Electric moment
City celebrates ‘filling station of the future’
This new electric car charging station is up and running on A Avenue near Second Street.
CLIFF NEWELL / Lake Oswego Review
It was just a lone station and one small electric car.
But the city of Lake Oswego hopes that the new plug-in vehicle charging station on A Avenue will be the start of something big when if comes to sustainability.
Certainly, the area media thought it was a big moment on Monday morning, as the corner of A Avenue and Second Street positively bristled with reporters and photographers.
“We hope this is one of those things that sets an example,” Lake Oswego Mayor Judie Hammerstad said. “Most of all we hope this sets the stage for other communities to do this.”
“Lake Oswego is the first city in this region (outside Portland) to have a station,” said Kregg Arnston of PGE. “Avenue A is the heart of Lake Oswego, and it’s great to celebrate a new milestone here with what we hope is the filling station of the future.”
The man of the hour was Lake Oswego’s Brian Toye. He was not only the focus of many people with pads and cameras, but he had the honor of his bright blue Zenn being the first vehicle to be recharged at the station.
Toye was thrilled to see a project he had worked on for many months come into being. But he was also realistic.
“I still have the only electric car in town,” Toye said. “We’re there! Now if we can just get other cars coming.”
Still, Toye said he believes that the charging station could be a giant step toward convincing Lake Oswego drivers that electric cars are a good way to drive, save money and clean up the atmosphere.
“All of the excuses for not getting an electric car are going out the window,” Toye said. “The arguments against it are not holding water.”
Certainly, having the recharge station right in the middle of town puts a giant dent in one argument.
It was only last December that Toye and his wife Julie Pacheco-Toye decided to purchase an electric car after viewing the documentary movie, Who Killed The Electric Car? — an experience that inspired them, not depressed them.
Pleased with the vehicle, Toye decided to start motivating the city to set up a recharge station and found receptive conditions: Lake Oswego Sustainability Planner Susan Millhouser was looking into the possibility for a charging station and PGE was coming up with the technology.
“It was such a new idea,” Toye said. “It took awhile to take it to the city engineer and the transportation board. It was great that Susan embraced the idea and ran with it.”
As Arnston pointed out, Lake Oswego is a citadel for green ideas, and with four more charging stations being set up in the region (Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, 1945 SE Water Ave.; Portland General Electric, 4245 Kale St. N.E., Salem; 121 S.W. Salmon St., Portland; and Two World Trade Center garage, Portland), the electric car could have a bully future here.
“We expect car manufacturers to have new electric technology within the next 18 to 24 months,” Arnston said. “The Lake Oswego-Portland area is a great place for it because the people here believe in all things sustainable.”
PGE developed the new charging stations to be easily recognizable and easy to use. Drivers park their cars at a station and plug in their vehicles the same way a household appliance plugs into the wall, PGE officials said. During the initial rollout, there is no charge to use the stations stations are open to the public.
Hammerstad said, “Brian’s car cost only $14,000, and it looks like more electric cars are going to be manufactured. I can see electric cars being used around this town very easily.”
Toye thinks one factor in particular will assure the future success of electric cars: Gas prices.