Three Sisters Mountains - photo by marcadamus.com |
Here in the NW part of Oregon we have very few days that are below freezing and even fewer days that are over 100°F. Below is a chart of 2012 temperatures from Salem Oregon.
2012 Temps of Salem Oregon via weatherspark.com |
This temperature range makes Oregon ideal for EV batteries. There are very few days that thermal management is needed, meaning that batteries generally have long and happy lives here and the bulk of their energy can be used for getting you where you need to go.
One final note about our weather. ECOtality's Blink charging stations suffered reliability problems throughout 2011 and 2012. Despite having charging stations deployed in 5 states (and later expanding to 7), over half of their problem reports during this first 2 year period came from Oregon. The charging systems here were one, being used used, and two, being damaged by rain.
Being the passionate EVs drivers that we are here, we let ECOtality know when something was broken. ECOtality has continued to analyze the failures and improve their product. In a recent presentation to the Oregon Electric Vehicle Association, they told us that placing stations here was the best way to ruggedize them for the rest of the country. The consistent feedback from Oregon EV drivers allowed them to listen, respond, and adapt, eventually leading to a highly reliable product.
Next: Reason 7: Economy
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