Bridge Michigan
Paul Gardner, Kelly House, and Asha Lewis
July 25, 2024
Last updated: Wednesday, July 25 at 10:38 a.m. Follow along as Bridge Michigan’s Paula Gardner, Kelly House and Asha Lewis take a 1,000-mile trek around Lake Michigan in a rented EV. Check here throughout the day for their latest adventures.
ST. IGNACE — After a stressful Tuesday, we had a much easier time on Wednesday thanks to starting the morning with a full battery.
Free from the burden of recharging throughout the day, we had more time for fun.
That included stopping at a winery and a lavender farm near Petoskey, cruising through the Tunnel of Trees just north of Harbor Springs and having dinner at Legs Inn, a century-old Polish restaurant in Cross Village known for its ornate wood and stonework, lush gardens and stunning view of Lake Michigan. (Thanks for the suggestion, readers!)
Then it was on to Mackinaw City, where we planned ahead to use a Tesla Supercharger before crossing the bridge. Although most Superchargers are available only to Tesla drivers, the company has equipped some with adapters to serve other vehicle types.
(And in what many see as a game-changer that will alleviate “range anxiety” for non-Tesla drivers, many automakers are now selling cars with adapters that allow drivers to use even those Superchargers that aren’t already designed to serve non-Tesla vehicles. It’s a step toward plug point standardization that many say is badly needed).
Figuring out how to use the Superchargers wasn’t intuitive. We got help from Paul, a fellow EV driver who had also stopped to charge.
After downloading the Tesla app (the fourth proprietary charging app we have used on this trip), inputting our payment information and holding a button on the charging station, out popped an adapter that allowed us to plug in.
We paid $7.95 to add 58 miles over 30 minutes. That’s the drawback of fast chargers. They’re more convenient, but also far more expensive than slower Level 2 chargers.
Next, it was back on the road and over the Mackinac Bridge to Straits State Park in St. Ignace, our campsite for the night.
A bit of luck: The rental car agency had provided us with the adapter needed to plug into the electricity pedestal at our campsite — something others had told us not to expect.
We were already 80% full, but the overnight charge pushed us to 100%, leaving us feeling confident as we head off into the charging deserts of the Upper Peninsula.
Time to pack up the tents and head out!
We’ve already detailed what it was like to white-knuckle along M-22, wondering if we’d make it to an EV charger before the car’s battery died.
Now you can see us arrive at Mawby Vineyards and Winery, thanks to Glenn Stevens, executive director of MichAuto, the statewide auto advocacy group.
Come meet us!
The Bridge Michigan EV road trip team will have some free time on Friday morning before we head into Wisconsin and across Lake Michigan via the SS Badger ferry.
And we’d love the chance to meet some of our U.P. readers!
We’ll be posted up at Stephenson Bakery, 4000 10th Street in Menominee, from 8-10 a.m. on Friday morning.
Come have a donut and a cup of coffee on us! We’ll also have a limited supply of Bridge Michigan mugs and stickers to give out.
We hope to see you there!