Consumers Energy Donates E-Van to Food Pantry

Consumers Energy Donates E-Van to Food Pantry

    GAYLORD, Mich., April 24, 2025 – Officials and community members Thursday celebrated a new all-electric transit van provided by Consumers Energy to the Otsego County Food Pantry to help further their mission to feed people.

The food pantry will use the new Ford E-Transit van to pick up food, make deliveries and raise awareness of the pantry’s mission. The van and its electric charging station were paid for entirely by Consumers Energy and should lower costs of powering the van using electricity verses gasoline.

Food pantry volunteers cut the ribbon on the electric van Thursday at the start of its annual Community Food Drive event sponsored by the Gaylord Rotary and Gaylord Eagles. This year, in addition to food, raffles and entertainment, the event featured “Jam the Van” where attendees could donate shelf stable foods to fill the new E-van.

Consumers Energy offers help and cost savings for customers who are deciding to buy electric vehicles. The energy provider has helped thousands of EV owners through incentives for vehicle chargers at home, work and in public locations, plus rates that lower the cost for charging.

As part of that effort, Consumers Energy is also providing electric vehicles to churches, food pantries, and other nonprofit organizations to support them and the communities they serve.

  Learn more: ConsumersEnergy.com/EV