Electrifying West Coast Travel

0When we bought the Oregon and Washington State legs of the West Coast Electric Highway (WCEH) earlier this summer, our goal was to promote the idea of responsible mobility by providing a carbon-neutral infrastructure that allowed EV drivers greater freedom of range in their travels. We hoped this would be welcomed news during a time when so many other distractions were dominating the news cycle. But as the pandemic persisted and the effects of the lockdown continued to ravage local economies, we realized that our contiguous network of DC fast chargers might serve another equally noble if somewhat unintended purpose: to facilitate much-needed tourism activity at some of the Pacific Northwest’s most picturesque points of interest.

Environmentally friendly forms of transportation allow those with a travel bug to enjoy some of nature’s most visually arresting treasures with a minimal carbon footprint while also providing tax dollars to the local economies who use such monies to maintain these lands. Many would-be travelers aren’t even aware that such treasures exist, but the convenient placement of many EVCS stations near natural wonders, landmarks and historic sites makes discovering them far easier than in the past. In fact, many of our chargers themselves are destination points, allowing travelers time to hike, bike and kayak, eat and drink, take photos and explore – all while their EVs power up. Locations include state parks, visitor centers, casinos and restaurants.

We think, perhaps, there’s real value in the WCEH’s ability to pull in EV drivers from far-reaching cities and states, allowing greater numbers of eco-conscious citizens – those most likely to enjoy such serene natural beauty – to feel comfortable knowing their mode of transport isn’t having an adverse effect on local wildlife or air quality. According to Annette Pitts, director of Washington State tourism non-profit The Cascade Loop, in a 2018 Yes! Magazine interview, one could gauge the success of the WCEH by the number of EVs driving around with out-of-state plates. “It used to just be Washington state, people probably within Seattle,” she was quoted as saying. “Now I see people driving down from Canada, people from California, people from Texas, and the Midwest even.”

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So, which destinations are the top-ranked choices to see? Well, we definitely have our favorites, so if you have a limited amount of time to explore, we’d like to recommend you at least hit the following:

Thor’s Well is a stunning 20-foot sinkhole that likely started as a sea cave and sits just four miles from our Yachats, Oregon charging station.

Charge up in Redmond before making the trek out to the Painted Hills in Wheeler County, which have been labeled one of the “Seven Wonders of Oregon.” Stop off in the ghost town of Shaniko on your way there.

Crater Lake, famous for its vivid blue hue and snow-fed purity, is the deepest lake in the United States at 1,943 feet. It’s also within range of five EVCS charge points.

Cannon Beach, just a half mile from our charging station, was named one of the world’s 100 most beautiful places by Nat Geo in 2013 and has served as a backdrop in several famous movies, including The Goonies and Twilight.

Travel three miles from our Burlington chargers to see the vibrant tulip fields of Washington’s Skagit Valley.

Snoqualmie Falls is a 270-foot-high marvel by a two-acre park complete with gift shop, observation deck and in close proximity to our Snoqualmie Pass charging station.

Read more about the West Coast Electric Highway here: https://evcs.com/wceh

And here: http://www.westcoastgreenhighway.com/electrichighway.htm

See a map of all Washington and Oregon charging sites here: https://www.oregon.gov/ODOT/Programs/Electric%20Vehicle%20library/Electric%20Hwy%20Map-REV_4-15.pdf

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Navigating California’s New EV Mandate

California’s going all in on electric. On August 25th, Governor Gavin Newsom made a very important announcement concerning the future of transportation in the Golden State: “We can solve this climate crisis if we focus on the big, bold steps necessary to cut pollution. California now has a groundbreaking, world-leading plan to achieve 100 percent zero-emission vehicle sales by 2035.” Big and bold, indeed. And while highly encouraging, it brings up a number of questions moving forward.

How EVCS is Repairing Reliability Concerns

One of the biggest concerns among EV drivers today is the reliability of public chargers. One recent survey from the Department of Bioengineering at UC Berkeley claims as many as 23% of public chargers in the Bay Area alone are, as Wired sums up, “nonfunctioning at any given time, stymied by broken screens, shoddy credit card or payment systems, network connection failures, or damaged plugs.” And that’s in a locale prioritizing the conversion to electric. Testimony from motorists seems to corroborate these findings. A CEC survey of 1,290 EV drivers found that fully 60% had experienced damaged or inoperable chargers, while almost half needed assistance from customer service. We find this wholly unacceptable and have taken measures to ensure that chargers in the EVCS network rise to the standard of operability our customers expect. Here are a few ways we’re doing that:

Installation of the Month (July 2022): Kenwood Inn & Spa

A key focus for us over the last several years has been the installation of additional chargers at holiday hot spots, tourist destinations, and other key points of interest. Not only will it help dispel long-range travel anxiety among many new EV drivers, but it will also lead to a significant reduction in carbon emissions otherwise generated by gas-guzzlers during peak vacation seasons. Moreover, our egalitarian approach to site selection means we’re just as likely to install a charger at a McDonald’s as we are at a Morton’s since we understand the value in catering to a broad clientele. However, higher net worth individuals continue to drive EV sales in the US (a June 2021 Fuels Institute study specifies middle-aged males with household incomes over $100,000), so catering to venues that offer a luxury experience will encourage even greater participation by this group while serving as a bellwether for lower-income drivers who are attracted to the idea of electric mobility as a symbol of status.

Mexico to Canada EV Road Trip: EVCS Interview

We sat down with EV owner and enthusiast Anthony Williams, a 60-year-old business owner from San Diego, who recently commemorated the 10-year anniversary of his first trans-American road trip in an EV by retracing the same route to see what had changed in the world of EV fast charging, for better or for worse. Below are some of his insights and feedback.

Installation of the Month (June 2022): KPC Anaheim Global Medical Center

“For us, healthcare is not only about caring for our patients, but also about investing in the people who live in our communities.” These are the words emblazoned across the home page of the KPC Anaheim Global Medical Center’s website. Facilities like these are attractive partners for us because, like us, their goal is the betterment of humanity. In fact, just replace “healthcare” with “electric mobility” and “patients” with “planet,” and you have the EVCS mission statement in a nutshell. Allying with kindred spirits creates a natural synergy for us through the sharing of core values like customer service and an improved quality of life. Imagine then our excitement when KPC decided to install four of our newest DC fast chargers on their Anaheim property, giving us the opportunity to continue expanding our network southward.