The Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) recently completed phase one upgrades to the West Coast Electric Highway.
The highway is a network of EV charging stations that stretch from British Columbia to southern California. In Oregon, the highway has 44 stations along Interstates 5 and 84 and US 101.
The upgrades added more charger types at Oregon’s stations and upgraded existing chargers to serve a wider range of electric vehicles, including e-bikes.
Phase two will begin this summer. EVCS, the company that administers the highway’s charging stations, will convert 11 stations to have even faster charging speeds. During phase three, which begins in the autumn, three stations will be built in Oregon.
ODOT contributed $4 million to the project.
The agency held a news conference Tuesday at the Woodburn Transit Facility near Interstate 5 to celebrate the completion of phase one. Gov. Kate Brown; Kris Strickler, ODOT director; and Ian Vishnevsky, EVCS COO/CFO, attended the event.
“Our goal is to create the most reliable and accessible EV charging infrastructure in the nation,” Vishnevsky said. “EVCS’s collaboration with ODOT to upgrade the West Coast Electric Highway will improve driver confidence in going electric as we seek to combat climate change through our sustainable and accessible charging stations.”