The June 9 letter “EV proposal has potential problems” reveals the flaws in Portland’s Electrical Vehicle Ready Code requiring contractors to include charging stations in new apartment parking lots at $2,000 to $2,500 per station for new construction. It seems parking lot charging is the least of Portland’s electric vehicle problems. Case in point: Many newer apartment buildings in Portland do not have adequate parking spots, thus many neighborhood streets are choked with cars belonging to apartment dwellers. My question is, with the massive push for EV vehicles, are charging devices going to be provided along hundreds, if not thousands, of miles of city streets?
Another unanswered question is the issue of an unstable power grid in many large cities. Looking back at the history of internal combustion engines replacing the horse-and-buggy era, you will find it took decades, not years, to complete. The first Model T Ford was built in 1908. It took multiple decades to turn dirt paths into roads, and it wasn’t until the 1950s that President Eisenhower launched the interstate highway system. Hold your horses on all this over-the-top EV frenzy. Reality needs a place at the table.
Dennis E. Larson, Milwaukie