Electric charging stations coming to Grand Marais

Grand Marais is one step closer to joining Minnesota’s electric vehicle charging corridor, which runs from the Twin Cities to Thunder Bay. In late August, city council voted in favor of the PCU granting a license to allow Zeff to place two electric vehicle charging stations in the City Hall parking lot. The city’s license is good for seven years, with the understanding that if the building use changes, then the city will find an alternate location for the stations.

Starting from the Twin Cities, heading north on Interstate 35W, there are currently 60 charging stations. According to plugshare.com, a few are free, however most require fees of $3-$6 for a 30-minute charge. Within Cook County, there are currently four EV stations. Visitors can charge at Surfside (Tofte), Blue Fin Bay (Tofte), Lutsen Resort and the Grand Marais Rec Park.

According to driveelectricmn.org there are two different types of electric vehicles currently utilizing the stations in Minnesota. The All- Electric (EVs) are vehicles running only off batteries. These batteries store the electric energy that powers the motor. Examples of EVs are the Nissan Leaf and all Tesla models. The other model, Plug-In Hybrids (PHEV) are powered by an internal combustion engine that can run on traditional gasoline and an electric motor that runs off stored energy. As an example, the Chevy Volt runs off a charge the first 50 miles before switching to gasoline.

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