EV Charging Station Ribbon Cutting Event

Traverse City installs Electric Vehicle Charging Stations from Blink Charging Across the City

installation of new publicly accessible chargers celebrated at ribbon-cutting event.

Friday, August 27, 2021

Contact: Kelli Schroeder, Manager of HR & Communications, 231-932-4545, kschroeder@tclp.org 

Traverse City, MI. – Today, Traverse City Light & Power (TCL&P) announced the installation of electric vehicle (EV) chargers as part of a comprehensive environmental program to reduce the City’s carbon footprint. Through a unique public-private partnership, Blink Charging Co. (Nasdaq: BLNK) a leading owner, operator, and provider of electric vehicle charging equipment and services, and TCL&P, a community-owned, community-focused municipal utility, are deploying 3 direct current fast (DCFC) and 12 dual-port IQ 200 Level 2 charging stations across the City, for a total of 27 charging ports.

TCL&P hosted a ribbon cutting event today, August 27^th at 11am, at Clinch Park to commemorate the installation, inviting local community leaders, business leaders and the public. Remarks from state, regional and local dignitaries was followed by an EV showcase in partnership with local dealerships where various full EVs and plug-in models will be on display.

“This installation expands Michigan’s electric vehicle infrastructure at a key location, which will alleviate range anxiety in Northern Michigan and spur more sustainable travel throughout the state,” said Charlie Tyson, Technology Activation Manager with the Office of Future Mobility and Electrification. “The state of Michigan remains committed to accelerating EV adoption among Michigan residents and addressing the impacts of climate change through advanced mobility solutions and critical charging infrastructure.”

The installation of these charging stations is the latest effort by TCL&P to expand EV infrastructure throughout the city and reduce its carbon footprint. This deployment contributes to efforts by Michigan Clean Cities, a coalition working to address the national challenge of petroleum dependence as part of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Cities initiative, to spur the development of electric vehicle charging corridors throughout Michigan. In May, TCL&P was awarded a $173,763 grant from the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) towards the installation of the EV charging station infrastructure. One of only 32 entities throughout the state that received grant funding, TCL&P was awarded the second highest amount in this round of grant funding. The EGLE grant is funded through the Volkswagen emission settlement and comes at no cost to the Michigan taxpayer.

“We are committed to doing our part in Traverse City’s transition to electric vehicles by creating the infrastructure that will allow it to happen,” said Paul Heiberger, TCL&P Board Chairperson. “This is an exciting opportunity and one that is in line with our strategic goals related to environmental stewardship.”

The IQ 200 Level 2 and DC fast chargers will be installed in 5 public parking lots throughout the downtown Traverse City area and the Traverse Area District Library offering 27 new locations for electric vehicles to charge.

Surrounded by natural beauty, Traverse City is committed to providing residents and tourists the opportunity to adopt clean living practices, including making the switch to electric vehicles. TCL&P’s focus on providing reliable and fast EV charging infrastructure makes driving an EV to and throughout the city feasible and attractive.

“Blink is proud to partner with Traverse City as it works towards its climate emissions goals,” said Brendan Jones, President of Blink Charging. “With the new Blink Level 2 and DC chargers, Traverse City residents can have confidence that their city’s infrastructure is well positioned to meet their charging needs today and to serve the EVs of tomorrow.”

“On behalf of Michigan Clean Cities, I’m excited about this step by Traverse City Light & Power to put northern Michigan at the leading edge in the Midwest for national goals of energy, economic and environmental security,” said Maggie Striz Calnin, Coordinator for Michigan Clean Cities. “Cutting emissions from transportation is a necessary step that has to happen now and is in line with goals to keep Michigan healthy and resilient in the face of climate change.

ABOUT TRAVERSE CITY LIGHT & POWER

Traverse City Light & Power (www.tclp.org) is a community-owned, community-focused municipal utility that offers reliable energy at low rates in the region to over 12,700 customers in Traverse City, and parts of East Bay, Elmwood, Garfield and Peninsula townships. Now offering TCLPfiber, an all-fiber, gigabit internet service.

ABOUT MICHIGAN CLEAN CITIES

The Clean Cities Initiative, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy, is focused on advancing clean transportation solutions – for a clean environment and a healthy economy that’s energy secure through a strong domestic fuel market with low-carbon and renewable energy sources. Michigan Clean Cities implements alternative and renewable fuels, idle reduction measures, fuel economy improvements and emerging transportation technologies for you, your company, and our communities. Activities of Michigan Clean Cities include supporting the Alternative Fuel Station Locator and development of alternative fuel and electric vehicle highway corridors in Michigan. www.cleancities.energy.gov

ABOUT BLINK CHARGING

Blink Charging Co. (Nasdaq: BLNK, BLNKW) is a leader in electric vehicle (EV) charging equipment and has deployed over 23,000 charging stations, many of which are networked EV charging stations, enabling EV drivers to easily charge at any of the Company’s charging locations worldwide. Blink Charging’s principal line of products and services include its Blink EV charging network (“Blink Network”), EV charging equipment, and EV charging services. The Blink Network uses proprietary, cloud-based software that operates, maintains, and tracks the EV charging stations connected to the network and the associated charging data. With global EV purchases forecasted to rise to 10 million by 2025 from approximately 2 million in 2019, the Company has established key strategic partnerships for rolling out adoption across numerous location types, including parking facilities, multifamily residences and condos, workplace locations, health care/medical facilities, schools and universities, airports, auto dealers, hotels, mixed-use municipal locations, parks and recreation areas, religious institutions, restaurants, retailers, stadiums, supermarkets, and transportation hubs. For more information, please visit https://www.blinkcharging.com/.

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