Oregon Adds Charging Stations for E-Bikes to 'West Coast Electric Highway'
Depending on where you live in the country, you may have noticed an influx of electric vehicle (EV) charging stations cropping up at rest stops, gas stations, parking lots and coffee shops. But what about e-bike changing stations? In Oregon, Governor Kate Brown is working to improve charging for all electric-assist vehicles, including those with two wheels.To get more news about
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BikePortland reports that Brown introduced 44 electric highway charging stations along the Oregon corridor of the West Coast Electric Highway—a stretch from Canada to Mexico that’s being equipped with charging stations to encourage green transportation and make it easier for drivers to go longer distances in electric vehicles. But Brown didn’t stop at car chargers: Each station in Oregon, all situated along the I-5, I-84, U.S. 101, is outfitted with 110 volt outlets in order to allow e-bikers to power up.To get more news about
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ODOT spokesperson Matt Noble told BikePortland that the community was largely to thank for the decision: “Community feedback has influenced our thinking and direction around e-bikes. Whether that’s through reporting like yours or through direct engagement like our recent TEINA study.”
However, some people were critical of the addition of the outlets, pointing out that some of them are located in areas where bikes aren’t actually allowed. The stations will likely be located on frontage roads off of the highways, so they will be largely accessible by bike, but how convenient they’ll be for bike travel remains to be seen. Still, BikePortland’s editor Jonathan Maus believes that this small step is just the beginning of a more meaningful conversation around the future of e-assist transportation.
Noble noted that adding the 110 volt outlets was a ’no brainer’ and done without any added cost to the project: Something that hopefully more cities and states will take note of as they invest in charging stations for cars. In fact, there are also independent e-bike charging companies like Bike Energy who are trying to work directly with business owners to install e-bike charges near stores, hotels, tourist attractions, and in community centers. The founders believe that adding e-bike chargers helps bring in business—and keeps people hanging out while bikes charge.
Some companies are also trying to ensure that their e-bike users are able to quickly charge on the go. In 2018, Bosch launched their PowerStations network to make it easy for riders to pop the battery out of the bike and into a lockable charging locker, then come back to pick it up after it’s done charging. Most stores that sell Bosch will also allow riders to charge up free of charge. But those battery chargers obviously won’t work with every e-bike, so models like Oregon is piloting are better long term solutions as more riders shift to e-bikes for commuting and traveling.
