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Super-charged: The Electric Vehicle Wave is Here

Rathaphon Nanthapreecha
Pexels
Rathaphon Nanthapreecha

Electric Vehicles or EV’s now number nearly 75,000 in Oregon and that number is going to rise and rise in the coming years. In fact, most major car companies have said they plan to build an all-electric fleet by 2040 or earlier.

And while EV’s have been around for decades, they’ve pretty much existed on the fringes of consumer appeal. They were too expensive, too small, too weird looking or two limited in range for most people to seriously consider buying one.

But in the last decade, we’ve seen the EV take center stage. They’ve come down in price, the range between charges have increased, and in all honesty, they are some of the coolest cars on the road today.

Yet, some obstacles exist. No matter how good the batteries are today, most still don’t rival the distance capability of a traditional gas-powered car. And there isn’t a charging station on every block like there is a gas station.

On this edition of Oregon On the Record we talked with experts about EV’s and how our cities, state and utilities are planning to boost the infrastructure needed to accommodate their growth. And we’ll also talked with Eugene’s own EV company – Arcimoto – and found out how they are trying to find their niche in the EV future.

Our guests on the show included:

· Jessica D. Reichers of the Oregon Department of Energy
· Logan Telles of the City of Eugene
· Aaron Orlowski of EWEB
· And Miles Bell-Brown of Arcimoto

 Below are some links for more information:
Oregon Department of Energy
City of Eugene
EWEB
Arcimoto

Michael Dunne is the host and producer for KLCC’s weekly public affairs show, Oregon On The Record. In this role, Michael interviews experts from around Western and Central Oregon to dive deep into the issues that matter most to the station’s audience. Michael also hosts and produces KLCC’s leadership podcast – Oregon Rainmakers, and writes a business column for The Chronicle which serves Springfield and South Lane County.