Electric Car Charging Stations in Oregon
The Portland metropolitan area has the highest number of EV charging stations by a long shot, but several other cities have plenty of juice on tap as well.
Written by Amber Reed
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
According to PlugShare, there are more than 2,600 charging stations for
electric vehicles
in Oregon
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Where to find electric vehicle charging stations in Oregon
Not all charging stations are the same, and it’s important to know which kind you need. Take a look at the different types of charging:
- Level 1: These are essentially equivalent to a standard 120-volt household outlet. They charge pretty slowly and are good for hybrid vehicles.
- Level 2: These can be 208-240 volts, but 220 is the most common. These take four to eight hours for charging and are often installed for home charging uses. These may look like the larger outlets that large appliances are plugged into.
- Level 3: This is what’s known as DC fast charging, and it can charge up to a rate of up to 20 miles per minute. These are ideal for charging up on road trips.
- Tesla Supercharger: Technically, these are a type of Level 3 charging, but we know how Elon likes to be different. These are Tesla’s proprietary charging stations and can add up to 200 miles of range in 15 minutes.
The majority of the public chargers in Oregon—more than 1,500 of them, as of October 2022—are Level 2 or 3.
And there are more on the way! The largest Tesla Supercharging station outside of California is opening in 2023 in
Sutherlin
, a small town in southern Oregon. Why there? It’s located right off the I-5 corridor, halfway between San Francisco
and Seattle
. Perfectly placed for a road trip!Speaking of road trips, the
West Coast Electric Highway
project is a coordinated, multi-state effort that’s working to install DC fast chargers every 25 to 50 miles from the Mexican border to British Columbia. Pretty cool, right?Here are a few websites that are useful for finding and mapping out EV charging stations in Oregon.
- PlugShare: Lists available stations, as well as pricing info and the option to search by connector or charging network.
- Alternative Fuels Data Center: This is offered by the U.S. Department of Energy, and also has a searchable map that you can filter by charging type.
- Electrify America: This is the largest DC public fast charging station in the country, and some brands of EVs (Audi, for one) partner with them to offer free or discounted charging.
Oregon cities with the most EV charging stations
Where’s the easiest place in Oregon to have an electric car? Take a look at the most EV-friendly cities:
City | Total number of public charging stations | DCFC stations | Tesla stations | Free stations |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Portland metro area | 1,385 | 209 | 59 | 268 |
Salem | 195 | 59 | 26 | 14 |
Eugene | 174 | 26 | 14 | 32 |
Bend/Redmond | 154 | 21 | 8 | 34 |
MORE: How to choose an eco-friendly car
How much does it cost to charge an electric car in Oregon?
In general, charging up an EV is less expensive than filling your average gas tank, but it isn’t always free. Here’s what you might expect for EV charging costs in Oregon.
According to most sources, there aren’t a ton of public Level 1 chargers, but around half of them are free to use. This will be the cheapest (and longest) way to charge your hybrid or EV and can cost anywhere from $2 to $15 dollars.
There are quite a few free Level 2 charging stations in Oregon, but for the ones where you have to pay expect to spend roughly $0.20 to $0.25 per kWh. Your total cost will depend on the size of your battery and how long you charge for, but costs can range from $12 to $40. A quick top-off will cost you less than a fill-up, and be aware that in some Level 2 locations, you may have to pay for parking.
DC fast chargers are the quickest way to go, but they’re also the most expensive. Costs for public DC charging range from $0.40 to $0.60 per kWh, and some stations charge for time rather than by electricity used.
If you want to figure out just how much it’ll cost to charge your hybrid or EV, here’s a handy formula you can use:
Vehicle battery size (kWh) x rate (cost per kWh) = total charging cost
Many charging networks offer memberships versus doing pay-as-you-go, so make sure to do some research to find the best charging option for you!
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Oregon electric vehicle incentives
Oregon is committed to encouraging greener ways of travel, and there are a few different rebates and incentives that the state offers to people who buy a new EV or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV).
According to
Go Electric Oregon
, the state currently offers up to $7,500 in rebates through the Oregon Clean Vehicle and Charge Ahead rebate programs
. Every Oregonian who purchases or leases a new EV or PHEV will get a $2,500 rebate. On top of that, low and moderate-income Oregonians can receive an additional $5,000 on qualifying new or used EVs.And the rebates don’t stop with just the purchase of a new vehicle—there are more than a dozen rebates offered by various utility companies and city governments. Most of these are in the form of a rebate for installing a Level 2 charger at your house, but there are also some that offer cash incentives for the purchase of electric bicycles.
Portland General Electric is Oregon’s largest electric provider and is offering
rebates of $500 to $1,000
for residents who install a Level 2 charger, and between $1,000 to $2,300
for each Level 2 charger installed by a business or commercial property. Getting an EV or PHEV in Oregon is green in more ways than one!
MORE: Oregon electric vehicle incentives
How to save on electric car insurance in Oregon
One of the perks of having an electric car is that you’ll save big on fuel costs—but one of the downsides is, electric cars tend to be
more expensive to insure
due to more technology and higher repair costs. But electric vehicle or not,
Jerry
can help you save big on your car insurance
in Oregon. As a licensed broker, Jerry partners with more than 50 of the best providers in the business to get you a fantastic price—without skimping on coverage!“Jerryis an amazing app. Thanks to it, I saved a lot of money for my Tesla Model 3’s insurance. I’m so glad I downloaded the app!” —Erza S.
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