss the corridor.
“I think it's fitting that this first U.S.-Canada EV corridor runs through both Detroit and Windsor, two of the world's great auto manufacturing centers,” Buttigieg said at a press conference announcing the corridor.
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The corridor announced Tuesday will create “the first cross-border electric vehicle corridor of its kind," Whitmer said. "It will allow seamless international travel between Michigan and Canada ... with abundant charging options.”
When construction of the fast chargers along the corridor will start was not specified.
Tuesday's corridor announcement celebrated the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law that includes $7.5 billion in federal funding to create a national network of 500,000 public EV charging stations. Michigan is expected to receive at least $110 million to build out EV charging infrastructure.
This isn't Michigan's first planned EV charging route. Last year, Illinois, Michigan and two other states announced plans to build a 1,100-mile EV charging circuit along Lake Michigan.
The Lake Michigan EV Circuit Tour will incorporate existing charging infrastructure with strategically located new chargers in key coastal communities with popular tourist attractions.
Buttigieg made the announcement while in Detroit to meet with other trade ministers, senior officials and experts from 21 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) member countries. The leaders will meet over the next 10 days in the Motor City to discuss "practical examples of how trade policies and cooperation on trade and investment through APEC can contribute to sustainable and inclusive trade," according to a press release.
"One of the reasons we wanted to have this in Detroit is because Detroit is so central to transportation and to supply chains for the entire Asia-Pacific region," said Matt Murray, U.S. senior official for APEC.
"What we really want to look at are all those issues that we know are important to the auto sector right now: How can you be more sustainable? How can you be more energy efficient? How can we work towards accessibility for EV batteries and supply chains and everything that we need to work on ... so Detroit's a great backdrop for all those kinds of discussions."
khall@detroitnews.com
Twitter: @bykaleahall