Wright-Hennepin Wants Customers To Report Electric Vehicle Purchase
It’s becoming more common to see electric vehicles on Minnesota roads. Annette Kuyper is one of those people who drives an EV.
“I’ve just been driving it for a few months, getting to know the Tesla, and it’s great,” Kuyper said. “It’s been a great opportunity, has great pick-up.”
Kuyper is the community relations & beneficial electrification director at Wright-Hennepin Cooperative Electric Association, which provides service to thousands of people in western Hennepin County. She says, we’re only going to see more of these electric vehicles on Minnesota roads.
“We’re preparing for the growth of electric vehicles,” Kuyper said. “All the major auto manufacturers have predicted growth in this area.”
Her message, for anyone who buys an electric vehicle, is to contact their utility.
Annette Kuyper of Wright-Hennepin Cooperative Electric Association shows off the inside of her Tesla.
“That is important for grid stability,” Kuyper said. “That we make sure that anyone who owns an electric vehicle contacts our utility to get on a money-saving program and an energy saving program.”
Back on Aug. 21, Kuyper shared that message with the Maple Grove City Council.
In a presentation to the council that day, Kuyper said that at the beginning of 2023, a total of 28,254 battery electric vehicles were registered in Minnesota. These vehicles have the largest impact to Wright-Hennepin’s power grid.
Wright-Hennepin expects that number to increase tenfold over the next ten years, so they’re working now to educate people about these vehicles and get them more familiar with the potential savings.
“For the electric vehicle, it’s probably about $25-$30 a month for me to charge,” Kuyper said. “It’s quite significantly less than I would pay for gas to get to and from work.”
Meanwhile, Wright-Hennepin Cooperative Electric Association is hosting an electric vehicle ride and drive event at its headquarters in Rockford on Sept. 21.
The event goes from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at 6800 Electric Drive, P.O. Box 330 Rockford, MN 55373
Related: Plymouth Installing New Electric Vehicle Charging Stations
