New electric vehicle charging stations have recently been installed across Mt. Pleasant—and more are on their way—thanks to EVC Holding Investments. The business was officially created in May of 2022 by three partner groups: Coyne Investment, LLC; MABER EV, LLC; and Griffon Energy, LLC. Currently, Mt. Pleasant residents and visitors can find their EV charging stations at Pizza King, Pickard Street Citgo, and soon, the Baymont by Wyndham and others.
Founder and partner of EVC Holding Investments, Dan Coyne, began doing EV projects for Coyne Oil at all of their locations throughout Michigan a few years ago, partnering with Consumers Energy when EV charging was in its infancy. Coyne recognized a need for fast chargers in some smaller communities.
Discover more about the Mt. Pleasant EV charging stations in this Q&A with EVC Holding Investments’s Bryan Wieferich.
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Courtesy EVC Holding Investments
Epicenter: Can you share EVC Holding Investments’s background, including its EV experience?
Wieferich: Dan started doing smaller (Level 2) EV projects for Coyne Oil at all of their locations throughout Michigan a few years ago. He learned about some of the tax credits and partnered with Consumers Energy when EV charging was in its infancy. As Dan spoke with customers and contractors within his industry, he realized that there is BIG need for bridging some of the gaps between those who want EV ownership and those who worry that there just aren't enough FAST chargers in some smaller communities. The cost was a real barrier of entry for some of these businesses and municipalities and most of them don't want to own/operate the chargers themselves, so Dan had an idea to create a company that offers a turn-key solution for small businesses (and some municipalities) who would not otherwise be able to install fast EV Chargers. Dan's vision of bringing in a few partners (all with each having their own area of expertise) has really contributed to EVC taking off this past year. Dan—with help from his business contacts at Coyne Oil & Propane—specializes in finding site-hosts and working with Consumers Energy and the EGLE office. The other local partner group, made up of Ryan Boge and Bryan Wieferich, focuses on the accounting and financing aspects of running the organization. The third partner group works out of Grand Rapids, MI and Pottsboro, TX and they specialize in EVERY aspect of infrastructure and installation at the actual host sites.
Epicenter: What electric vehicle problem did you see that needed to be solved which ultimately led you to launching EVC Holding Investments?
Wieferich: One of the main "worries" that EV owners have is that when traveling to and through smaller towns, there's uncertainty about charger availability and accessibility. We have had success in working with Consumers Energy and Michigan's EGLE Office (Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy) to identify grants and financing programs to assist in installing some of this infrastructure.
Epicenter: Tell us more about your partnership with Consumers Energy and EGLE?
Wieferich: EVC has built a wonderful working relationship with Consumers Energy and with EGLE. These offices are open to our phone calls when we inquire on potential sites and projects, and they help us identify where the charging "gaps" are throughout the rural areas. They also help us search for grants and offer assistance in off-setting some of the tremendous installation costs associated with installing fast chargers in Michigan.
Epicenter: If someone isn’t familiar with what an EV charger is, how would you describe it to them?
Wieferich: Chargers are an ever-evolving technology, but it's best to think of them in two distinct categories, and it all depends on power output and speed at which they charge a vehicle. DC Fast Chargers are the fastest type, and that is what EVC primarily focuses on installing. Fast chargers are meant for people who might be stopping for 20-30 minutes at a place to "fill up" their EV. These chargers can be found at restaurants, convenience stores, or any retail spot that is looking to draw in customers while their car is charging. The other category of chargers is called "Level 2" chargers. These are slower, and what you might find most people using for a charger at their house for private use but there are some commercial applications as well, where people are parking for an extended period of time. For example: public municipal lots where downtown workers might need to charge while they work or where festivals and gatherings are happening and people are parking for a few hours at a time. Some hotels and apartments complexes have a need for these type of Level 2 chargers as well. The important thing to remember is that each type of charger has various applications and fit differently with each site.
Epicenter: Your plan is to install 20 EV charging stations across Michigan. In which communities can we anticipate seeing them?
Wieferich: We currently have about 17 sites in the state of Michigan with projects underway and that list keeps growing. 20 was the original goal for 2023 and we will be close to having that many installed and completed by year-end, but we also realize winter is getting closer and we only can work/construct these sites with Mother Nature's cooperation. A few of our sites include: Ellen's Corner in Mesick; The ACE Hardware in Oscoda; Carson City Food Center in Carson City; and The Sanford Food Center in Sanford. Once all our sites are complete, these chargers will show up on most major "plug share" apps and on Google, which many EV owners are familiar with using as they plan their trips and search for chargers.
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Courtesy EVC Holding Investments
Epicenter: And Mt. Pleasant is on that list of your EV charging stations across Michigan? Where can people find Mt. Pleasant EV charging stations?
Wieferich: YES! We have some VERY exciting projects that are happening and that are on the horizon for Mt. Pleasant. In addition to the DC Fast Charger that is already installed at Pickard Street Citgo, we have one that is live in the Pizza King plaza at 600 S. Mission. We also are excited to be partnering with the City of Mt. Pleasant to install/upgrade the Level 2 charger in Jockey Alley downtown and we will be installing a bank of Level 2 chargers across the street, as part of the new "Town Center" parking lot renovation. We also are partnering with the Baymont by Wyndham in Mt. Pleasant to install a series of Level 2 chargers at their hotel as well!
Epicenter: There are several smaller communities on that list, too. How important is it to EV Holdings to host EV charging stations in rural Michigan areas?
Wieferich: Providing access to these chargers in smaller, rural towns really has been important to us. You shouldn't have to go to Detroit or Lansing or Grand Rapids to charge your vehicle, and since EVC got our "start" in some of these smaller communities, it will always be important for us to look for opportunities in these under-served areas and give them the same level of accessibility!
Epicenter: Is there anything else about the timeline that’s unfolding, or about EVC Holding Investments that you’d like Epicenter Mt. Pleasant readers to know about?
Wieferich: We still have room to place some projects in our pipeline, so any business or local municipality who might be interested, we would encourage you to reach out. You can contact us via the website at
www.evcholdings.com or via email at info@evcholdings.com.