December 26, 2024
A Comprehensive Guide to Michigan EV Charging and EV Buying Incentives
12 Min. Read
With a wide range of incentives available, there has never been a better time to start driving electric in Michigan. From EV charger rebates to special utility rates, the savings can add up fast, making your EV journey as a Michigan resident more affordable than ever.
Explore our comprehensive guide to discover all the EV incentives Michigan has to offer and take advantage of the benefits of going electric in your state—helping you save on both your electric vehicle purchase and EV charging costs!
Charge Up Michigan EV Charging Program
The Charge Up Michigan Program is designed to support public EV charging initiatives. Public or private organizations can apply for reimbursement of DC Fast Charging (DCFC) projects.
Grants through this program cover up to one-third of the project’s cost or the amount covered by a utility—whichever is less—with a maximum cap of $70,000.
However, not all projects are eligible for a Charge Up Michigan grant. Eligible projects must be located in areas critical to Michigan’s statewide EV charging infrastructure, such as highways, popular tourist destinations, and cities. You can use this map to explore approved locations and determine eligibility.
Michigan Electric Vehicle Incentives and Rebates
If you have recently purchased an EV or are considering an EV purchase in Michigan, you can take advantage of additional incentives and rebates to maximize your savings.
DTE Electric Company
DTE offers a $1,500 rebate to help offset the cost of purchasing a new EV.
Cherryland Electric Cooperative
Members of the Cherryland Electric Cooperative can earn a $500 rebate when purchasing or leasing a new or used EV.
Great Lakes Energy Cooperative
The Great Lakes Energy Cooperative offers a $500 rebate toward a new EV for their utility customers.
Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-op
Another Michigan utility, Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-op, offers a $1,500 rebate for purchasing new EVs and a $750 incentive for used EVs.
HomeWorks Tri-County Electric Cooperative
Similarly, with the rebates available from HomeWorks Tri-County Electric Cooperative, you can save $1,500 on a new EV purchase and $750 on a used EV.
Energy Innovations Collaborative
The Energy Innovations Collaborative provides a $1,000 rebate for new EV purchases. To qualify, you must be a customer of one of the municipal utilities within the cooperative, including the Baraga Electric Utility, the City of Norway, the Village of L’Anse, the City of Gladstone, the City of Crystal Falls, and the Negaunee Electric Department.
Michigan EV Charger Rebates
At-home charging is not only more convenient but also more cost-effective than using a public charging station. Charging at home can bring long-term cost savings, but the upfront cost of an at-home EV charger installation can create an initial barrier to adoption.
Rebates and incentives are available in Michigan for both residential areas and businesses to help to offset the upfront costs of purchasing and installing EV chargers. These financial benefits make transitioning to electric vehicles more affordable and also enhance long-term savings, encouraging wider adoption across households and businesses.
You can reduce the upfront cost of purchasing and professionally installing an EV charger with these rebates, currently available in the state of Michigan.
Consumers Energy
This Michigan utility offers a $500 rebate for the purchase and installation of a residential EV charger. Depending on your income, the amount of this rebate can offer up to $1,000 in savings.
Consumers Energy is also issuing funding to support community EV charging in the form of a $7,500 rebate toward a publicly available EV charging project.
DTE Electric Company
While this Michigan utility does not currently offer residential rebates, businesses can qualify for a $2,000 rebate per Level 2 EV charger or earn up to $55,000 toward a DC Fast charging location with DTE.
Indiana Michigan Power Company
The Indiana Michigan Power Company offers a $500 rebate for installing a Level 2 residential EV charger when you enroll in the utility’s time-of-use (TOU) plan.
As a commercial customer of the Indiana Michigan Power Company, small businesses can earn a $500 rebate toward a Level 2 EV charger, and larger businesses and multifamily properties can receive up to $2,500 for the first port installed and $500 per additional port.
Bayfield Electric Cooperative
The Bayfield Electric Cooperative is supporting electrification with a $400 rebate toward an EV charger, however, you are also able to double this rebate amount by opting for separate metering for your EV charger.
Cherryland Electric Cooperative
You can receive $800 toward a Level 2 residential EV charger with the Cherryland Electric Cooperative rebates program.
Great Lakes Energy Cooperative
Are you a member of the Great Lakes Energy Cooperative? If so, you can qualify for a $500 rebate by installing a Level 2 EV charger at your home.
Presque Isle Electric & Gas Co-op
This utility is offering a $600 rebate to its residential customers on the purchase of a Level 2 EV charging station.
HomeWorks Tri-County Electric Cooperative
You can get $600 toward an at-home Level 2 EV charger through the HomeWorks Tri-County Electric Cooperative.
City of Escanaba
The City of Escanaba offers a $250 rebate toward a Level 2 EV charger for residential customers of its municipal utility.
