We know you’ll get a charge from hearing that the ODOT (Oregon Department of Transportation) will be using $100 million of the 2021 federal infrastructure monies to create an electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the state.
To be done over a five-year period, ODOT plans to add an electric vehicle charging station over every 50 miles of road across seven of its highways.
The charging stations planned are for cars, trucks and SUVs, with accommodations on some of the stations to charge medium-duty vehicles like delivery vans.
The plan for charging stations every 50 miles is a good one. While pre-2016 electric vehicles could only travel about 100 miles on a charge, more modern vehicles get about 250 miles.
The main concern, however, is the length of time required to charge a vehicle, with one manufacturer recently avowing a quick charge delivering 100 miles in just six minutes—which is still three times or so longer than what an operator can expect when filling a fuel tank on a car.
Service Truck Magazine is curious as to how these service charging stations will be able to handle a larger volume of vehicles, and allow for the longer “refueling” times.
Still, with the rise of the electric vehicle on its way, it appears as though patience will not only be a virtue, but a necessity. Still, by the time ODOT completes its five-year plan, electric vehicle batteries will no doubt have seen the same radical improvements seen since 2016.
ODOT has stated that it will not be leading the installation or operation of these charging station, instead sub-contracting with private companies to at least construct them.
The Oregon Department of Transportation has indicated that about two-thirds of the $100 million is earmarked for the construction along these highways: Interstate 5; Interstate 82; Interstate 84; US Highway 20; US Highway 26; US Highway 97; and US Highway 101.
It said that each charging station will initially be constructed with four charging ports, but will have the capacity to add more as required.
The funding comes from a mix of federal and state sources, and was approved by the Oregon Transportation Commission at their March 30, 2022, meeting.
An additional $36 million of money will be utilized to build out charging infrastructure in rural areas and cities, especially at apartment complexes.
ODOT had previously set a goal in 2021 to triple Oregon’s electric vehicles by the end of 2023, and by 2025 expand the state’s charging network by 10 percent.
As of now, the Oregon Department of Energy said there are approximately 2,100 electric vehicle charging stations in the state.
Furthering this news, ODOT stated that it will ask for billions of dollars in federal grants for additional charging infrastructure that will work for heavy-duty electric vehicles, including commercial trucks and buses.
More electric vehicles on the road is part of ODOT’s Strategic Action Plan (click HERE), and Oregon’s plan to reduce GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions caused by the transportation sector as part of its efforts to address climate change concerns.