Putting More Electric Cars On Oregon Streets
With Oregon on the verge of a big increase in electric vehicles, a new report is out with some ideas on how to make EV use grow even faster.
This summer, Oregon will be one of four test markets for the EV Project, a plan to deploy 4,700 electric cars and more than 11,000 charging stations. The other states include Washington, California and Arizona.
But this report is looking at the long term, saying Oregon can do even better.
Created by Governor Kulongoski in 2008, the Alternative Fuel Vehicle Infrastructure Working Group has spent more than a year studying how the state can help more Oregonians give up their gas guzzlers. The group looked at biofuels and natural gas powered vehicles, but the bulk of the work is focused on EVs.
Some of the recommendations are:
Give consumers a bigger tax break for buying EVs. The report calls for doubling the tax credit to a maximum of $3,000.
Look at selling Green Energy Bonds that can be used to pay for infrastructure, such as more EV charging stations.
Increase the number of charging stations along the I-5 corridor, starting in the Willamette Valley. The report says Oregonians who live in metro areas travel fewer miles than rural residents – about half as much. Since EVs don’t have the range of gas vehicles, it’s easier for metro residents to get around in EVs.
Expand the Business Energy Tax Credit (BETC) to include business that make EVs or supply the parts. Currently, only renewable energy projects can get BETC tax breaks. Governor Kulongoski says he’s working with the legislature on making these changes during the special session.
Create a new tax break called the Transportation Electrification Tax Credit (TETC). This would designed for just electric vehicle and infrastructure businesses.
Increase funding for EV research and create new research centers in Oregon.
According to the report, Oregonians spend about $12 billion a year on fossil fuels for their cars and trucks. Transportation is responsible for 38% of the state’s emissions of carbon dioxide. While EVs can be more expensive to purchase, the report notes that they need far less maintenance than regular cars.
The economic argument for driving on electricity is solid, especially for the PacNW. Most EVs will travel about 4 miles per kWh. This works out to about 2 cents/mile with electricity at 8 cents/kWh. The only apple to apple comparison available is the Toyota RAV4 EV. We’ve been driving one for over 7 years with virtually zero maintenance. The gas version takes 4 gallons to go 120 miles while our RAV4 EV can go the same distance on 27 kWh!
Keep in mind that most of the money you spend for petrol leaves the state, most even leaving the country. When you drive an EV, you only spend about 20-25% for the kWh, the rest stays in your pocket to be used any way you wish.
Consider the effect this will have on your local economy once we have hundreds of thousands of EVs replacing gas burners. Consider the effect when we get to a few million!
EVs come to market late this year. It’s time to plan on your next purchase now.