West Coast Freeway Earns Electric Highway Nickname
Back in 2009, California, Oregon, and Washington made a decision to start turning a portion of the I-5 freeway into an Electric Highway. Hoping to address the limited range of an electric vehicle, the states lined a 160-mile stretch on the West Coast freeway with eight charging stations.
Each station is spaced out 25 miles apart, allowing the vast majority of electric vehicle drivers the ability to safely charge as they head up the Pacific Northwest. The stations are lined between the northern border of California all the way to Cottage Grove, Oregon. It’s the first major section of the I-5 to have this many charging stations along one route.
While most electric vehicles could take some time to fully recharge (three hours to overnight), the Nissan Leaf can utilize 480 volts to go from 20-percent to 80-percent in less than 30 minutes. Just don’t plan on staying in Washington State if you own an electric vehicle.
[Source: CNet]
Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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