Holly Oaks ORV Park Now Has Solar Powered EV Charging Station

(Oakland County Parks and Recreation, Aug. 26, 2022)

Holly, MI – Holly Oaks ORV Park is proud to be the new home of a Jeep-branded Electric Vehicle (EV) charging station — the second of its kind in the state of Michigan.

The effort, a partnership between Jeep and Electrify America, aims to install electric vehicle charging points at off-road trails across the United States to promote the use of electrified off-road vehicles.

“Electrification opens a new chapter in the Jeep brand story, and it brings an entirely new level of excitement and enjoyment to our enthusiastic owners,” said Christian Meunier, Jeep Brand Chief Executive Officer, in a prepared statement. “Key to making Jeep brand the greenest SUV brand is assuring our owners can enjoy the benefits of electric propulsion wherever they go, including the most iconic off-road trails in the country.”

Oakland County Parks and Recreation was contacted by Electrify America shortly after Holly Oaks ORV Park opened in 2020. According to Melissa Prowse, Manager – Parks and Recreation Planning & Community Services, the park is an ideal place to showcase the charging station’s sustainable technology.

“They had heard about Holly Oaks ORV Park and its close proximity to a large resident population and thought it would be a great place to install a station,” Prowse said. “The neat thing about the one at Holly Oaks is that it’s totally solar powered. At this point, the utilities at Holly Oaks are pretty bare bones — electric access in the park is very limited. So, the ability to install and use this station solely on solar power was a perfect fit.”

Even though electric off-road vehicles are relatively new to the automotive market, Prowse said the EV off-roading community is likely to grow. Plus, nearby EV owners can take advantage of the new amenity.

“When the park is open, the parking lot is open to the general public, so anyone could come in and use the station,” she said. “We’re hoping that’s the case and that it brings new people into the park who might then come back again with their friends and family to test out their vehicle in the park.”

Holly Oaks ORV Park is located at 14551 Shields Road in Holly. For more information about the new EV charging station or other sustainability efforts throughout the Oakland County Parks and Recreation system, visit OaklandCountyParks.com. Join the conversation on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

About Holly Oaks ORV Park

Holly Oaks ORV Park is open to all types of ORVs, including full-size vehicles, side-by-sides, all-terrain vehicles or ATVs and motorcycles. Consisting of former and active sand and gravel mines, the park is located off I-75 (at Grange Hall) and Dixie Highway near Groveland Oaks County Park and Campground. Holly Oaks is a joint state-county project operated by Oakland County Parks and Recreation in a partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.