DTE Offers Electric Vehicle Charging Rate Options

If you own or are considering the purchase of a plug-in electric vehicle (PEV), be sure to call Oak Electric Service for the installation of your electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE). You will also be glad to know that DTE Energy offers a special electric vehicle charging rate.

Most PEV drivers will charge their vehicle’s rechargeable onboard battery packs overnight at home. The battery packs can be charged from two types of outlets: Level 1 (120 volts) and Level 2 (240 volts). The difference in voltage does not affect the amount of energy stored in the battery, but the rate at which the battery is charged. Depending on the battery size and how far the vehicle was driven, Level 2 charging takes between 3 and 8 hours to fully charge a battery, or half the time of Level 1 charging.

DTE Energy PEV customers can choose one of two electric vehicle rate plans—you can opt to stay on your current Residential Rate Plan, or consider a Whole House Time of Use Rate Plan. With the Whole House plan, you charge your electric vehicle off-peak along with other house hold appliances under the Whole House Time of Use Rate.

Customers using a Level 2 charger can also take advantage of DTE Energy’s PEV Time of Use Rate or PEV Flat Rate.

For more details, visit the DTE Energy website at: www2.dteenergy.com.

Remember that for safety reasons, a licensed electrician should be called to perform EVSE installations, which
must comply with local, state, and national codes and regulations. Appropriate permits may be required from the local building, fire, environmental, and electrical inspecting and permitting authorities.

Oak Electric Service is one of southeast Michigan’s leading electrical and renewable energy contractors. Give us a call at (800) 964-7070 to schedule your EVSE installation. Our experts are standing by to answer all of your questions. We invite you to visit our website at www.oakelectric.com to learn more about us.

Electric Vehicles Are Not New to Detroit

On June 25, 1914, the Detroit Taxicab & Transfer Co. launched its first electric vehicle, complete with a nickel-iron battery developed by Thomas Edison. The taxis could be operated for less than 20 cents a mile, with the company charging riders as much as 70 cents for the first mile and 40 cents a mile after that.

The electric taxis designed and built by the DTTC were very economical and easy to drive. “Curb boosting” is the term used to describe how the vehicles were charged when not in use—that is, they were attached to charging poles at cab stands.

By the mid to late 1920s, as gas engines became more refined and economical, the electric cab began to disappear from the streets of Detroit. But thanks to the growing demand for energy efficient and environmentally friendly transportation, electric taxis are once again being seen on the roads of metro Detroit.

Oak Electric Service is one of southeast Michigan’s leading electrical and renewable energy contractors. Give us a call at (800) 964-7070. We are standing by to answer all of your residential and commercial electrical questions. We will always personally answer your phone call – you will never reach an answering service! Be sure to ask about our “Free Electrical Safety Inspection” with every job. We invite you to visit our website at http://www.oakelectric.com to learn more about us.

Basics of Charging Your Electric Vehicle at Home

Before you decide to purchase a plug-in electric vehicle (PEV), you will need to determine where you will charge it—at home, at work or at a public electric charging station.

Charging time will be dependent on how depleted the battery is, its storage capacity, and the on-board charging characteristics designed into the vehicle by the auto manufacturer.

If you decide on a home charging station, you can choose either Level 1-AC (single phase) or DC charging, or Level 2-AC (single phase) or DC charging. Most PEVs come with a Level 1 charger that allows you to plug your vehicle into any standard 110 outlet. Level 1 charging can take up to 10 hours to fully charge a battery.

Level 2 charging requires a testing lab certified charging station that typically is permanently mounted to a wall or metal or wood post; and a dedicated 240-volt outlet in the garage or location where the vehicle will be charged. For safety reasons, a licensed electrician should be called to ensure the installation is done in compliance with the National Electric Code (NEC) Article 625, and inspected. Level 2 charging can fully charge a battery in two to six hours.

Oak Electric sells, installs and services Clipper Creek electric car charging stations. Call us today for more information.

Oak Electric Service is one of southeast Michigan’s leading electrical and renewable energy contractors.Give us a call at (800) 964-7070. We are standing by to answer all of your residential and commercial electrical questions. We will always personally answer your phone call – you will never reach an answering service! Be sure to ask about our “Free Electrical Safety Inspection” with every job. We invite you to visit our website at http://www.oakelectric.com to learn more about us.

Oak Electric for Your Electrical Needs—And More

When Oak Electric Service says we are a full-service electrical contractor, we mean it.

We have over 30 years of collective experience as residential, commercial and industrial electrical contractors. Oak Electric serves more than 8,000 customers in southeast Michigan with a wide range of electrical and renewable energy solutions, including:

• 24-hour emergency service
• Automatic standby and backup generators—sales, installation, service and parts for major generator manufacturers
• General electrical services, repairs and troubleshooting, including circuit breaker panel upgrades; appliance and ceiling fan repair and installation; pools and hot tubs
• Solar panel systems specialists—For residential and commercial customers. We are NABCEP (North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners) certified.
• Wind power systems specialists
• Underground wire and fault location
• Line and underground conversions
• Commercial lighting upgrades
• Insurance restoration work
• Thermography testing for commercial customers
• Electric car charging systems installation

Oak Electric Service is one of southeast Michigan’s leading electrical contractors. Give us a call at (800) 964-7070. We are standing by to answer all of your residential and commercial electrical questions. We will always personally answer your phone call – you will never reach an answering service! Be sure to ask about our “Free Electrical Safety Inspection” with every job. We invite you to visit our website at www.oakelectric.com to learn more about us. And be sure to “like” us on Facebook.

