Yesterday the enviously green city of Portland, Oregon became the first city in the United States to have a public quick charging station for electric vehicles. The Takasago Rapid Charging Station was installed by Portland General Electric (PGE) in a parking lot at their Salmon Street headquarters. It’s an EV station for drivers on the go — it should charge a lithium ion battery to 80% in just 20 to 30 minutes. PGE will install a larger network of charging stations eventually, but for now this wonder charger is in their parking lot, not on the street, which makes it public for PGE pass holders only.
Portland has been tagged as one of the top markets for the first wave of electric vehicles that will hit the streets later this year and they seem to be welcoming their electric designation with open arms. “Quick-charging stations are an exciting advancement in our effort to bring electric vehicles to Oregon,” said Governor Ted Kulongoski who was on hand at the charging station unveiling to help juice up its first customer, a Nissan Leaf. “By making charging convenient and available for public use, we are telling car manufacturers that Oregon is ready for the next generation of electric vehicles.”
The state seems to have a genial partnership with their local energy supplier, PGE. Jim Piro, president and CEO of PGE was on hand along with Governor Kulongoski at the unveiling ceremony. “With the addition of the Takasago Rapid Charging Station to the growing network of EV charging stations in Oregon, we are able to further our research on how this new technology will interact with our electrical system and support our EV-driving customers,” Pino noted. It sounds like Oregon has the makings of a happy electric vehicle future and we’re excited to see the EV’s themselves hit the streets in numbers at the end of the year.
Via Engadget
