PGE to Participate in Largest Electric Vehicle Project in U.S. History
[5]PGE joins eTec, state of Oregon and Nissan in five-market rollout of electric vehicles and associated charging stations:
Portland General Electric (NYSE:POR) welcomed news today that PGE was named a strategic participant and the state of Oregon was named one of five test markets for the largest rollout of electric vehicles and an associated charging station network in United States history.
PGE was selected by Electric Transportation Engineering Corporation (eTec), a subsidiary of ECOtality, Inc. (OTCBB:ETLY), and a leader in the research, development and testing of advanced transportation and energy systems. eTec announced today the receipt of $99.8 million in federal funds to test and analyze electric vehicle usage and charging infrastructure.
The goal of the project is to encourage the expansion of an electric vehicle infrastructure that will eventually be available for widespread use of EV owners throughout the nation. eTec is partnering with Nissan North America on the project to deploy up to 5,000 electric vehicles and 12,750 charging stations in five U.S. markets.
eTec chose to strategically partner with PGE to advance the understanding of EV usage patterns and their impact on the electrical grid, as well as provide synergies with PGE’s smart grid initiatives.
“This announcement is an exciting and important step forward to develop the critical infrastructure necessary in Oregon to support next-generation electric vehicles that are coming to market in 2010,” said Jim Piro, president and CEO of PGE. “This project will give us a better understanding of how the charging of electric vehicles can effectively be integrated into a smart electric grid at the lowest possible cost. We’d like to thank eTec, Nissan, Governor Ted Kulongoski and the state of Oregon for sharing our vision of bringing transportation and electricity together to better serve our customers.”
PGE has already partnered with local governments and businesses to install nearly 20 EV charging stations in the Portland-metro area and Salem.
“This investment is exciting news for Oregon as we work to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions and for consumers who would rather plug-in than pay at the pump,” Gov. Ted Kulongoski said. “This latest partnership on electric vehicles is another example of Oregon leading the way for our nation’s transition to the next generation of new, cleaner vehicles.”
“We’re thrilled to enter the Portland market and sincerely thank Governor Kulongoski, the state of Oregon, and PGE for their support and partnership in eTec’s proposal submitted to the U.S. Department of Energy,” said Don Karner, president of eTec.
“By studying lessons learned from electric vehicle operations and the infrastructure supporting these first 5,000 vehicles, the proposed project will enable the streamlined deployment of the next 5 million electric vehicles. The U.S. Department of Energy has shown great foresight in funding a project that deploys the largest number of vehicles and infrastructure that will make America electric-vehicle ready,” Karner added.
Dependent upon ongoing contract negotiations, up to 1,000 Nissan electric vehicles will be made available at Oregon Nissan dealerships in fall 2010, and 2,500 charging stations will be installed at homes and businesses beginning in the summer of 2010 for residents and businesses that choose to participate. Level 2 (220V) charging systems will be installed in residential, public and commercial locations. Level 3 fast-charge systems will be installed in high-traffic areas and strategic locations to allow consumers to charge on-the-go and extend daily driving range.
By 2012, it is anticipated more than 750 new jobs will be generated in the U.S. by the proposed project. By supporting the market launch of the Nissan EV, it is expected more than 5,500 new jobs will be in place by 2017 as a direct result of the proposed project.
Oregonians and businesses that purchase the Nissan LEAF will be eligible to participate in the project, and can find out more information about the vehicle at www.NissanUSA.com. If the decision is made to purchase a Nissan EV and participate in the project, purchasers will be provided installed charging equipment at the consumer’s home or business at no cost.
As part of the project, markets in four other states — Arizona, California, Tennessee and Washington — will also each receive up to 1,000 vehicles. Markets were evaluated and chosen based on favorable regulatory environment, strong market demographics, climate differentials, topographies, and transportation patterns.
It is estimated that each Nissan EV will save as much as 436 gallons of gasoline per year compared to a comparable family sedan. For the entire fleet of 5,000 demonstration Nissan EVs, the fuel saving would be more than 2 million gallons of gasoline (51,900 barrels) per year. During the two year demonstration period, more than 4.3 million total gallons of gasoline (103,800 barrels) would be saved.
More information about this announcement is available at www.ecotality.com. Video and audio interviews are available for download at www.ecotality.com. PGE customers who have questions about its participation in the program can contact [email protected].
About PGE
Portland General Electric Company, headquartered in Portland, Ore., is a fully integrated electric utility that serves approximately 817,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in Oregon. Visit us online at www.PortlandGeneral.com/plugin.
About eTec
Electric Transportation Engineering Corporation (eTec), a subsidiary of ECOtality (OTCBB:ETLY), is a recognized leader in the research, development and testing of advanced transportation and energy systems. With over two decades of electric transportation experience, eTec has been involved in every electric vehicle initiative in North America since the 1990’s. Utilizing its patented industry-leading charging algorithm, eTec operates the Minit-Charger line of battery fast-charge systems for on-road electric vehicle, transit, material handling and airport ground support applications. For more information, please visit www.etecevs.com or www.minit-charger.com.
About ECOtality, Inc.
ECOtality, Inc. (OTCBB:ETLY), headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, is a leader in clean electric transportation and storage technologies. Through innovation, acquisitions, and strategic partnerships, ECOtality accelerates the market applicability of advanced electric technologies to replace carbon-based fuels. For more information about ECOtality, Inc., please visit www.ecotality.com.