Washington Will Have Nation's First Electric Highway
The Washington State Department of Commerce and WSDOT are teaming up to implement the nation’s first “electric highway,” a basic network of public access electric vehicle (EV) recharging locations along Interstate 5. Once implemented, Washington will have the first border to border highway to offer fast charge technology. The project supports the West Coast Green Highway , an initiative to promote the use of cleaner fuels along I-5 from British Columbia to Baja California.
In addition, Washington is creating the nation’s first electric vehicle-friendly scenic byway along U.S. 2, a 120-mile route from Seattle to Wenatchee. Eco-tourism opportunities will be promoted at several tourist destinations including Stevens Pass Ski Area ; Leavenworth’s Sleeping Lady Resort and Icicle Ridge Winery where drivers will be able to “fuel up” while enjoying the location’s activities.
Comments (2)
Read through and enter the discussion by using the form at the endMary Ann Kaufman - March 23, 2011 6:00 PM
How long does it take for electric vehicles to "refuel?"
Saira Rhodes - March 24, 2011 1:23 PM
Plug In America has some great answers to FAQ’s at www.pluginamerica.org. Below is their response to your question about how long it takes to “refuel”.
“That depends on the amperage of the charging system and the size of the battery. Keep in mind that most of the time, the battery will not be empty when you plug in, thus reducing charging time.
To recharge a completely empty car battery from an ordinary 120-volt socket, the Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid would need 10 hours and the Nissan Leaf EV would need 20 hours.
Using a faster 240-volt outlet and a charging station, the Volt recharges in about 4 hours and the Leaf in 8 hours. See our Accessory Tracker page for comparisoins of charging stations.
Some states are beginning to install fast-charging stations along highways that can recharge a car to 80% of battery capacity in less than 30 minutes.”