Businesses can also receive $250 for a Level 2 charging station or $1,500 toward a DC Fast charging station.
Holland Board of Public Works
Customers of the Holland Board of Public Works can take advantage of the utility’s Charge Up Holland program to receive $300 for a non-Energy Star charger or $325 toward an approved Energy Star EV charging model.
Lansing Board of Water & Light
This municipal utility has a program that allows you to earn $500 for installing a plug-in Level 2 EV charger in your home. If you opt for a hardwired installation with a separate meter, you can earn $1,000 instead.
Additionally, the Lansing Board of Water & Light also offers a rebate of up to $4,500 per Level 2 EV charging station for its business customers, with a limit of three stations per business.
Energy Innovations Collaborative
The Energy Innovations Collaborative, which includes Baraga Electric Utility, the City of Norway, the Village of L’Anse, the City of Gladstone, the City of Crystal Falls, and the Negaunee Electric Department, offers valuable rebates for EV owners.
Business and residential customers of any of these municipal utilities can get up to $500 toward a Level 2 charger, covering up to 50% of the total cost. Additionally, you can also qualify for a $250 rebate toward an electrical panel upgrade.
Traverse City Light & Power
You can get a $500 rebate toward a Level 2 at-home EV charging station through the Traverse City Light & Power utility.
Energy Smart
Energy Smart is a coalition that brings together several municipal utilities across Michigan. If you get your power through any of these utilities, you can get a $500 rebate toward a residential Level 2 charger. Additionally, businesses can qualify for an EV charger incentive of up to $2,000.
Municipal utilities participating in the Energy Smart coalition include:
- Bay City
- Charlevoix
- Chelsea
- Dowagiac
- Eaton Rapids
- Grand Haven
- Harbor Springs
- Hart
- Marquette
- Paw Paw
- Petoskey
- Portland
- St. Louis
- Sturgis
- Wakefield
- Wyandotte
- Zeeland
For more information on these rebates, visit the Energy Smart website and select your city.
Michigan EV Charging Rates and TOU Programs
Several Michigan utilities also offer time-of-use (TOU) plans. Once you opt in on the TOU program for your utility, you can expect to pay less for the electricity you use to charge your EV and power your appliances during scheduled off-peak hours.
Given that most off-peak hours occur in the evening or overnight when you will likely already plan to charge your EV, this can mean major savings for charging your electric vehicle.
Alpena Power Company
Alpena Power Company offers a TOU rate with off-peak pricing of $0.11 per kWh and an on-peak rate of $0.14 per kWh. Off-peak hours last from 9 p.m. to 9 a.m. the next day.
Consumers Energy Company
With this utility’s Nighttime Savers rate, you’ll only pay $0.14 per kWh from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. and $0.17 per kWh during the day in the winter. In the summer, you’ll pay an on-peak rate of $0.21 per kWh from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., an off-peak rate of $0.17 per kWh from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 11 p.m, and a super-off-peak price of $0.15 per kWh at night.
On top of paying less for electricity, you’ll also earn a $10 monthly credit on your bill if you only charge your EV between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m.
DTE Electric Company
DTE offers three different TOU plans, based on different off- and on-peak times
The first plan offers off-peak prices of $0.12 per kWh from 11 p.m. to 9 a.m. and on-peak prices of $0.25 per kWh from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.
If you want a longer off-peak period, the utility’s second option, a time-of-day rate, might be a better match. With this plan, you’ll pay $0.13 per kWh during the off-peak hours from 7 p.m. to 11 a.m. On-peak hours last from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and come with a rate of $0.24 per kWh in the summer and $0.21 per kWh in the winter.
DTE’s third option offers a dynamic peak pricing plan. You’ll only pay $0.13 per kWh during off-peak hours from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. and $0.17 per kWh during mid-peak hours from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. However, on-peak hours from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. come with a pricing of $0.25 per kWh, and the utility can call critical peak events between these hours, which results in an additional charge of $1.03 per kWh.
Indiana Michigan Power Company
The Indiana Michigan Power Company offers a 50% discount on its electric rate during off-peak hours, which last from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. Instead of paying $0.16 per kWh, you can charge your EV for just $0.08 per kWh.
Upper Michigan Energy
If you enroll in Upper Michigan Energy’s TOU program, you can expect to pay $0.35 per kWh during on-peak periods and $0.07 during off-peak hours.
You can choose between four on-peak periods of twelve hours each, including 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., or 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Cherryland Electric Cooperative
The Cherryland Electric Cooperative is another utility with a TOU program designed to help you save on EV charging. You’ll pay $0.10 during off-peak hours and $0.20 during on-peak hours.
