National project to install hundreds of electric charging stations in Oregon

Feb 21 - McClatchy-Tribune Regional News - Dominique Fong The Oregonian, Portland, Ore.

A fleet of electric cars and charging stations is coming to Oregon.

ECOtality, a clean energy tech company, will announce on Wednesday the mass installation of about 1,150 charging stations for homes, businesses and public spaces across the state.

Backed by $115 million in federal grants, the company plans to set up more than 15,000 charging stations in 16 major cities nationwide, including Portland, Eugene, Corvallis, Salem and Seattle.

The launch is part of the EV Project, a three-year study of how people use electric cars. The project will collect non-personal data from the car and the charging station, such as the amount of energy and length of charging time, to look at how to create more energy-efficient systems.

"The study will help with the efficiency of locating them in the most probable places where people are charging," said David Mayfield, Oregon area manager for ECOtality.

Customers who buy a Nissan Leaf or Chevrolet Volt electric car and choose to sign up for the project will get a free charging station, a $1,200 value.

After a federal tax credit of up to $7,500, the Nissan Leaf could cost about $26,000. Chevrolet has not announced whether it would release Volts in Oregon for this study, Mayfield said.

About 600 people in Oregon have already registered, and ECOtality is hoping to bump that number to 900 by September, Mayfield said.

Bob Jenks, executive director of the Citizens' Utility Board, an advocacy group funded by utility rate-payers, said he supports the project.

"If we're going to deal with climate change on the transportation side, a good way is to move to electric cars or electric hybrid cars and find a way to charge them with renewable energy," Jenks said.

Participants can also expect zero gas bills and a slight rise in their electric bill.

ECOtality's 240-volt charging stations can charge a Nissan Leaf battery in seven hours, which would cost about $2.64 -- less than the price for one gallon of gas.

The launch event will take place at the home of David Hopper, a Beaverton resident and project participant. Mayor Denny Doyle and representatives from ECOtality and Portland General Electric are expected to attend.

As of July 2010, 42 Beaverton residents have signed up for the program.

Public charging stations are not available yet in Oregon, Mayfield said. But once they are, participants will be able to see open charging stations on a dashboard screen and reserve a spot at popular locations, Mayfield added.

-- Dominique Fong; @dominiquefong