One of those test markets is Portland, OR, with Portland General Electric (PGE) handling the deployment of eTec’s recharging technology. Dependent upon ongoing contract negotiations, up to 1,000 Nissan electric vehicles will be made available at Oregon Nissan dealerships in fall 2010, with 2,500 charging stations to be installed at homes and businesses beginning in the summer of 2010 for residents and businesses that choose to participate, said Jim Piro, PGE’s president &CEO.

He noted that Level 2 (220 volt) charging systems will be installed in residential, public and commercial locations, with Level 3 “fast-charge” systems installed in high-traffic areas and strategic locations to allow consumers to charge on-the-go and extend daily driving range.

“This is … an important step forward to develop the critical infrastructure necessary in Oregon to support next-generation electric vehicles that are coming to market in 2010,” Piro said. “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.”

Joe Barra, PGE’s director of customer energy resources, told FleetOwner that the utility is in discussions with several all-electric truck manufacturers as part of a plan to include such trucks as part of this electric vehicle pilot program. The key to making this program work, he said, is going to be the recharging infrastructure.

“Battery development has held back electric vehicles for some time and despite recent advancements in Lithium Ion batteries have led to improvements in power density … range will be limited to 100 miles at least for the first generation of electric vehicles,” he said. “A robust charging infrastructure will be important in allaying range anxiety and assuring prospective buyers that this, in fact, is not a test. 

Barra added that PGE’s forecasts have plug-in electric vehicles accounting for as much as 30% of new vehicle sales by 2020. “With normal turnover rates, they could account for 10% of all vehicles on our roads by then,” he noted. “[As a result] there may be a few less gas stations, replaced by quick-charge outlets, particularly along major transportation corridors.”