Avista to Install Electric Vehicle Chargers in Homes and Workplaces

Are you driving an electric vehicle yet? Yeah, me neither. But within a couple decades, we all could be. At least that's what the Northwest Power and Conservation Council suggests, according to the Spokesman-Review- that 25 percent of passenger vehicles in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana could be electric by 2035. In preparation, area power company Avista Corp. will start installing 272 charging connections in region workplaces, homes and public areas this month.

Currently, about 350-400 of Avista's Washington customers own electric vehicles or electric-gas hybrids. Even so, Avista will install 120 charging stations in homes over a two-year period. Another 80 charging systems will be installed in workplaces and public areas.

If you own an electric vehicle, you can apply to have a charging station installed at your home for no cost.  Plugging an electric vehicle into a 110-volt outlet provides about 5 miles of driving distance per hour of charging, compared to about 25 miles per hour of charging with an AC Level 2 charging system.

The ideal candidate for the program is an electric car owner whose employer also is willing to have a workplace charger installed.

WA Gas Tax Increases July 1

Washington State is about to get the second highest gas tax in the country when an increase of 4.9 cents kicks in on July 1. Added to the current tax, that will increase the state tax on gas to 49.4 cents per gallon, second highest behind Pennsylvania.

The hike is the final installment of a nearly 12 cent increase, part of the state legislature's Connecting Washington package approved last year.


The money will go to fund a series of specific projects over the next 15 years across the state, including I90 interchanges at Medical Lake and Geiger, completion of the North Spokane Corridor, and widening of I90 from Barker to Harvard roads.

Vehicle registration fees also go up July 1, from $15 to $35, depending on the weight of your vehicle. Registration for electric cars will also increase; from $100 to $150.

Check Out the PodRide, The Four Wheel Bicycle That Looks Like A Car

If you're like a lot of people, you love to ride your bike but not so much in the rain. According to Pee Wee Herman's blog (yes, I am using Pee Wee Herman's blog as a resource), a Swedish man may have the answer with his new four-wheeled bike (quadracycle) called the PodRide.

The bike looks more like a little car. Mikael Kjellman created the vehicle as a way to stay dry, warm, and safe in harsh weather. And an added bonus- it's an electric bike so you can slack off on the peddling when you get tired. It can even pull a small trailer. Currently, the PodRide is seeking IndieGogo funding so no indication when it will be available to the general public.

Folding E-Bike Could Make Your Commute Fun

Got a short commute? If the developer can raise enough funds, you could soon be doing it on the URB-E, a folding e-bike that goes 20 miles on one charge, at speeds up to 15 mph. So what's so cool about it? The Urb-E folds up to the size of a rollerboard suitcase for easy handling, and weighs just under 30 pounds making it an easy last-leg vehicle for urban commuters.

The video below shows how it works. Thanks to Charles for sending this to me.

Sight Impaired Europeans Ask For Noisier Cars

Car makers in Europe may soon start building a special alert system into hybrid and other quiet cars, as a safety measure for people with sight impairments and other vulnerable populations.

Research shows that hybrid and electric cars have higher collision rates due to their quiet engines. People with sight impairments can't hear them coming and often think there's not traffic and it's safe to cross the street.

EurActive.com has the story.

Already A Favorite, the Honda Accord is Chosen As "Green Car of the Year"

The car honored as the “Green Car of the Year” for 2014 is kind of a surprise because it's a tried and true favorite already. 

In recent years, Green Car Journal honored cars whose selling points were emerging technologies including natural gas, electric and clean diesel but this year the prize went to the Honda Accord, because it's price and good gas mileage help make a widespread, positive impact on the environment.

The Down to Earth Northwest Blog has the story.

Questions and Answers About Oregon's New Vehicle Miles Traveled Fee

This summer, Oregon’s legislature passed a bill creating a vehicle-miles-traveled (VMT) fee. This is a big step, as a fee like this has been discussed on and off for years as an alternative to gas taxes, which are bringing in less revenue as people drive less.

 

The creator of the program, Jim Whitty from the Oregon Department of Transportation, was in Washington, D.C. recently to talk to Congress and others about the program. While there, a reporter from D.C. Streets Blog interviewed him on the privacy concerns associated with tracking how many miles someone drives, who is taking part in the program and if everyone will eventually be required to track their mileage, if a VMT fee better match the needs of the system than gas taxes and why anyone would voluntarily participate in the program. Here are the (very interesting) answers to those questions, and more.

