EV 101
Posted on January 15, 2013 by Stephanie Levine
Tags, Emerging Technologies
2012 was a pivotal year for the electric vehicle (EV) industry, and projections for 2013 look just as promising. In the last year, US sales of electric and hybrid cars skyrocketed, up 73% from 2011. A study recently conducted by Pike Research estimates that EV and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) sales will grow by 40% annually, culminating in 4.4 million EVs and 3.4 million PHEVs on the road by 2020.
Choosing to fuel our cars with locally produced electricity can make a big difference. Electricity generated in the Pacific Northwest is approximately a third less carbon intensive than the national average because of our abundant natural resources. But using electricity to fuel our automobiles does more than just reduce our carbon emissions. Decreasing our dependence on foreign oil by diversifying the transportation sector is important for the energy security of our country. Each year Oregonians purchase 1.5 billion gallons of gasoline, sending more than $5 billion dollars out of state. Replacing gasoline with locally generated electricity creates new revenue that is invested back into the state’s economy. Keeping money that would otherwise be exported abroad allows for local economic growth, more jobs, and more technological innovation.
When it comes to EV infrastructure development, Oregon has once again taken the lead. Oregon EV owners can now travel up and down I-5 throughout the state, and soon, with funding from the TIGER II grant, will be able to explore the entire Oregon coast and the Columbia River Gorge. In September 2011, the state created Energizing Oregon after receiving funding from the Department of Energy’s Clean Cities Initiative. Energizing Oregon serves to support the deployment of EVs and strives to create a statewide plan that could accommodate Oregon’s goal of reaching 30,000 EVs by 2015. This planning involves building supportive policy, working with utilities to meet consumer needs, and educating the public about EVs.
By the end of 2013, nearly every car manufacturer will have a hybrid electric or fully electric car on the road. Many of these new EVs will be showcased in the ECO Center at the upcoming Portland International Auto Show, running from January 24-27 at the Oregon Convention Center. At the ECO Center you can talk to representatives from the Oregon Department of Transportation, the Oregon Department of Energy, Drive Oregon, PGE and the Columbia-Willamette Clean Cities Coalition to find out what the major players in Oregon’s EV industry are doing to promote infrastructure and protect customers.
If you want to brush up on your EV knowledge before you head to the auto show, you should check out our brand new EV webpage. On the webpage, you can find information all about electric vehicles, infrastructure and policy developments in Oregon, and what we are doing here at CUB to protect Oregonians in the process. Make sure you check out the Resources page, where you can find links to local organizations, fun EV facts and media, as well as more information on the smart grid.
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03/31/17 | 0 Comments | EV 101