DTE reaches thousands with seven EV Ride and Drives this year
Electric vehicles (EVs) are on the rise – especially with Michigan’s Big Three automakers making EV adoption commitments, like Ford planning to make two million EVs every year by 2026. With this rise, Michigan has over 50,000 EVs registered in the state, yet many Michiganders have never been in one themselves.
DTE Energy wants to educate its customers on the benefits of EVs and knowing what EVs are on the road is a fun first step. This summer, DTE hosted six EV Ride and Drives for residential customers and the first eFleet Ride and Drive for business customers.
“These drives have a goal of bringing EV experiences to our customers – some for the very first time. It and allows them to test drive a variety of make and models without the sales pitch or having to go dealership to dealership,” said Tony Tomczak, vice president of electric sales and marketing at DTE.
From the Ford F-150 Lightning, GMC Hummer EV, Tesla Model Y, Chevy Bolt and more, each customer has the opportunity to learn about the vehicles and try them on for size. Plus, an EV expert will ride along with them on their 2–3-mile test drive to tell them facts about the vehicle and DTE’s EV programming. The events also feature either DTE’s EV Garage or EV Underpass, which includes a real EV charger, a stationary vehicle and EV information – like the fact that most EVs can drive for 3-4 days on a single charge.
This year was DTE’s first-ever eFleet Ride and Drive, which brought passenger EVs and electric transit vans to business customers looking to electrify their current fleet. In addition to DTE offering up to $70,000 per DC Fast Charger and up to $2,500 per Level 2 port in rebates to businesses, they also offer a unique advisory service model. This service provides each business with a consultant who can help access their business’s fleet status, including a financial analysis, grid support and suggest which vehicles would work with their business.
“We’re committed to bringing EV benefits to our customers, and EV Ride and Drives are one way we do that,” said Tony. “More EVs in Michigan means a cleaner future for communities where we live and serve.”
While each ride and drive event sees around 500 participants, DTE is furthering its EV message to get all customers educated on EV benefits. This includes promoting its $500 EV charger rebate and $1,500 EV rebate, its EV charger installation services for residential and business customers and working with other businesses to expand Michigan’s public charger network. If you want to explore what EVs are out there and compare it to your current vehicle, visit the EV Showroom at ev.dteenergy.com, check out rebates and electric pricing options at dteenergy.com/ev, or stay up to date on all things EV by joining the EV Connections community.
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