TEXAS TOWNSHIP, Mich. (WOOD) — Electric vehicles from Tesla, Kia, Ford and GM took to the streets Saturday as part of a Consumers Energy test drive event at Kalamazoo Valley Community College.

The event comes as some automakers, utility companies and government officials look to persuade American drivers to make the switch to EVs.

Jarrod Skogen with Consumers Energy’s PowerMIDrive program, which provides rebates for both home and business customers to install EV chargers, says the transition starts with demystifying EVs.

“We just really want to give customers the opportunity to get behind the wheel of an EV and see what it’s like,” Skogen said. “Eighty to 90% of our drivers that come out are first-time EV drivers.”

While some people are new to green energy, others like Greg Monette have already tapped into the technology. He says he had a solar array connected to his house in 2020, and adding an EV might be a way to further cut energy costs.

“As much as we drive city miles and as much as my wife drives for work, it seems like a common-sense solution for us to go forward with,” Monette said.

The EV transition has slowed compared to what was anticipated a decade ago because of consumer concerns with finding places to charge, according to Judd Herzer, mobility director at Michigan State University.

But he says support from the federal government is easing that concern. 

“The federal government put $7.5 billion into the deployment of a national electric vehicle charging network, and we’re starting to see a lot of those stations come online,” Herzer said. “Which is certainly going to help with consumers overcoming what is still one of the largest barriers.”

Herzer also clarified that there is no federal or state mandate requiring people to switch to EVs.

One of the vehicles on the road Saturday was a GMC Sierra EV from the Factory Zero plant near Detroit — an example of Michigan automakers expanding their EV options.

“We here in Michigan stand to both gain a lot if we see those jobs and those investments in EV production happen here in Michigan,” Herzer said. “But we also stand to lose a lot if those investments don’t happen.”