Emerald Valley Electric Vehicle Association Where to Charge Your EV

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Emerald Valley Electric Vehicle Association

Where to Charge Your EV

Those of us who have been driving for any length of time know how to fuel a conventional gas- or diesel-powered car or truck. Simply pull into a fueling station and let the attendant fill the tank. But how about for an electric vehicle?

In some ways, the fueling process is much better, mostly because you have the option of filling your "tank" (batteries) at home for minimal cost. However, charging batteries does take more time than filling a gas tank, requiring some minor changes in travel habits if you drive a long distance in a single day.

Fortunately there are some great resources for helping to understand EV charging and to find a place to charge up when you need to.

At Home

Charging at home is the most convenient and inexpensive way to fuel your EV.

Level 1

Plug into standard outlet
Good if normal daily drive is 30-40 miles
Recharge overnight

Level 2

Usually requires charging equipment, electrician install
Operates on 240 volt power (like electric clothes dryer)
Recharge 200 miles or more overnight

Consult Your Utility

Your electric utility likely has useful information for charging your vehicle at home, and often offers rebates to help with the cost of installing charging equipment!

In the Community

Electric vehicle chargers are often located in or near places you shop, work, go to school, or recreate. Phone apps like PlugShare will help you find them. Here is a map from Plugshare showing the charging locations in the Eugene-Springfield area, along with a few photos of some of the chargers.

Eugene Public Library Parking Garage

Mount Pisgah Arboretum Parking Lot

Springfield LRAPA Office

While Traveling

When traveling long distances out of town, you may need to charge more quickly than when at home or in your community.

In that case, you want to locate DC fast chargers. These are much more powerful than Level 2 chargers, and are often located near places to eat or shop. DC fast chargers approximate the experience of fueling a conventional vehicle at a gas pump, but they are slower. It may take 20 or 30 minutes (or more) for your car to reach 80% charge.

There are several tools that can help you plan trips with your EV, identifying the best places to charge up, customized to your particular car and preferences. Click the icons below to explore some of the ones our members have found most useful.

DC fast charger station in Hillsboro, Oregon

Destination Charging

If you are traveling overnight, you can look for hotels and campgrounds that have Level 2 charging which you can use to fully recharge while you sleep.

Some travel websites now allow you to filter lodging choices by selecting those that have EV charging available.

Charging Network Companies

Most DC Fast Chargers and some destination and community Level 2 chargers are operated by companies that have large networks of chargers. While many accept credit card payments on site at the charging units, it can be helpful to have phone apps for the ones you use most commonly.

Most common charging network companies in southern Willamette valley & central coast

Additional networks a bit further afield - Portland, Seattle, northern California