In the summer, off-peak hours last from 6 p.m. to 2 p.m. the next day. The off-peak period lasts from 9 p.m. to 5 p.m. the next day in the winter.
Midwest Energy & Communications
Midwest Energy & Communications offers a TOU plan where customers will pay just $0.03 per off-peak kWh from 9 p.m. to 3 p.m. the next day. The utility’s on-peak rate is $0.18 per kWh.
HomeWorks Tri-County Electric Cooperative
The HomeWorks Tri-County Electric Cooperative has a TOU plan with three tiers, including off-peak, intermediate, and on-peak hours, with respective pricing of $0.11, $0.13, and $0.22 per kWh.
On-peak hours start at 5 p.m. and end at 10 p.m. on weekdays. You’ll pay the intermediate rate from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays and 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on weekends. Off-peak pricing applies to all other hours of the day.
Holland Board of Public Works
Customers of the Holland Board of Public Works municipal utility have the opportunity to sign up for a TOU plan with a tiered structure.
You’ll pay $0.12 per kWh from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. during on-peak hours and only $0.03 during off-peak hours from 10 p.m. to 8 a.m. Mid-peak hours go into effect from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. with a rate of $0.04 in the winter and $0.05 in the summer.
Lansing Board of Water & Light
You can pay just $0.10 per kWh during off-peak hours from 8 p.m. to 1 p.m. the next day with the Lansing Board of Water & Light’s TOU plan. Outside of these hours, you’ll pay the utility’s on-peak rate of $0.29 per kWh in the summer and $0.17 per kWh in the winter.
Lowell Light & Power
Lowell Light & Power offers affordable EV charging in the form of a TOU plan.
In the winter, you’ll pay $0.03 per kWh during super-off-peak hours from 11 p.m. to 5 p.m. and $0.08 the rest of the time. In the summer, your super-off-peak rate will be $0.02 per kWh from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m. You’ll pay an on-peak rate of $0.16 from 12 p.m. to 7 p.m. and an off-peak rate of $0.08 per kWh the rest of the time.
Traverse City Light & Power
This Michigan utility is currently in the process of developing two TOU plans to help its customers save on at-home EV charging.
Public EV Charging Stations in Michigan
The state is actively working to support electrification with the creation of a robust public charging infrastructure.
Michigan already has a plan in place to install 100,000 EV charging stations by 2030, backed by $26 million in NEVI funding expected by the end of 2026.
Private companies are also playing an important role in creating a statewide EV charging infrastructure, with Consumers Energy committing to roll out by the end of 2030 and many other businesses following suit to install public Level 2 and Level 3 EV charging stations across the state.
How Many Public EV Charging Stations are in Michigan?
At this time, Michigan has over 1,580 EV charging station locations with more than 3,670 charging ports.
The state’s Level 2 charging network includes more than 1,220 locations with over 2,700 ports, while Michigan’s DC Fast charging network comprises close to 400 locations with a total of 970 Level 3 chargers.
You’ll also find 38 Supercharger locations with 358 ports.
How Much Does Public EV Charging Cost in Michigan?
Michigan EV charging costs for public charging stations vary from one network to another, but you should also generally expect to pay more for DC Fast charging than you would for Level 2 charging, and keep in mind that location can also play a role in your charging costs.
For example, Level 2 charging costs $0.26 to $0.30 per kWh at one of the public locations available in Grand Haven, Michigan, while charging your EV on the University of Michigan campus costs $1 per hour for Level 2 charging.
Are There Free Electric Car Charging Stations in Michigan?
There are free EV charging stations located throughout Michigan. For instance, the Great Lakes Energy Cooperative operates a network of free EV chargers with six locations. Dealerships are also another great way to find free EV charging.
Where Are Public Charging Stations Located for Electric Cars in Michigan?
You can find public charging stations throughout the entire state, but urban areas and major cities such as Detroit, Ann Arbor, Lansing, and Grand Rapids tend to have a higher concentration of public EV charging stations.
You can explore nearby charging options across the state with this map.
Why Qmerit is the #1 EV Charger Installer in Michigan
With rebates available for both EVs and EV chargers, various utilities provide great ways to save on your electrification journey. Additionally, switching to a TOU plan can lead to significant long-term savings on your EV charging costs.
Interested in going electric? Qmerit is here to help.
As the largest network of certified EV charger installers in North America, Qmerit is the most trusted EV charger installation partner. Qmerit is recommended by automakers, EV charger manufacturers, utilities, businesses, and homeowners alike.
But don’t just take our word for it. Rated #1 in customer satisfaction, Qmerit’s experienced network of certified electricians has installed more than 450,000 EV charging stations in homes and businesses across the U.S. and Canada!
Complete our online EV assessment or contact us today to find out why we’re North America’s most trusted EV charger installation service provider!
