Ford and Portland General Electric Partner to Prepare Oregon for Electric Vehicles

August 25, 2010 – Vol.15 No.23

Ford and Portland General Electric Partner to Prepare Oregon for Electric Vehicles.

Ford Motor Company and Portland General Electric have announced a collaboration to help prepare the city of Portland and the Pacific Northwest for the operation of electric vehicles. Ford and PGE will work together to share information on charging needs and requirements to ensure the electrical grid can support the necessary demand for electric vehicles, as well as partner on consumer education outreach around electric vehicles.

Ford and PGE have also agreed to work together with state and local governments to support charging station permitting, electric vehicle incentives and future legislation or regulations. Vehicle incentives and an easy charging station permitting process are considered to be two key to elements to electric vehicle acceptance in Portland and across the country.

"The idea of widespread use of electric vehicles in an urban setting is becoming a reality and we want Oregon to be well-positioned to take advantage of this new technology and the environmental benefits these automobiles will bring," said Jim Piro, president and CEO, PGE. "By working with Ford, PGE can better understand how these vehicles will interact with our electrical system and how we can best support our customers with the charging service they need to keep their electric cars rolling."

PGE is partnering with state and local government, higher education, the automobile industry, and businesses to expand the electric vehicle infrastructure in Oregon. In early August, PGE opened the nation's first quick-charge station at its World Trade Center headquarters, which complements the network of more-than 20 charging stations now up and running across PGE's operating areas. Ford will draw upon PGE's partnership with Portland State University to further study urban mobility and the integration of energy and sustainable design.

Ford will introduce its first pure battery electric vehicle, the Transit Connect Electric small commercial van, this year. In 2011, Ford will deliver the Focus Electric passenger car to market, and in 2012, will introduce new next generation lithium ion battery powered hybrids and a plug-in hybrid in North America.

Portland General Electric: PGE, headquartered in Portland, Ore, is a fully integrated electric utility that serves more than 822,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in Oregon. (8/25/10)

Links:

Portland General Electric/ Electric Vehicles
http://www.portlandgeneral.com/plugin

Ford
http://www.ford.com

--- PGE Opens North America’s First Public-Use Quick-Charge Station for EVs.

--- Ford and Azure Dynamics Collaborate on Transit Connect Electric for Europe.

Disclaimer, Forward-Looking or Safe Harbor Statement on original press release: No