PGE joins eTec, state of Oregon and Nissan in five-market rollout of
electric vehicles and associated charging stations
PORTLAND, Ore., Aug 05, 2009 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Portland General Electric (NYSE:POR) welcomed news today that PGE was
named a strategic participant and the state of Oregon was named one of
five test markets for the largest rollout of electric vehicles and an
associated charging station network in United States history.
PGE was selected by Electric Transportation Engineering Corporation
(eTec), a subsidiary of ECOtality, Inc. (OTCBB:ETLY), and a leader in
the research, development and testing of advanced transportation and
energy systems. eTec announced today the receipt of $99.8 million in
federal funds to test and analyze electric vehicle usage and charging
infrastructure.
The goal of the project is to encourage the expansion of an electric
vehicle infrastructure that will eventually be available for widespread
use of EV owners throughout the nation. eTec is partnering with Nissan
North America on the project to deploy up to 5,000 electric vehicles and
12,750 charging stations in five U.S. markets.
eTec chose to strategically partner with PGE to advance the
understanding of EV usage patterns and their impact on the electrical
grid, as well as provide synergies with PGE's smart grid initiatives.
"This announcement is an exciting and important step forward to develop
the critical infrastructure necessary in Oregon to support
next-generation electric vehicles that are coming to market in 2010,"
said Jim Piro, president and CEO of PGE. "This project will give us a
better understanding of how the charging of electric vehicles can
effectively be integrated into a smart electric grid at the lowest
possible cost. We'd like to thank eTec, Nissan, Governor Ted Kulongoski
and the state of Oregon for sharing our vision of bringing
transportation and electricity together to better serve our customers."
PGE has already partnered with local governments and businesses to
install nearly 20 EV charging stations in the Portland-metro area and
Salem.
"This investment is exciting news for Oregon as we work to reduce our
greenhouse gas emissions and for consumers who would rather plug-in than
pay at the pump," Gov. Ted Kulongoski said. "This latest partnership on
electric vehicles is another example of Oregon leading the way for our
nation's transition to the next generation of new, cleaner vehicles."
"We're thrilled to enter the Portland market and sincerely thank
Governor Kulongoski, the state of Oregon, and PGE for their support and
partnership in eTec's proposal submitted to the U.S. Department of
Energy," said Don Karner, president of eTec.
"By studying lessons learned from electric vehicle operations and the
infrastructure supporting these first 5,000 vehicles, the proposed
project will enable the streamlined deployment of the next 5 million
electric vehicles. The U.S. Department of Energy has shown great
foresight in funding a project that deploys the largest number of
vehicles and infrastructure that will make America electric-vehicle
ready," Karner added.
Dependent upon ongoing contract negotiations, up to 1,000 Nissan
electric vehicles will be made available at Oregon Nissan dealerships in
fall 2010, and 2,500 charging stations will be installed at homes and
businesses beginning in the summer of 2010 for residents and businesses
that choose to participate. Level 2 (220V) charging systems will be
installed in residential, public and commercial locations. Level 3
fast-charge systems will be installed in high-traffic areas and
strategic locations to allow consumers to charge on-the-go and extend
daily driving range.
By 2012, it is anticipated more than 750 new jobs will be generated in
the U.S. by the proposed project. By supporting the market launch of the
Nissan EV, it is expected more than 5,500 new jobs will be in place by
2017 as a direct result of the proposed project.
Oregonians and businesses that purchase the Nissan LEAF will be eligible
to participate in the project, and can find out more information about
the vehicle at www.NissanUSA.com.
If the decision is made to purchase a Nissan EV and participate in the
project, purchasers will be provided installed charging equipment at the
consumer's home or business at no cost.
As part of the project, markets in four other states -- Arizona,
California, Tennessee and Washington -- will also each receive up to
1,000 vehicles. Markets were evaluated and chosen based on favorable
regulatory environment, strong market demographics, climate
differentials, topographies, and transportation patterns.
It is estimated that each Nissan EV will save as much as 436 gallons of
gasoline per year compared to a comparable family sedan. For the entire
fleet of 5,000 demonstration Nissan EVs, the fuel saving would be more
than 2 million gallons of gasoline (51,900 barrels) per year. During the
two year demonstration period, more than 4.3 million total gallons of
gasoline (103,800 barrels) would be saved.
More information about this announcement is available at www.ecotality.com.
Video and audio interviews are available for download at www.ecotality.com.
PGE customers who have questions about its participation in the program
can contact electricvehicles@pgn.com.
About PGE
Portland General Electric Company, headquartered in Portland, Ore., is a
fully integrated electric utility that serves approximately 817,000
residential, commercial and industrial customers in Oregon. Visit us
online at www.PortlandGeneral.com/plugin.
About eTec
Electric Transportation Engineering Corporation (eTec), a subsidiary of
ECOtality (OTCBB:ETLY), is a recognized leader in the research,
development and testing of advanced transportation and energy systems.
With over two decades of electric transportation experience, eTec has
been involved in every electric vehicle initiative in North America
since the 1990's. Utilizing its patented industry-leading charging
algorithm, eTec operates the Minit-Charger line of battery fast-charge
systems for on-road electric vehicle, transit, material handling and
airport ground support applications. For more information, please visit www.etecevs.com
or www.minit-charger.com.
About ECOtality, Inc.
ECOtality, Inc. (OTCBB:ETLY), headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, is a
leader in clean electric transportation and storage technologies.
Through innovation, acquisitions, and strategic partnerships, ECOtality
accelerates the market applicability of advanced electric technologies
to replace carbon-based fuels. For more information about ECOtality,
Inc., please visit www.ecotality.com.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6023462&lang=en
SOURCE: Portland General Electric
PGE
Elaina Medina, 503-464-8790
or
ECOtality
Colin Read, 480-219-5005
Copyright Business Wire 2009