Electric-Only Driving Is Gaining Acceptance

Ford Motor Company is reporting that data from Ford plug-in hybrid drivers shows that consumers are embracing electric-only driving faster than expected.

Data collected from the MyFord Mobile app in the plug-in Fusion and C-Max Energi models and the Focus Electric shows customers drive more than 8,400 electric-only miles every hour, and about 203,000 electric-only miles per day. (Ford has sold about 10,400 of these vehicles to date.)

Driving habits of electric-only vehicle owners also show that the number of all-electric trips increases nearly 50 percent after the first six months of ownership as consumers become more familiar with their vehicle’s range and the location of charging stations. On average, drivers are charging their vehicles at least six times.

Oak Electric Services is meeting the growing demand for electric vehicle (EV) charging station installions. We make it easy to have affordable, reliable EV systems installed at your home, business, vacation home or any location where you will plugging in your EV on a regular basis. Oak Electric is a certified sales and installation specialist for SPX and ClipperCreek charging stations.

Oak Electric Service is one of southeast Michigan’s leading electrical contractors. Give us a call at (800) 964-7070. We are standing by to answer all of your residential and commercial electrical questions. We will always personally answer your phone call – you will never reach an answering service! Be sure to ask about our “Free Electrical Safety Inspection.” We invite you to visit our website at www.oakelectric.com to learn more about us.

See Oak Electric for Home Electric Charging Stations

Oak Electric has been certified by SPX Services as a sales and installation specialist for Chevrolet Volt charging stations in a number of Michigan zip codes.  If you have a plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) and are considering a home charging station, here are some basic facts about electrical requirements for home charging stations.

PEVs are powered by rechargeable onboard battery packs, which use stored electricity to propel the vehicle. The battery packs can be charged from two types of outlets: 120 volts (Level 1) and 240 volts (Level 2).

The difference in voltage does not affect the amount of energy stored in the battery, but the rate at which the battery is charged.

A 120-volt outlet is the standard outlet most commonly found in a household. It supplies alternating current (AC), which is used to power everything from alarm clocks to desktop computers. A PEV plugged into a 120-volt outlet can take from 8 to 15 hours to fully charge, depending on battery size and how low the battery charge is to begin with.  Level 1 charging requires a dedicated 15 or 20 Amp outlet in the garage or other location where the vehicle will be charged.

Level 2 charging is done using a 240-volt circuit, much like that used for an electric dryer, electric stove, or a central air conditioning system. Most garages don’t have a 240 volt circuit, so one would need to be installed to facilitate faster charging. Level 2 charging can take from 3 to 8 hours, about half the time of Level 1.

The vehicle manufacturer may specify what Electrical Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) should be used with their vehicle which will determine the exact equipment you should install.  If the vehicle is kept outdoors, special, weather-proof, equipment may be needed.

Depending on the battery size and how far the vehicle was driven, Level 2 charging takes between 3 and 8 hours to fully charge a battery, or half the time of Level 1 charging.

Detroit Edison recommends that customers installing Level 2 charging equipment install a separately metered to serve this load.  This will allow you to save even more on your vehicle’s fuel cost by charging your vehicle at lower off-peak prices using Detroit Edison’s optional electric vehicle rate.

For safety reasons, a licensed electrician should be called to perform the installation of the EVSE. Oak Electric Service is one of southeast Michigan’s leading electrical and renewable energy contractors. If you are contemplating making energy improvements to your home or business, give us a call at (800) 964-7070. We invite you to visit our website at www.oakelectric.com to learn more about us.

Oak Electric Now Offers ClipperCreek Electric Vehicle Charging Stations

While the worldwide market for all vehicles will grow by about four percent per year over the next six years, analysts estimate that the electric vehicle market will grow at a rate of almost 20 percent over the same time frame.

As an electrical contractor, Oak Electric continues to focus on the changing needs of the energy industry as it relates to residential and commercial markets in metro Detroit. We now offer electric vehicle charging stations from ClipperCreek, a leading manufacturer of safe, reliable, affordable charging stations for utilities, municipalities, residential and private fleet customers.

ClipperCreek charge stations are the first to meet Underwriter’s Laboratories standards; they also meet the new SAE standards and are designed to operate with all Plug-In cars and trucks coming to market. ClipperCreek has a large family of products which operate from 120V to 240V and charge at rates of 12 to 75 Amps.

ClipperCreek is the exclusive provider of charging stations for BMW’s Mini-E and Tesla Motors’ Roadster. The company’s charging stations also power the Chevy Volt, Nissan Leaf, THINK City, smart fortwo electric and Wheego LiFe vehicles.

Oak Electric Service is one of southeast Michigan’s leading electrical and renewable energy contractors. If you are contemplating the purchase of an electric car, give us a call at (800) 964-7070. We invite you to visit our website at www.oakelectric.com to learn more about us and our renewable energy solutions.