Setting the Standard: Washington Interstate-5 to Become an Electrified Highway

It appears that Washington state is on the verge of turning a section of its Interstate 5 -- from the Canadian border to Oregon -- into an electric highway with charging stations for Electric Vehicles.

Who Gets First Prize?

A recent federal grant of about US$1.32 million helps too. The announcement made by Gov. Chris Gregoire suggests the I-5 will be the nation's first electric highway, but that may be a bit hasty.

Already in California, similar endeavors have come to fruition. Higway 101 between San Francisco and Las Angeles was "electrified" last year for EV use.

But route 101 is not an Interstate Highway like the I-5, so Washington will certainly garner praise for being the first state to have border-to-border fast charge technology.

What the Electric Highway Entails:

The goal is to place 7 to10 level 3 charging stations along the well-used I-5 corridor, allowing EV drivers to charge a typical battery to 80% in under 30 minutes.

“Providing the nation’s first true electrified highway (I-5) will benefit Washingtonians and show the rest of the country how we can use innovative partnerships to solve some of our most difficult challenges like climate change and our dependence on oil," said Gregoire.

Good For All EV's?

The level 3 charging stations will support plug-in EV's such as the Nissan Leaf, Ford Focus, and forthcoming Chevy Volt, allowing electric motorists to travel the entire length 276 mile length of the state.

As many as 300,000 electric vehicles are anticipated on Washington roads during in the next 10 years.

Learn more about New Transportation on eBoom's Transportation page.