And they’re off: Bridge begins five-day EV road trip around Lake Michigan

Meet the Bridge journalists who are amid a five-day road trip in a rented Chevy Bolt
They hope to make it 1,000 miles around Lake Michigan
They have snacks. But ‘honestly the fact that it’s even feasible is surprising to me,’ one says

The snacks are packed, cell phones charged, and the route is mapped out as well as it’ll ever be.

Bridge Michigan journalists Paula Gardner, Kelly House and Asha Lewis began their five-day, 1,000-mile road trip in a rented Chevy Bolt electric vehicle on Monday.

The hope is to make it from Ann Arbor to Lansing to Muskegon and up to the Mackinac Bridge before traversing the Upper Peninsula and trekking south into Wisconsin.

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The goal is to experience Michigan’s charging infrastructure first-hand as the state commits billions of taxpayer dollars into transitioning away from gas power. Look for their travelogues in newsletters, social media and Bridgemi.com.

Before departing, the trio discussed the trip with Bridge executive editor Joel Kurth, when they still weren’t sure what kind of car they would get from the rental agency. Here are highlights:

Paula Gardner. The image looks like a baseball card

Title: Business editor

Favorite car: Saab 900 SE, a car she bought when she was about 30 after getting $200 for a trade-in. “It makes me want to weep that Saab stopped making autos. And every time I see one on the road, I get excited and I want one again.”

Most memorable road trip: Graceland in 1990. Along the way, I met Johnny Cash’s security guard.

Road song: “I’ve Been Everywhere,” by Johnny Cash

Snack: Big water jugs. Gobstoppers.

This is going to be fun. Why are we doing this?

Kelly: We want to know first-hand what the EV experience will be like, as Michigan is amid this huge transition that affects pretty much every aspect of our state and we’ve done significant reporting on it this year.

Paula: It’s been heavy, heavy reporting, and now it’s time to put it in action. The election is coming up. This is all going to get more and more politicized. The time to do this is now before any policies change.

Kelly: Also, it’s summer in Michigan!

Kelly House. The image looks like a baseball card

Title: Environment reporter

Favorite car: Ford Bronco. “My brother owned one when I was a kid and we would go mud-bogging. I was excited when the Bronco came back, but I could never afford it.”

Memorable road trip: Oregon and back in a Chevrolet Cavalier around 2013.

“I drove it like a Jeep and ended up overheating on a mountain in the middle of nowhere. Later, I used Google Maps to get gas in a tiny town, but the station was only open two days a week. Eventually, the mayor in the town came out and gave me gas out of the can he used to mow his lawn.”

Road song: “Another Travelin’ Song” by Bright Eyes

Snack: Bugles and Jolly Ranchers.

This is something a bit different for Bridge. What do you think we can get from this trip? Why now?

Kelly: EVs have been around for a while now, but we are reaching the point in the growth curve. Everyone involved in this transition is expecting a ramp-up that leads to exponential growth in the coming years. So much of this hinges on user experience and whether it’s fun and easy to drive EVs. Many auto buyers right now are asking themselves this question so I think we can do a public service too.

Any fears?

Asha: We get stranded. That’s a big fear.

Paula: The UP is just a bit of an unknown, and some parts (are so remote) it feels dangerous. I remember being up there one time when we made it into a gas station right after they had closed and they reopened it for us at like, 6 o’clock in the evening. And I just remember like, that moment of like, “God, dang it. It’s different up here, right?”

Any surprises so far?

Paula: Figuring out where to stay is a big surprise, especially booking a place where we can just spend one night where there is an accessible charger and three beds. The filters for vacation searches kept getting smaller and smaller.

Asha Lewis. The image looks like a baseball card

Title: Digital associate.

Favorite drive: 2021 Subaru Forester, which is also her current car

Road trip: Trip to the Upper Peninsula with father in August 2018.

“We rented a Jeep, which was a horrible, horrible idea. Oh my God, the bugs on that windshield. And it was so uncomfortable. We went to a bear sanctuary and on a sailboat but the farthest we got was Tahquamenon Falls. “

Road song: “Wide Open Spaces,” by The Chicks

Snack: Pretzel M&Ms. Spicy Chex mix.

Asha: Honestly the fact that it’s even feasible is surprising to me.

Kelly: I’m surprised how little you can plan in some regards when you don’t know what car you’re going to get. So much of the charging infrastructure now involves different kinds of plug points that (vary) depending on what kind of car you have and where you can stop to charge. So it’s hard to plan ahead and know where to stop. Talking to EV users, I’ve been really surprised at people figuring out how guerrilla charge to use off-the-radar places

Alright, this is the moment of truth. Let’s lock it in: Total odometer mileage predictions for all five days.

Paula: 1,189

Asha: 1,100

Kelly: 1,250

Come along for the ride

Bridge Michigan’s EV Road Trip starts Monday and lasts five days. We want readers to come along for the ride.

Follow along: We’ll document our journey on Bridgemi.com Instagram and Facebook and send daily postcards from the road. To receive them, sign up for our free Environment Watch and Business Watch newsletters.
Tell us: From Muskegon up to the Mackinac Bridge and along US-2 in the Upper Peninsula, what are your favorite spots? Where should we go?
Questions: What do you want to know about EVs? What makes you curious about this journey? What would persuade you to make the switch from a gas-powered car?
Advice: If you’re an EV owner, what advice do you have for us?
Don’t be shy: Reach out to us at khouse@bridgemi.com, pgardner@bridgemi.comand alewis@bridgemi.com