Racine Sun

The city of Racine is poised to be a regular stop on a new 1,100-mile, multi-state trek around Lake Michigan that is being billed as encouraging tourism and green energy while traveling.

Kathy Blumenfeld, Wisconsin Department of Administration (DOA) secretary-designee, described the Lake Michigan Electric Vehicle (EV) Circuit Tour as a collective effort involving the governors of Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana and Illinois. With the route crafted along the Lake Michigan shoreline, the trek spans some 350 miles in Wisconsin and is slated to be dotted with numerous charging stations for the benefit of EV drivers.

The agreement calls for officials to develop a network of EV charging locations along the coastline, ultimately crafting enough to support round-trip EV travel based on the number of annual tourists using the network.

“The Lake Michigan Electric Vehicle Circuit Tour will be the best new road trip for EV drivers in the nation,” Blumenfeld told RacineCountyEye.com recently. “This is what the future will look like.”

Racine Mayor Cory Mason said the venture is one that is already proving to sell itself.

“We’ve gotten great feedback and it’s provided a boost for tourism spending,” said Mason, who announced the state’s involvement at the city’s solar-powered EV charging station located outside of City Hall. The City Hall EV charging station is free, and City officials envision travelers frequenting an assortment of downtown businesses as their vehicle recharges.

No cost estimates or timeline for the overall EV charging station network has been given, and the plan remains a work in progress.