Ann Arbor Times

The Ann Arbor Office of Sustainability and Innovations (OSI), together with Mayor Christopher Taylor, host a ribbon-cutting ceremony Thursday, Nov. 16, at 1 p.m. to unveil the first utility pole-mounted curbside electric vehicle (EV) chargers in the state of Michigan. The free event took place in the Old Fourth Ward outside 407 N. Ingalls St. The ribbon-cutting ceremony will feature remarks from the mayor, the official initiation of the chargers, and an opportunity for the public to engage in dialogue about future EV charging and support services. 

This event celebrates the work done by OSI to bring EV charging and accessibility to residents at multi-unit dwellings and was funded by an Energy Sponsorships Grant from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE). While most EV charging is done at a driver's residence, many Ann Arbor residents don't have discretion over installing an EV charger where they park their vehicle. With help from EGLE and the work of those involved in the project, the city is advancing the accessibility of EV charging with these public chargers.

Key highlights:

• These chargers are the first utility pole-mounted public curbside chargers in the state of Michigan.
• These chargers are the first public networked curbside chargers in Ann Arbor.
• These chargers will be available for public use immediately following the ribbon cutting through either the Flo or ChargePoint apps.
• The event will feature remarks from Mayor Christopher Taylor and an opportunity for the public to learn more about future EV charging deployments.

“One of our main strategies in our A2ZERO path to carbon neutrality is transitioning vehicles from gasoline to electric, and this is a very exciting moment where we're taking another step towards achieving that goal," said Dr. Missy Stults, director of the City of Ann Arbor Office of Sustainability and Innovations. “We look forward to celebrating the unveiling of these chargers and, hopefully, dozens more to come!"

About OSI: The City of Ann Arbor Office of Sustainability and Innovations was founded in 2018 and is guided by the Ann Arbor Carbon Neutrality Plan: A2ZERO. A2ZERO strives toward one unifying vision: Together, creating and implementing a just transition to carbon neutrality, community-wide, by the year 2030. Learn more at www.A2ZERO.org.

Original source can be found here.