MOORHEAD, Minn., Dec. 5, 2018 – The first fast charger for electric vehicles on Interstate 94 west of the Twin Cities debuted today in Moorhead, Minnesota.

The new DC Fast Charger at the Holiday Center (800 Holiday Drive), located at the northeast corner of I-94 and Highway 75 (Eighth Street South), enables drivers of all-electric vehicles to bring their batteries to full charge in 30 to 45 minutes.

The electric vehicle charging hub – which also includes two Level II chargers – represents the first of its kind charging station in the City of Moorhead and continues to fill the gaps in Western Minnesota. The station was made possible in part through funding from Moorhead Public Service (MPS), Missouri River Energy Services (MRES), Krantz Family Trusts, and the Michigan to Montana I-94 Clean Fuel Corridor project (M2M).

“With this electric vehicle charging station, Moorhead now has even more ties (pun intended!) into the transportation sector than before, when the city was named after William Moorhead, a previous official in the railroad industry,” property owner Angela Jordahl Lepine said, “The Holiday Center is excited to be part of this project. We think our location is a perfect fit for travelers on I-94/I-29. Even locally it is an easy location to get to. And with the restaurants, coffee shop, food courts and hotel right there, what could be better?”

The ZEF Energy charging hub allows for as many as three electric vehicles to charge at the same time. The station includes one direct current fast charger and two Level II chargers. The 50-kilowatt charger provides 200 miles of battery range for every hour the vehicle is plugged in, while the two Level II chargers at the hub provide 25 miles of battery range for every hour the vehicle is plugged in.

“To find a location near the intersection of I-94 and I-29 to host this station was not easy but worked out perfectly,” ZEF Energy CEO Matthew Blackler said. “It is my hope that others can see this endeavor and be inspired to also become an electric vehicle driver destination.”

The M2M project, spearheaded by GTI – a leading research, development, and training organization addressing global energy and environmental challenges – is funded through a $4.9 million U.S. Department of Energy Grant awarded in December 2016. It is being facilitated in partnership with Clean Cities coalitions, including North Dakota Clean Cities and Twin Cities Clean Cities Coalition, to build alternative fuel infrastructure along the Interstate 94 corridor.

As a part of the M2M project, a charging hub opened in Tomah, Wisconsin this past August.

The Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce marked today’s milestone with a ribbon-cutting ceremony, attended by the public and project partners.

“We applaud all of the project partners for their work in bringing the electric vehicle charging hub to Moorhead,” Twin Cities Clean Cities Coalition Coordinator Lisa Thurstin said. “This station is filling a gap in the I-94 corridor for electric vehicle charging in western Minnesota and eastern North Dakota. Adding options for electric vehicle charging along the I-94 corridor helps improve air quality, boosts economic development, reduces our nation’s dependence on imported oil and supports local jobs.”

GTI Director of Transportation Ted Barnes said the U.S. Department of Energy’s support of this project and others along Interstate 94, “confirms the critical role alternative fuel corridors play in our nation’s transportation network. Thank you to the U.S. Department of Energy and all of the project partners for making this new station possible.”

“Every once in a great while one gets a chance to participate in something bigger than oneself, something new and unique,” said Dennis Eisenbraun, MPS Energy Services Manager. “It was MPS’ goal to get a fast EV charger in Moorhead but doing it on our own did not seem to be the correct approach. By participating in the M2M project MPS acquires an electric vehicle charger in Moorhead by being part of a larger federally sanctioned project that is bigger, newer, and more unique than what was ever originally imagined.”

“As a power supplier to Moorhead, we are very excited to participate in this electric vehicle charging project,” said Joni Livingston, MRES director of member services and communications. “Electric vehicles offer energy savings, emissions reductions and community benefits, all in a high performance, fun-to-drive vehicle.”

After the grand opening celebration and when the air warms up, Twin Cities Clean Cities Coalition will host a Midwest EVOLVE (Electric Vehicle Opportunities: Learning, eVents, Experience) electric vehicle ride and drive. Attendees will then have the chance to experience electric vehicles first-hand and learn about their many benefits. Stay tuned for the date!

About Midwest EVOLVE

Midwest EVOLVE is a three-year effort aimed at demonstrating the performance and environmental benefits of plug-in electric vehicles through showcases, ride and drives and other events. Twin Cities Clean Cities Coalition and North Dakota Clean Cities are partners on the seven-state project with six other Clean Cities coalitions and the American Lung Association.

The U.S. Department of Energy Clean Cities coalitions are nonprofit organizations designed to reduce petroleum consumption in the transportation sector by advancing the use of alternative fuels and vehicles, idle reduction technologies, hybrid electric vehicles, fuel blends and fuel economy.

Midwest EVOLVE has more than 60 partners, including the American Lung Association, Argonne National Laboratory, PlugInConnect, automakers, utilities, state agencies, municipalities, dealerships, and dealer associations.

The Midwest EVOLVE project is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), under Award Number DE-EE0007743. To learn more or locate Midwest EVOLVE events, visit MidwestEVOLVE.org or follow EVOLVE via Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.