The state of Michigan has funded the installation of EV chargers on lampposts in Detroit and other locations. The Michigan Mobility Funding Platform (MMFP), administered by the state’s Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME), has selected EV charging company Voltpost to deploy the chargers at a cost of $100,000 USD. Each of the ten locations will have chargers at curbsides or in parking lots.

Voltpost claims its lamppost charging platform reduces the cost, timing, and footprint of EV chargers by retrofitting existing infrastructure and removing the need for construction and trenching. This lowers the barriers to implementing municipality-owned EV systems and more easily allows municipalities to generate new revenue streams from the charging fees.

The lamppost EV charging project is part of Michigans’s goal to build a reliable, convenient and accessible statewide network of 100,000 EV chargers by 2030. “We have an aggressive goal to reach 100,000 chargers in the state by 2030, and accessible, convenient, and scalable charging infrastructure is needed to meet this challenge. Embracing innovation in electric vehicle charging infrastructure is not just about advancing technology; it’s about driving progress towards a sustainable future, where convenience meets environmental responsibility,” said Justine Johnson, chief mobility officer for the State of Michigan.

This is the second grant that Voltpost has received from the MMFP. The company was awarded a $65,000 grant from the MMFP for the deployment of its retrofit lamppost charging platform at the Detroit Smart Parking Lab (DSPL) to simulate a curbside charging environment. A demo unit is now up in Newlab at Michigan Central.

Voltpost’s work in Michigan aligns with the Detroit’s focus on Level 2 EV charging solutions for curbside charging. The city’s goal is to deploy 250 Level 2 curbside chargers on city-owned land.