The title phrase comes from Pure Michigan, and after spending a day in Hastings—a small county seat with 7,500 residents—I couldn’t find a better description.
Wikipedia offers more details about Hastings’ history, demographics, and other topics beyond the EV universe that brought us, electric vehicle owners, together on October 11 in the parking lot of the library.
Alongside local enthusiasts—some of whom we met two weeks ago in Kalamazoo—I had the pleasure of meeting owners from Atlanta (Georgia) with a Polestar 2 and Dayton (Ohio) with a Cadillac Optiq.
With Polestar near the top of our shortlist to replace our veteran TM 3, I took extra time to explore service options—particularly the connection with the Volvo network, which had served us very well with our previous vehicle. Sadly, I found out that Volvo does not service Polestar models.
Once again about FRUNKs—or the lack thereof
As an avid user of the frunk for everything from charging cables, extension cords, and snow chains (especially in winter or after heavy rain), I remain puzzled by the stubbornness of traditional manufacturers who refuse to offer this major advantage over conventional drivetrains.
Evidence?
Foto Galery – Hastings EV event
Local „Large Team”
Similar to the „Large Team” in Romania’s Electromobility project, in Hastings were present a Model Y and IONIQ 5, plus a Cadillac Optiq.
Skoda isn’t present in the North American market, so no chance of spotting an Enyaq here. But why doesn’t Ford bring the new Explorer, Capri, and Puma models to the U.S.? Could it be related to the VW MEB platform being used by Ford only in Europe?
If you know why Ford is focusing solely on the Mach-E (and Lightning) in North America while offering three other interesting models (plus Mach-E) in Europe, please educate us!
A Walk Through Downtown Hastings
Perhaps it’s not yet clear where the “historic charm and rural tranquility” from the title comes in—except maybe the fact that we, the EV meetup participants, contributed to the tranquility… aside from the soft hiss of tires on asphalt.
Beyond the friendly faces and open dialogue about good and not-so-good experiences behind the wheel of electric cars (the less good ones usually related to service—sound familiar?), the people we met while walking through town smiled and greeted us. On sidewalks, crosswalks, and even from behind the wheel of slowly passing cars.
A teenage girl held the restaurant door open for us, and a young student wished us a warm welcome and a pleasant stay after meeting us at the EV gathering. Everything feels natural here—but it’s not entirely accidental. It’s part of what you perceive immediately as a visitor in unfamiliar places: you might be met with indifference, hostility, or—like in Hastings—with warmth.
Victorian Elegance and Essential Values: Be Humble and Kind
Even the Halloween decorations seemed to follow this motto—the absence of grotesque skeletons, coffins, and spiders of all kinds was a welcome sight during our walk through the town center.
If fate ever brings you to Hastings, don’t miss the local brewery. We got the tip from a local and were glad we followed it.
Back to electromobility
The large number of participants at this meetup seemed justified by the fact that everyone charges at home. But are there public options for passersby like us?
Yes and no. Near the local library, there are two 7 kW AC ChargePoint stations, well-placed for those dining or spending time in the town center.
We also found another charging station at the opposite end—in the parking lot of the local energy provider, Consumers Energy—also 7 kW, unfortunately.
Conclusion: If you’re in a hurry or just passing through, don’t rely on Hastings’ charging stations. But the town is well worth a leisurely stroll through its charming center.
My lifelong automotive career started with design and testing of ICEs, continued with service and sales, followed by 20 years of global seat design, requirements and knowledge management.
My recent passion for electric vehicles found its home at 24auto.ro and electromobilitate.
