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Free EV charging stations available
Green “filling stations” are a new way to draw customers. If your business is in a destination location, like a retail or urban center, and you have publicly available parking spaces, you may qualify for a free EV charging station as part of the federal EV Project.
Since gasoline prices averaged over $3.50 a gallon last year, more drivers are choosing electric vehicles for cost savings as well as environmental benefits. If you have charging stations, you can attract this growing crowd of EV drivers as they linger to “top off” their cars’ batteries.
PGE is working with ECOtality for the EV Project, who is installing charging stations at local homes and businesses. ECOtality provides the EV charging station and will provide a credit toward the installation cost.
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Are you a good candidate?
An ideal location for installation of a new charging station would include:
- Reasonable distance from an electricity supply
- Wi-Fi availability (for the charging station to communicate with the ECOtality server)
- Typical customer parking times of one to two hours
- Space for two charging stations
- Wide parking spaces
If you’re interested installing an EV charging station, email PGE. We’ll explain the program, help you figure out if your location is a good fit and connect you with the experts at ECOtality.
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Business benefits of electric cars
Electric vehicles and chargers make good business sense because:
- Electricity prices are significantly less volatile than oil, allowing you greater control over fuel costs
- Electric miles are cheaper than gas miles (2.5 cents/mile on average vs 10 cents/mile for a 30mpg car)
- EVs require much less maintenance than gas vehicles
- Tax credits and incentives increase ROI (see below)
- EVs contribute to a more sustainable, efficient business boosting your ‘green’ profile
- The infrastructure exists and is expanding rapidly
You may want to consider incentives and programs to encourage electric vehicle use and attract EV-driving customers and employees, such as:
- Parking discounts for EV owners
- Preferential parking accommodations
- Free charging for customers or employees
- Employee financing programs
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Fleet considerations
As you consider adopting electric vehicles into your fleet operations, you’ll want to assess your organizational needs for EVs. Vehicles that are used less than 100 miles per trip are good candidates for electric power. You’ll also need to consider where the vehicle will be parked and where these cars may be charged up as they are used in daily routines. Organizations have
several electric vehicle options:
- Neighborhood Electric Vehicles (NEVs)
- Electric Passenger Cars (EVs)
- Electric Commercial Delivery Vehicles (Trucks)
For a complete listing of the vehicles on the market today, visit Plug-In America’s Electric Vehicle Tracker.
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Charging station site considerations for governments
Check out this guide on installing public charging stations from The Rocky Mountain Institute. It’s designed to help you figure out whether installing a charging station makes sense for you. There’s also an interactive tool to help you assess your business case for installing a station.
The following should be taken into consideration as you assess your organizations’ charging needs:
- Vehicle usage patterns (including length of time at the various locations)
- Safe and easy access for drivers
- Prominent location for signage
- Close proximity to an existing electrical panel with adequate capacity
- 208- or 240-volt, 40-amp service per parking space
- Cost considerations — there are various charging options available for your site:
- Level II: 2-4 hour charging times (240V @ 40amp) per charging station
- DC Quick Charge: 20 minute quick charging (480V @ 100-150amp 3 phase) per charging station
Oregon has been working on a comprehensive deployment guide (60-page PDF) for charging infrastructure in the I-5 metro corridor from Portland to Eugene. This initial version was published in January 2010 and newer versions will be published as developments happen. This is a great place to start for any city looking into the details of charging station installation.
If you’re interested installing an EV charging station, email PGE. We’ll help you figure out if your location is a good fit and connect you with charging-station manufacturers and installers.
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New construction
If you are renovating an existing site or constructing a new building, consider EV and Charging Station compatibility and incorporate design and costs into the project scope. Even if you’re not immediately planning on adopting EVs into your fleet, early planning will help facilitate implementation in the future. As building codes change to accommodate EVs, you will want to allow for conduits for electrical service and communication conduits for charging stations as you plan your project. Email PGE if you are actively planning a charging station at your organization.
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Federal and state incentives
A federal tax credit of up to $7500 per electric vehicle purchased can speed the ROI for an electric vehicle. The time is right for charging station installations as well. Companies installing a charging station can expect an Oregon income tax credit for up to 35 percent of the cost of installing charging equipment.
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