Portland State Magazine Winter 2011

PLUGGlnG lnT□ THE FUTURE As new electric vehicles come to market, Portland State is helping pave the way. WRITTEN BY SH ELBY WOOD PHOTOGRAPHY BY K EL LY JAM ES THE EN ERGY of Portland Stace's Urban Center Plaza is audible, from the whir ofMAX light rail to the streetcar's distinctive chime. 1he red brick plaza is electric, and growing more so every day. In recent months, the world's largest automakers have used the plaza to show off the next generation of electric 8 PORTLAND STATE MAGAZINE WINTER 2011 vehicles. And they are looking to Portland, and to PSU, to help steer them into the mainstream. Car makers including Toyota, Nissan , Ford, and General Motors are beginning to roll out thousands of plug-in gas– electric hybrids and all-electric vehicles, betting chat American drivers will trade volatile gas prices and polluting tailpipes for an overnight charge and lower-carbon ride. In Oregon, more than 1,100 public charging stations are planned along the I-5 corridor. And President Obama has sec a goal of one million plug-in electric vehicles, or EVs, on U.S. roads by 2015. It remains to be seen when-or if-EVs will catch on, beyond the eco– conscious and electric car enthusiasts. Bue PSU is part of the push, a partner with Porcland General Electric in an array of efforts to pave the way for EVs in Oregon. During the past three years, the University co-sponsored EV conferences that have lured car makers to Portland. Toyota picked PSU as one of six sites in the U.S. to test ics newest plug-in hybrid. And in March, the University formed a partnership with PGE, the state's largest utility, to study charging station issues and bolster Oregon's reputation as an attractive launch market. THE UNI V ERS ITY 'S alliance with PGE has helped create momentum around EVs across the region, says Joe Barra, director of customer energy resources for PGE. If PGE was tackling EV initiatives alone, "you wouldn't have the synergy or cl1e energy you're going to get when you have a partner like PSU," Barra says. "This partnership with the University real ly does provide a much broader perspective than if it was just the electric company inviting an EV manufacturer into town." PGE is looking to P U-particularly to its Oregon Transportation Research