My City September 2022

Kuhmute Powering the Future of Micromobility BY PETER HINTERMAN ® PHOTOS PROVIDED BY KUHMUTE B ased in Flint, Kuhmute is leading the way in electric vehicle (EV) infrastructure providing a place for people to rent or charge an EV in cities across the United States and Canada. “We have hubs in Michigan in De troit and Grand Haven,” says Kuhmute Software Engineer Eddie Wenzel, “and we have hubs in Illinois, Arizona and Ontario in Canada. We currently have nine in Flint with a plan in place for five more.” Kuhmute charging hubs are revolutionizing the way cities and towns think of mobility by providing a way for pedestrians to “motor” about town in a more fun and cost-efficient manner. The venture is the brainchild of Kettering University graduate and business co-founder Peter Deppe. “At Kettering, a mentor of mine and I were looking for a startup to invest in,” he says. “In Michigan, we have limited mobility op tions and we also noticed that e-scooters and other small EVs were kind of a mess on city streets. So, we thought of a way to alleviate those problems.” The idea was to build and fabricate electric charging docks to recharge, orga nize and secure the vehicles in a way that is beneficial for both the location and rider. “You can park and charge literally anything smaller than an electric car at a Kuhmute hub,” adds Deppe.The business was launched in 2018 and, after a few planning changes, is beginning to make an impact across the country. Kuhmute hubs can work nearly anywhere including city lots, college campuses, apartment buildings, parking garages, hotels, airports and hospitals. Kuhmute hubs are designed and built here in Flint by a dedicated team of engineers and associates from Kettering University and UM-Flint. In order for an EV to be charged by and secured to a Kuhmute hub, it must be equipped with a Kuhmute-designed nylon and stainless-steel adapter.The Kuhmute team is currently working to provide charging adapters for a variety of EV brands including Segway, Okai, Acton Nexus, Runner, Wagon and others (with more on the way as the team continues to design them). Kuhmute also has adapters available for some electric wheelchair brands, and is in the 

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