Electric cars get the spotlight with Drive Electric Week

The time for learning about electric cars has never been better.

National Drive Electric Week starts Saturday and fans of electric cars throughout the state are holding events offering test drives and camaraderie for folks who are curious or desire electrified transportation. The events coincide with vast amounts of Oregon-specific information that’s online to help consumer learn more before buying their next car.

Why electric cars instead of gas-powered cars? Simply, cars and other vehicles emit nearly 40% of the pollution that’s changing our climate and spew harmful air toxics. #PollutionStinks and it makes asthma worse, our summers hotter and our winters shorter.

Earlier this year, Oregon Environmental Council launched our case for buying electric cars — also known as electric vehicles or EVs — that includes interactive data, a video and a map to show you where you might charge up in your local neighborhood.

Want to compare fuel savings of electricity over fossil fuel? There’s a website for that. Actually a few sites in Oregon, thanks to EV supporters in Ashland, Clatskanie and Lane County, who have published interactive websites, created by ChooseEV, to help their customers. The Eugene People’s Utility District has also posted a comparison of carbon-dioxide emissions between vehicles.

Want to learn about available financial resources to help you buy? The state launched Go Electric Oregon this summer, a website filled with regional news and information about rebates and tax credits. Side note: KGW interviewed Jana Gastellum last week, OEC’s Climate Program director, about the rebates. Check it out.

Want to know which electric car best suits your daily commute in Oregon? There’s a site for that too, thanks to Forth, which also operates a year-round showroom.

But we digress, here’s a list of this week’s statewide events (and one in the ‘Couve for those in the Portland metro area). Click on the city or location for more information.

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Oregon deserves #CleanerCars because #PollutionStinks

It’s time for you to speak up for #CleanerCars to #StopEPARollbacks. Federal rollbacks are reversing decades of good work to hold automakers accountable. The Trump Administration and the acting leadership at the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway T

August 21, 2018, 9:52 pm

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Supreme Court ruling will help Oregonians buy more electric cars

August 2, 2018, 7:03 pm

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Carsharing in the U.S. turns 20

Oregon Environmental Council was there from start by Dave Brook, Senior Carsharing Consultant for team red international

March 27, 2018, 7:55 pm

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How the Oregon Rebate for Electric Cars Works

In the next year, new rebates for electric cars will be available thanks to hard-fought work by OEC (and our partners) this last legislative session. While you’re planning your next EV purchase, we thought we’d share a little more about how it will work, who it will impact and why it’s important (hint: clean air + better cost/mileage = ? ). VIDEO:

September 7, 2017, 12:26 am

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We Must Keep Automakers On Track To Deliver Clean Cars

by Chris Hagerbaumer, Deputy Director More than a decade ago, Oregon joined California, Washington, ten other states and the District of Columbia to insist that automakers curb pollution that harms our health and heats our planet. These protections were so sensible and so cost-effective that in 2009 the federal government adopted them nationwide. Because of

March 28, 2017, 12:56 am

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How well do you know green cars?

Does your neighbor have that cleaner-than-thou attitude as he climbs into his plug-in electric hybrid BMW X5 SUV? Well, he isn’t all that special. You can get twice the mileage with an electric car that’s half the price, and release 75% less global warming pollution. Here in Oregon, if we pass the Clean Electricity and Coal Transition Bill, electric cars will account for even less pollution. If you’re in the market fo

February 25, 2016, 5:29 pm

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