Stevenson gets First EV Charging Station in the Gorge

tonyb

Wont help most of us gas guzzling kiters but if you do have an electric vehicle you can recharge it while getting a session in Stevenson. Ribbon cutting party on October 26th!

Official press release:

First Electric Vehicle Charger Comes to Stevenson in the Scenic Columbia River Gorge

Stevenson, WA – October 11, 2011 – The City of Stevenson, the Stevenson Business Association (SBA), and the Port of Skamania County partnered to bring the first Level II Electric Vehicle Charging Station to Washington’s side of the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area.

The station is located at Teo Park along the Columbia River Waterfront in the City of Stevenson, adjacent to shops, restaurants, spas, and art galleries. This station is the result of cooperation among local business leaders and local government. SBA President Scott Anderson stated that “As a small town, Stevenson has been forward thinking and on the cutting edge, such as being one of the first cities to offer city-wide free WiFi access, and now the EV Charging Station.” Moli Thomas, of MST Consulting, who managed the project, said “Stevenson is a wonderful, eco-friendly tourism destination. This charger is another way that we can help support healthy tourism activity in the area. Our goal is to bring people out to one of the most beautiful places on the planet and let them recharge while taking advantage of all that Stevenson has to offer.” This station is especially important because it will allow people to reach the area from the I-5 corridor (50 miles west) and recharge for their return trip.

The ribbon cutting for the station will be on Wednesday, October 26th, 2011 at 4:00 pm, followed by an after party in the park. All are welcome to come and look at the station, at the electric cars, and enjoy some great food, local wines and beer, and music.

Tony Bolstad
Commissioner, Port of Skamania County

cool breeze · Since 05 Oct 2009 26 Posts mtn

If anyone needs an electric moto. I have a 2010 zero DS fer 6500. Frame is threaded for kiteboard rack.

Sella · Thu Oct 13, 11 11:24 am

Really cool Tony and kudos to Stevenson for offering free wi-fi and now this charging system.

Can you debit card it or what's the plan for how to pay for the power/usage?

pdxmonkeyboy · Thu Oct 13, 11 11:31 am

that is awesome.

How long does it take to charge a car anyways?

Blazeheliski · Since 30 Mar 2011 659 Posts Mosier Addicted

so what kind of adapter would I need to plug in an electric pump to pump up some kites? ................ Smile

forrest · Thu Oct 13, 11 12:17 pm

BAhaha!

tonyb · Thu Oct 13, 11 1:09 pm

I think the recharge time is between 1 to 4 hours depending on battery size and how depleted when you start. From the inter-web: " industry standard J1772 30A or 70A connector". Takes a debit card and I thought I heard it has the ability to work with gift type cards.

WA state is working on an I-5 border to border network of charging stations. This one and a couple up north are the first to go east of the main corridor.

I like the look of the electric motorcycle. Put a rack on it or the tow behind trailer.

Tony

Blazeheliski · Since 30 Mar 2011 659 Posts Mosier Addicted

Personally - I think putting charging stations in random spots is not the most effective way to develop the electric car infrastructure. With current battery technology - it takes anywhere from 1 to several hours to recharge. Not many people passing through would want to hang out while waiting for a charge. Putting charging stations at places of work where people will have their cars parked for 8 hours tends to make more sense. So I say - develop the work sites first and other sites where people will likely be occupied for at least several hours.

The real key to electric car technology would be to develop the infrastructure around interchangeable battery packs. The new Tesla S class battery pack can be changed out in 1 minute with the right equipment. Have it set up so that gas stations have fully charged battery packs ready to go. Pull in - heavy equipment changes the battery - and you are good to go. Instead of owning the battery in the car - you sign up for a battery lease and pay a monthly fee to be able to pull into battery changing stations. Kind of like getting a full propane tank from Blue Rhino buy turning in your empty one. Then people will no longer have "range anxiety" when driving electric cars.........

tonyb · Thu Oct 13, 11 2:10 pm

I agree with you Blazeheliski on the random placement and especially on the full battery pack change out. That would be the ideal way to go.

That said, the placement of a station in Stevenson is not entirely "random". WA state is working with CA and OR on a network of alternative fuel stations that go from Mexico to Canada along the I-5 corridor. WA has a dedicated "Electric Highway" plan that is part of the larger I-5 plan. This is a branch off of that project. Look up West Coast Green Highway.

The placement of a charging station in Stevenson is not really to support commuting or long distance travel. It is designed to draw people off the I-5 corridor and out of the city to come visit for a few hours or a day. To put it bluntly the 1 to 4 hour recharge fits right in to the town's strategy to draw tourists in, take their money and send them home. Hopefully at less of an environmental impact than having them drive a regular gas powered car out.

Initially the thought is that this one charging station might bring someone out to the gorge who has an EV in the city but is afraid to go too far from town. Stevie is now a "destination" for the EV crowd.

It's small, it's not for mass consumption, it's not the final answer but it is a step towards trying something new. A little bit "gimicky" but the cost was pretty low and it supports tourism which is one of Skamania County's primary industries.

It's kind of like Wi-Fi or even DSL when it was first rolled out. Trial markets in big cities, suburbs and select urban areas. Give consumers a taste and demand will drive providers to follow. Also doesn't hurt to tax the hell out of the stuff you want to see go away.

Maybe one day it will be replaced by a quick change battery station or whatever the next technology is. Maybe be powered by a mini-wind turbine off the end of the landing dock.

Tony