The state of Michigan has announced the opening of a prototype program known as the Mobility Charging Hub, aimed at helping fleets transition to electric commercial vehicles (EVs) and and test new technologies, digital services and business models designed to accelerate deployment of commercial EVs at scale and modernize the truck stop experience. The program will also serve the dual purpose of supporting passenger vehicle charging.

According to the recent release, Michigan will have access to $13 million in funding to support the Mobility Charging Hub development and secure partnerships with companies aiming to test and implement solutions related to EV innovation, fleet management and overall ease of travel.

With $8.5 million in federal funding support from a Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE) grant award to Michigan’s Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity, Michigan’s Office of Future Mobility and Electrification (OFME) says it will also establish a grant program through the Mobility Charging Hub that will help fund future activations onsite.

DTE says it will operate the core infrastructure of the Mobility Charging Hub – including EV charging solutions, solar canopies, and battery energy storage systems, and will look to partner with third-party operators for value-added services. After successful demonstrated usage and commercial viability in the first phase, OFME and its partners will work to enable the Mobility Charging Hub as a platform for testing, similar to sites like the Detroit Smart Parking Lab, Michigan Central, and the FLITE Program at Gerald R. Ford International Airport.

Located at DTNA’s multi-acre Redford facility near I-96, the site is already equipped with the necessary power. In addition, DTNA says its existing workforce training programs for EVs can be expanded in the future to provide training programs related to agnostic EV charging infrastructure with the establishment of the Mobility Charging Hub.