Electric vehicle charging stations are easy to find when you’re traveling down the freeway and the mileage meter gets low. But driving an EV to areas where even cellphone reception is limited? That’s a bit riskier.
Newly installed EV charging stations at a handful of state parks around Oregon — including a few near Portland — take the anxiety out of accessing nature sans fossil fuels.
The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department praised the new stations this week, saying they present a “historic opportunity” for park visitors to access and enjoy the outdoors and reduce air pollution by traveling via zero-emissions vehicles.
Electric vehicle maker Rivian donated the installation design, construction costs, and EV chargers through nonprofit organization Adopt A Charger. Plastics manufacturer Entec Polymers is covering the cost of electricity used by visitors at the charging stations until 2025. After that, users will have to pay for their own charging.
Here’s where you’ll find Rivian Waypoints Level 2 chargers near Portland:
- Silver Falls State Park | 4 stations in the South Falls day-use parking lot
- Banks-Vernonia State Trail | 2 stations in the Banks Trailhead parking lot
- L. L. Stub Stewart State Park | 3 stations in the Welcome Center parking lot
Four more stations will soon be installed at Rooster Rock State Park in the Columbia River Gorge. Every hour that an EV is plugged into a Rivian Waypoint can add up to 25 miles of driving range, and drivers can keep tabs on their charging sessions by downloading an app.
The chargers are compatible with all electric vehicles (read: not just Rivians) and are fully powered with renewable energy. Every kilowatt hour delivered through a Rivian Waypoint charger is matched (or exceeded) with renewable energy like solar and wind that the company has either developed on its own or purchased from other existing projects.