Oregon Portion of West Coast Electric Highway Complete

Oregon has completed its portion of the West Coast Electric Highway, according to the Spokesman-Review. When completed, the electric highway will be equipped with quick-charge stations every 25 to 60 miles from British Columbia to Baja, California. The highway is a tri-state effort of Washington, Oregon and California.

Quick-charge stations installed along the highway can typically charge a car battery in 20 to 30 minutes. Depending on battery-charge levels, it can take between four to eight hours at a non-quick-charge station.

Rule Proposed Saying Electric Vehicles Need To Be Louder

The U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) wants cars to be louder. Well, just electric cars. The NHTSA is proposing a law that would require electric cars to make a detectable sound when travelling less than 18 miles per hour so they can be heard by bicyclists and pedestrians.

The Seattle Times has the details on the so called 'Quiet-Car Rule.'

Electric Car Owners Face $100 Fee In 2013

The price of owning an electric vehicle in Washington State is about to go up. After Feb. 1, 2013, owners of the battery-powered cars will be required to pay a $100 annual fee for road and highway improvements intended to compensate for the lack of gas taxes they pay.

Supporters of the fee say electric cars put the same wear and tear on roads that gas vehicles do and should pay their share for the road’s upkeep. Those who oppose it feel they are being punished for trying to do something good for the environment and point out that they're paying for the extra electricity they use to charge their cars.

Here's more from the Spokesman-Review. What do you think- is it fair to charge electric vehicle owners or is it a case of no good deed going unpunished?

Hybrid Cars May Not Be As Great For The Environment As We Thought

So you bought yourself a hybrid and you're helping to save the environment right? Maybe not. Consumer Reports says Ford has been inflating the mileage on its hybrid models. Instead of getting “47 city/47 highway/47 combined mpg” as advertised, the Fusion sedan gets 35/41/39 and the new C-Max wagon gets 35/38/37. Heck, my friend's 1997 Honda Civic gets that.

That’s a pretty big difference — especially when the common philosophy is that hybrid drivers are generally those who drive a lot becuase the only way to break even when buying a hybrid rather than a regular gas-powered car is to driver about 12,000 miles a year.
Here's the story from DC Streetsblog.

Senate Passes Fee For Electric Car Owners

The Olympian is reporting that the Senate passed a bill to charge electric-car owners a $100 annual fee to compensate for the lack of gas taxes they pay.

Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, the Camano Island Democrat who sponsored the bill, said that while electric cars are good for the environment, they put the same wear and tear on the state’s roads that gas vehicles do.

The same bill passed in the Senate last year but failed in the House.
Washington’s gas tax stands at 37.5 cents per gallon and is the state’s largest source of transportation money.

The bill does not apply to hybrid vehicles or to those that don’t exceed 35 mph.

LaHood Wants Rebate At Dealership For Electric Car Buyers

I've heard a lot of folks say they'd love to own an electric car, but they can't afford the initial cost of one. Well, there could be some helpf for you in the future. U.S. Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said yesterday he wants consumers to be able to get a tax rebate at dealerships when they buy electric cars.

The federal government currently offers a $7,500 tax credit on the purchase of electric vehicles, but that can't be taken until buyers file their income taxes. The new rebate could be applied when you actually buy the car.

The Las Vegas Sun has the story.

City Upgrades Electric Vehicle Charging Station

The City of Spokane has upgraded the electric vehicle charging station at City Hall to allow for charging electric vehicles more quickly. The station has been upgraded to a “Stage II” unit that provides 208 volts and can charge an electric vehicle in half the time of the earlier 110-volt equipment.

The station is located in the parking lot just north of City Hall. It currently has one outlet, but later this year will be upgraded to two outlets allowing two vehicles to charge at the same time. The station is a partnership between the City and Avista. Avista provided the new equipment, and the City installed it.

In part, the City wanted to upgrade the station to accommodate two new vehicles that will be added to the City’s motor pool. To save money and resources, the City dramatically reduced its motor pool in 2010 and committed to an emphasis on alternative-fuel vehicles for the remaining motor pool vehicles. The City is expecting delivery of a Nissan Leaf this summer and a Chevrolet Volt by early 2012.

The station is also open for public use. Has anyone out there used it yet?