West Coast Electric Highway

[dnmun]

from the ODOT, electric vehicle mailbot: (did i see "free charging for a limited time"?)



Addition of two EV charging stations extends range



SALEM – Two additional electric vehicle charging stations are now open in the Willamette Valley along Interstate 5, extending the West Coast Electric Highway for EV owners. The Oregon Department of Transportation and the Oregon Department of Energy announced the openings today of the two fast-charging stations, located at the Pioneer Villa Truck Plaza in Halsey and at the Gateway Marketplace in Springfield. Each charging station includes one AeroVironment “fast” charger and one level-2 charger.



“We are excited to be a part of this growing movement towards electric-drive cars," said Greg Moore, owner of the Pioneer Villa Truck Plaza, located at 33180 Highway 228. "It is a welcome addition to our multi-faceted property." The Gateway Marketplace charging station is located at the Sycan Office, 840 Beltline Road in Springfield, behind the Shari’s Restaurant.



In March, ODOT, AeroVironment and ODOE opened the first phase of the West Coast Electric Highway with eight charging stations in Southern Oregon, enabling zero-emission travel for EV owners from the most populated parts of Oregon all the way to the California border. Once complete, the West Coast Electric Highway will allow EV drivers to travel from San Diego to Vancouver, B.C. without relying on carbon-based fuel. The “fast” charging stations, spaced at roughly 25-mile intervals along the Oregon I-5, can provide a full charge for an EV in less than 30 minutes.



The newest stations were made possible by an additional $215,000 that ODOE awarded ODOT in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (stimulus) funding through ODOE’s State Energy Program, bringing the project’s total to $915,000.



“It is easier for EV owners to drive from Portland to California now that we increased funding for the West Coast Electric Highway project to add two more fast-charging stations at Halsey and Springfield,” said Oregon Department of Energy Bob Repine. “It’s important that Oregonians have clean transportation options.”



Electric vehicle drivers will be able to activate access to the charging stations by signing up for AeroVironment’s Charging Network at evsolutions.com/avnetwork or by calling toll-free at 888-833-2148. Once enrolled, EV drivers will receive an AV Network key fob that will allow access to all AeroVironment chargers along the West Coast Electric Highway. AeroVironment is also providing free charging for a limited time, giving EV drivers’ freedom and convenience on the open road.



“AeroVironment is proud to partner with Oregon — a leader in the clean transportation movement— to expand the West Coast Electric Highway,” said Wahid Nawabi, AeroVironment senior vice president and general manager of its Efficient Energy Systems business segment. “Along with the Oregon Department of Transportation and the Oregon Department of Energy, we are working together to provide an extensive network of fast charging stations, making it easy for EV owners to drive long distances with confidence, while preserving the environment.”



In addition to Halsey and Springfield, stations are now located in Cottage Grove, Rice Hill, Roseburg, Canyonville, Wolf Creek, Grants Pass, Central Point, and Ashland. The time it takes to fully charge a vehicle will depend on type of EV and battery; instructions are located at each site.



## ODOT ##

 

[Dauntless]

I hope they get to work REPAIRING the many, MANY dead chargers in California.

 

[1JohnFoster]

Dauntless,

Which chargers died, AeroVironment? & do you have any indication of why? Were they all or mostly the Magnecharge inductive ones?

We're rapidly deploying chargers around the greater Vancouver (BC) area. The grants are for an approved list of chargers, but the gov agencies have to be neutral in recommending which chargers. These are all J1772 LII chargers.

Thanks,
John

 

[Dauntless]

Dauntless,

Which chargers died, AeroVironment? & do you have any indication of why? Were they all or mostly the Magnecharge inductive ones?

Thanks,
John

Darn, I'll be very short on info for that. About 5-6 years ago when my own interest in electrics was heating up I began to have a look at any charging station I came across. At that time California had something like 89% of all the charging stations in the U.S., with an average county having more chargers than whole states, In some cases even cities had more than other states. It was rare I found one that even LOOKED like it could work. Earlier this year a charger at the local train station finished rotting and collapsed. Not that it mattered, they built the bicycle cage for the train riders who didn't take them along that blocked that charger anyway.

http://www.afdc.energy.gov/locator/stations/#results?utf8=%E2%9C%93&location=&filtered=true&fuel=ELEC&owner=all&payment=all&ev_level1=true&ev_level2=true&ev_dc_fast=true&radius_miles=5

If you look at the map, I could point out many locations in Orange County that still have a derelict station or two sitting there that doesn't appear on the map anymore. I also know a few new ones that aren't listed.

The wave of building stations in I think the late 1990's was in anticipation of the loopy idea of passing a law that there would be all these electric cars, as depicted in 'Who (Lied About) the Electric Car?" The People's Republic of Santa Monica had them in public parks, at the pier, even City Hall. Not sure if they were still working in time for that Mockumentary to be shown at the City's annual electric car show. But as you can guess, these are out of date technology if in fact they have not been upgraded. To the best of my knowledge most haven't. And you couldn't charge your old style car at one of them anyway.

So I assume the answer to your question would be they are mostly ANYTHING BUT J1772.

Amidst the rotting boneyard of the Block at Orange's old charging stations is one new, glowingly modern station. Compared to my town with close to a dozen derelicts and MAYBE two accessible units that work. (Gotta go check these.)

Isn't it amazing that out of the 4,364 charging stations that the Department of Energy says are operating in the United States, 7,337 of them are claimed by Chargepoint? Hard to say for sure what's really going on with charging stations. One number I heard bandied about lately is that there are still 1,300 dead stations in California, vs. some 500 that are working.

http://www.clippercreek.com/reconnect-ca-program.html

 

[dnmun]

you obviously don't follow evchargernews.com then if you think that way. i think southern california now leads the world in keeping close tabs on the chargers in their locality and notifying users of which ones are available and also organized efforts to share charging locations at personal residences. like already. thank you tom dowling.

 

[Dauntless]

you obviously don't follow evchargernews.com then if you think that way.

If by ". . . .Think that way" you mean that I don't like the WRONG information, then obviously I wouldn't bother with a site whose information is so wrong. Did you catch the part where I said the railroad station charger crumbled? I hardly think that counts as "Marginal" in the way that evchargernews does. Where are all the others in my city that I've seen? Certainly not on the evchargernews map. Nor does it mention that nice new Block at Orange charger. The site and reality are in conflict. And in such situations, reality always wins.

i think southern california now leads the world in keeping close tabs on the chargers in their locality and notifying users of which ones are available and also organized efforts to share charging locations at personal residences. like already. thank you tom dowling.

What was it Lee Iaccoca said? Lead, follow, or get out of the way. There's no leadership. There IS a lot of talking. But there's currently a radio commercial where a suitable muggers' voice tells a woman "Give me your purse of the schools get nailed." Basically it's parodizing the State Governments' menacing messages about demanding to raise taxes to do, well, whatever they want with it or they'll cut what the public cares about first. In 1978 they did just that in response to the passage of the tax cutting Proposition 13, punitive spending cuts. That's where the State is right now.

Meanwhile it's really hard to know what's really going on with the chargers, even if I do ignore the disinformation and go see for myself. Can't just drive down every street looking for anonymous stations.