autoevolution
 

Portland Prepares for Electric Cars by Testing Electric Avenue

No, we are not talking about Eddy Grant’s Electric Avenue as some would be tempted to do so, but it’s close. The one that we are taking about is part of a two-year study which involves seven electric charging stations from six manufacturers. The study will examine which chargers get the most use and who’s plugging in and what they do while cars sip a bit of electricity.

The chargers will be installed at Portland State University and will help EV drivers to get a charge out of a block-long stretch of a street in downtown Portland nick-named “Electric Avenue.” The stations were revealed Tuesday in a ceremony that featured the 1980s Eddy Grant song “Electric Avenue.” Also, drivers who rock down to Electric Avenue can charge for free just as long as they pay standard street-parking costs at the meter.

"The biggest unknown right now is driver behavior, and all the factors that go into what a driver is willing to do. All of these things will help drive what we do next, as far as creating a market for electric vehicles,"Shad Balch, General Motors spokesman , was quoted as saying by Detroit Free Press. The Electric Avenue has one quick-charge station that can revive an

EV in about 30 minutes. While the other six stations can charge most batteries in four to six hours being known as Level 2 chargers.
"We stand to learn a lot about the charging behavior of people who are driving these vehicles,"George Beard, Portland State instructor involved in the project, the aforementioned source cites.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories