AeroVironment will install electric charging stations like these along Washington's I-5 and U.S. 2 as part of a project to provide regularly spaced electric charging stations.
Washington state wants you to take a ride on the Electric Highway starting in November.
The state’s Department of Transportation said it has selected AeroVironment, a California supplier of new energy solutions, to manufacture, supply, install and operate a network of nine fast-charging stations for electric vehicles along I-5 and U.S. 2. The project will cost $1 million.
Eventually, California, Oregon and Washington plan to electrify the 1,350-mile freeway from the Mexico border north into Canada as part of the West Coast Green Highway to serve the estimated 2 million electric vehicles expected to be sold in the Pacific Coast states in the next decade. Oregon is also working an electrification project for its section of the superhighway.
Washington’s charge stations will be located 40-60 miles apart along I-5 between the Canadian border and Everett and between Olympia and the Oregon border, as well as along U.S. 2 between Everett and Leavenworth.
“A network of charging stations linking Washington to Oregon and Canada will make electric vehicles more attractive to consumers and businesses, and transportation better for the environment,” Washington’s Secretary of Transportation Paula Hammond said.
Right now, a major sticking point for buying an EV is range anxiety – will the juice last long enough to reach the next destination? Even a 30-minute recharging time is longer than it takes to refuel a conventional petroleum-powered car. Will drivers accept the longer breaks from driving? Projects such as the Electric Highway will show how well drivers will adapt.
In addition to the project with AeroVironment, additional charging stations will be installed through a federal program, The EV Project, administered by the U.S. Department of Energy. Combined, the two projects will electrify the entire 276-mile length of I-5 through Washington.
Click here to learn about the EV Project.
Click here to learn about the West Coast Green Highway project.
The fast-charging stations will be operational by Nov. 30, and will power an electric vehicle from zero to fully charged in less than 30 minutes. Each station also will include a Level 2 “medium-speed” charging station, which will cost less for users and take up to four to six hours for a full charge. The stations will be located at private retail locations such as shopping malls, fueling stations and travel centers with easy access to the highway.