| Innovative Partnerships Program |
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| Oregon's Electric Vehicle Charging Network |
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What is it?
Electric vehicle (EV) charging stations are locations where vehicles can plug in to an electrical source to re-charge batteries. EV charging stations are necessary to support what is expected to be a growing fleet of EVs throughout Oregon.
Why is this important?
The nation is poised for a sea change in the transportation sector. Petroleum-based transportation is not sustainable in the long run, either environmentally or economically. Our dependency on imported fossil fuels, impacts of global climate change and the introduction of new carbon emission standards have created an urgency to find alternative solutions.
Currently, the biggest limitation for drivers thinking about making the transition to EVs is the absence of a reliable network of charging facilities to increase the range of these vehicles and to alleviate any fear of “running out of juice.” There are only about 400 all-electric vehicles registered in Oregon, but within a decade, plug-in cars could account for as much as 20 percent of new vehicles sold in Oregon.
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| Transportation Electrification |
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The U.S. Department of Energy announced in August that Oregon has been selected as one of five test markets for the largest deployment of electric vehicles (EVs) and the associated charging infrastructure. The Electric Transportation Engineering Corporation (eTec) of Phoenix, Ariz., will receive $99.8 million in federal stimulus funds to study electric vehicle usage in Washington, Oregon, California, Arizona and Tennessee. The goal of the project is to deploy EV charging stations and analyze the use of the stations and EVs to guide widespread adoption throughout the country.
eTec is partnering with Nissan North America to deploy approximately 1,000 Nissan electric cars (called the “Leaf”) in Oregon and as many as 2,500 charging stations to be installed at homes and businesses that choose to purchase the Leaf and participate in the program. The grant will focus on the Portland, Eugene, Salem and Corvallis areas.
Deployment of Nissan’s EVs is scheduled for fall of 2010 and charging infrastructure installations are expected to begin in summer of 2010. The Nissan EV will be available at local Nissan dealerships.
Development of installation manual
ODOT has begun the development of a simple, easy-to-follow installation guide for installing EV charging stations. The "EV Charging Station Installation Manual" will provide a step-by-step guide for preparing, purchasing, installing and maintaining EV charging stations for the individual consumer, business owner or government project manager. This guide will include, but will not be limited to, the following information:
- regulations governing EV Charging Station installation, including required permits and code considerations;
- contact information for all revelant permitting and regulatory entites as well as participating Oregon utility companies; and
- upcoming changes in EV Charging technology and the impact upon current purchasing decisions.
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| For more information |
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Art James, Project Director
Oregon Innovative Partnerships Program
Oregon Department of Transportation
355 Capitol St. NE, Room 115
Salem, OR 97301-3871
Phone: (503) 986-3858
E-mail: art.james@odot.state.or.us
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