Michigan’s EV evangelists luring 'fence-sitters' away from gas cars

• Experts say education is key to convincing many gas car drivers to switch to EVs
• Across Michigan, groups of happy EV owners have made it their mission to convince friends, neighbors and acquaintances of the benefits
• By 2030, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer wants 2 million Michiganders to drive EVs

MUSKEGON — It was sticker shock over gas prices that got Karl Bloss into an electric vehicle years before most drivers were even considering it.

But the smooth ride, cheap refueling and environmental benefits have kept him there. 

Nearly a decade later, the 58-year-old retired engineer in Muskegon has amassed three EVs (two cars and a motorcycle), an encyclopedic knowledge of what it takes to “de-ICE” one’s life (a play on the acronym for an internal combustion engine), and a passion for sharing that knowledge with the uninitiated.

“I create spreadsheets, I do road trip planning, and I know not everybody's like that,” Bloss said. “I want people to succeed.”

Bloss is among a growing cadre of electric vehicle evangelists in Michigan — satisfied EV owners who are passionate about helping other drivers ditch their gas-powered vehicles.

From Detroit to Kalamazoo, they blog about EVs, organize test drives for the EV-curious, recruit businesses to install chargers and enroll in car shows alongside the throngs of high-octane muscle car owners.

Experts say their highly public enthusiasm for EVs is crucial to building the consumer confidence needed to get America off gasoline by midcentury.

Evolution of an EV-angelical

Before he retired to Muskegon, Bloss’ career in the chemicals industry took him all around the country and into Europe. In the early 2010s, a stint in Germany forced his family to live with fuel prices that at the time hovered around $7 a gallon.

He worried it was only a matter of time before a similar price increase in the U.S.

“I was like…’I'm going to get something efficient when I come back,’” Bloss said.

Upon returning stateside in 2014, Bloss bought a used Nissan Leaf for his work commute, while his family kept a gas-powered minivan for road trips.

Able to charge for free at work, Bloss relished in eliminating fuel costs, oil changes and tailpipe fumes. Soon, a Tesla joined the family fleet, adding enough battery range and charger access to make road trips possible. The Blosses ditched their minivan in 2018 and haven’t looked back.

Instead, Karl has become a vocal ambassador for the EV lifestyle. After moving to Michigan in 2018, he started organizing “ride and drive” events where visitors could talk to EV drivers and test-drive the vehicles. 

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He launched a YouTube channel, blog and an EV-focused Facebook group that now has 1,200 members across the state. It's a mix of seasoned EV drivers, newbies and EV-curious car buyers looking for advice.

Members pass out business cards to invite newcomers to the group.

Bloss’ passion for EV advocacy became so well-known, Consumers Energy briefly recruited him out of retirement to help the company expand charging access in Michigan.

He hopes by sharing his knowledge about owning an EV, from installing home chargers to avoiding “range anxiety,” newcomers to the technology “won’t have to learn through the school of hard knocks.”

The ranks of people like him are growing along with EV sales: 

• In Detroit, EV advocates are planning a fume-free alternative to the annual Woodward Dream Cruise this year, dubbing it the “Clean Cruise.”
• In Kalamazoo, EV enthusiasts recently organized an Earth Day car show at a local nature center, inviting hikers to browse the vehicles before hitting the trail.
• For what may be the first time ever, an EV won an award this year at the Gilmore Car Museum’s annual DeutscheMarques German car show in Hickory Corners.
• And in Muskegon, Tesla driver Casey Loring’s idea for a small “Tesla party” at the beach has grown into a massive annual meetup that attracts international visitors to the shoreline city.

Big public events create visibility that reassures EV-hesitant drivers, Loring said. But perhaps more impactful are one-on-one conversations that arise when happy EV owners praise their vehicle at work or among friends and family.

“My advice is always, whether you're going to a dealership or a showroom, just take it out for a test drive,” Loring said.

Why ‘evangelists’ matter

Experts say people like Bloss and Loring are crucial to a successful EV transition.

“The turning point of more users turning to EVs is education,” said Mehrnaz Ghamami, an assistant engineering professor at Michigan State University and an expert in the EV transition.

And time is of the essence to convince millions of auto buyers: Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer wants to get 2 million EVs on Michigan roads by 2030, and the state’s automakers are investing billions to retool factories with plans to sell primarily EVs by the early 2030s.

Those aren’t arbitrary deadlines: Humanity has until midcentury to wean itself off the fossil fuels that cause climate change, or face increasingly dire heat waves, sea level rise, wildfires and megastorms.

With America’s cars and trucks representing a sizable chunk of the country’s emissions, “if we're going to tackle the climate challenge, we have to do a better job in transportation,” said Charles Griffith, director of the climate and energy program at the Ann Arbor-based Ecology Center.

Yet only 3% of Michigan car buyers today are choosing EVs. 

Those “early adopters” are generally less risk-averse than the average consumer. Their desire to own an EV outweighs the fear of adjusting to new technology, installing at-home chargers and navigating a public charging network still in its infancy, and choosing the right vehicle when salespeople are often of little help.

Getting the average driver off the fence will take more effort, Ghamami said. 

Purchase costs must come down and the public charging network must expand. But for many hesitant buyers, Ghamami said, a little reassurance can go a long way.

They need someone to explain the nuances of vehicle rebates, installing at-home chargers, and trip-planning. And they need help distinguishing valid concerns from persistent myths, such as the falsehood that EVs easily catch fire. 

“People don’t have enough information,” Ghamami said. “Part of the education comes from seeing other people using these cars.”

Michigan’s EV evangelists are happy to oblige. 

Bloss attends car shows across the state, where he sells motorheads on the perks of driving a Tesla and jokingly places a “Back to the Future” prop  — a USB charger that looks like Doc Brown’s trash-eating “Mr. Fusion” reactor — in the “frunk” where a gas car’s engine would be.

“Some people will wave you off and flip you off and everything in between,” Bloss said. “And some people are like, ‘Oh, this is actually pretty cool!’”

Those are the people he hopes to reach. 

“We want to help people that want to make this transition,” Bloss said. “We're not here to tell everybody in the world you need to buy an EV today.” 

He’s the first to admit that today’s EV models may not work for, say, drivers who routinely tow a fifth wheel deep into the Upper Peninsula. Hauling heavy loads reduces battery range, and the U.P.’s public charging network is sparse.

But the typical commuter whose daily driver is due for replacement? Those folks often just need help assessing the pitfalls and perks of EV ownership.

Home charging is far cheaper than gas, saving Michigan drivers between $22 and $35 per fill-up. Oil changes are nonexistent. And even the most powerful V8 engine can’t compete with the instant torque of an EV battery. Not to mention the health and environmental benefits of eliminating tailpipe exhaust. 

Sure, driving an EV comes with extra planning and longer stops to refuel during road trips. But once a person gets used to planning for those possibilities, Bloss said, “range anxiety turns into range awareness.”