• by Richard Whitman , Columnist, April 25, 2016

When I traveled to San Francisco and head up to Ram Gate winery, I originally thought it was strange that they had charging stations for electric vehicles right there at the winery. And then I thought, why not? There are more and more electric cars on the roads every day and when you visit a winery, you're generally there for an hour or more -- the perfect length of time to juice up your electric car.

So it's really not surprising -- actually it's far more logical -- that businesses install chargers in office parking lots. After all, everyone spends a good 8-10 hours there every day, right? That's exactly what Team Detroit did.

The agency has completed the installation of four GE DuraStation charging stations at its Dearborn headquarters. The charging is free. Of the installation, Team Detroit SVP of Global Production Operations Kristen Schweitzer said: "We're delighted to be able to offer vehicle charging, especially as electric vehicle ownership grows in popularity. By giving employees a place to plug in we hope that driving an EV can now become an option for more people."

The agency's Team Green, a grassroots employee initiative formed in 2008, has championed this and other green efforts over the years with initiatives like composting and recycling programs, installation of motion-sensor lights and plumbing upgrades, as well as community service partnerships with organizations like Detroit Dirt and The Greening of Detroit.

Since that time the agency has received the United States Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design Silver Certification in 2011 and its Urban Green EBie Award in 2012.

Schweitzer added: "These charging stations add to Team Detroit's history of providing smart and sustainable resources to employees, and we hope it encourages more Team Detroiters to go green."