Port focuses on EV charger push

Port of Camas-Washougal Commissioner Cassi Marshall is calling for the Port to brainstorm ways to effectively market its new electric vehicle (EV) charging station in an effort to convince potential customers to drive “a bit off of their regular route.”

During their Oct. 16 meeting, Port commissioners approved a $183,808 contract with Portland-based Sarkinen Plumbing to install an electric vehicle (EV) charging station at Grove Field.

“I think we should really try to do a good job of letting everybody know it’s there,” she said. “I’m curious what we can do as an organization to promote the fact that there (will be) a level-three charger at Grove Field. Maybe we could market it (in a way to emphasize that even though) it seems like Fern Prairie is a ways out there, it’s really not that long a drive from downtown Camas.”

The project, which will install a ChargePoint Express 250 rapid-charging system and include electrical installation, site development, permitting, and the purchase of the ChargePoint units, is to be completed by June 2025, according to the contract.

“I am excited about it,” Marshall said. “As we work to develop more jobs at our Grove Field properties, it’s going to be a nice amenity to have out there.”

The Port received grant funding from Clark Public Utilities and the Washington Electric Vehicle Charging Program, administered by the Washington State Department of Commerce, for the project, which is included in the Port’s 2024 and 2025 capital budgets.

The Port installed a charging station in front of its administrative office in 2022 and six charging stations at its industrial park’s new Building 20, which opened in 2023.

“Any charging infrastructure that the Port can help to provide for the community to make EV adoption as easy as possible is really a big benefit,” Marshall said. “When you look at the savings for people on the electric vehicle miles compared to gas, it’s a big deal. It is. It is a pretty efficient way to go. ’m really proud of the Port for taking an initiative, really making that one of the priorities that goes along with serving the community. It’s an important amenity that we’ve decided to make a priority.”

Marshall said she believes the Port should emphasize its competitive prices and the fact that a level-three charging station can fully charge a vehicle in about 20 minutes.

“For people who aren’t familiar with charging, or may not have access to overnight charging at their own residence, I think the availability of more fast-charging stations can really help EVs take off in a bigger way,” she said. “And I think if we can keep (our charging stations) as affordable as possible, that makes it even more attractive for people to maybe go a smidge out of their way.”

During a Port Commission meeting on March 20, Marshall, along with Commissioners Larry Keister and John Spencer talked about the benefits of placing things for people to see or do near the EV stations.

“It takes at least 20 minutes to charge your car,” Keister said. “It’d be nice if something was there — a restaurant, a coffee shop. Most charging stations do have something (close by). Even if we just offered WiFi, that would be good.”

“We’ve talked about in the past of just having a spot there with some benches, picnic tables, whatever, to (let people) watch the planes coming in and out,” Spencer added. “There’s a lot of people who actually really enjoy that.”

Marshall said that placing a charging station in a rural area is “a double edged thing.”

“There’s not that much charging out there, so that’s a bonus,” she said. “But it also means it’s off of the regular route for a lot of people. How do we make sure that it gets used? I guess we’d be enticing people to come off of some normal route to use it.”

Keister said he uses an app that provides the locations of the nearest charging stations.

“If the charger is in place, it will go on the app that (lists) the closest chargers,” he said. “That will be automatic. That’s how I find where chargers are.”

The Port’s business development director, Derek Jaeger, said “awareness” is the biggest key to drawing people to charging stations.

“Trying to create things people can do while they’re there is good, but I don’t know if that’s necessarily the selling feature of why people come to charge,” he said. “I think the app is very popular. (We can) create awareness through events like Wheels and Wings and First Fridays. And signage would be great, too. When you look for charging stations, (you’re prioritizing) convenience, the level of the charge, and location, and that’s all pretty much provided through an app or online.”

The Port decided to place its next EV station at Grove Field in an effort to diversify its charging locations, according to Marshall.

“Part of it was because they know that Westlie Ford is going to be putting the fast-charging stations at their location, near our admin site, and so it doesn’t make that much sense to put another fast charging (station there),” she said. “Spreading them out was kind of the idea behind putting it at Grove.”