Electric car rally to converge here Saturday

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Electric car rally to converge here Saturday

Thursday, June 14, 2012

WENATCHEE — Amid speeches and fanfare, a high-voltage, strategically timed procession of about a dozen electric cars will travel here from Seattle Saturday to test the mettle of new charging stations along Highway 2.

Drivers will start in Sultan at about 9 a.m. and make stops in Skykomish, Leavenworth and Wenatchee, getting quick-charges along the way.

If you go

Electric car rally and showcase

Leavenworth: City Hall, 1 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Cars on display, music, speakers, giveaways.

Wenatchee: Springhill Suites, 1730 N. Wenatchee Ave., noon to 3 p.m. reception; Convention Center 3:30 to 5:30 p.m., car display, speakers, rides on Link electric trolley.

The event is an effort to establish North Central Washington as an electric vehicle (EV) destination, where EV-owning Seattlites can come, charge up, spend the night and take in area wineries and recreation before heading home.

Five locations along the route and multiple places in Wenatchee have stations for charging electric vehicles, but the four chosen stops for Saturday’s event have — or are expected to have by Saturday — 480-volt “Level 3” charging stations, capable of topping up a battery in about 20 minutes. The lower-voltage Level 1 and 2 stations take longer.

Charging stations:

Sultan: City Hall/Visitor Info Center, Level 1,2 3.

Skykomish: Sky Deli, Level 1, 2, 3.

Stevens Pass ski area: Level 1, 2.

Monroe: Evergreen State Fairgrounds, Level 1, 2.

Leavenworth: Sleeping Lady Mountain Resort (Level 1, 2); City Hall (Level, 1, 2, 3)

Wenatchee: Springhill Suites hotel (Level 2) Wenatchee Convention Center (Level 1, 2, 3), Wenatchee Valley College (Level 1), Town Nissan (Level 1, 2)

Source: Ron Johnston-Rodriguez

Drivers start times from Sultan will be carefully coordinated to prevent bottlenecks behind each fast-charge station along the way.

“This is a pioneering thing. To some degree, it’s a test drive,” said event organizer and spokesman Ron Johnston-Rodriguez.

At each stop along the more than 100-mile “Highway 2/Stevens Pass Scenic Byway” dignitaries will gather for a ribbon cuttings and speeches.

Events culminate at the Wenatchee Convention Center for the “EV Showcase,” where vehicles on display will include Nissan Leafs, a Mitsubishi i-MiEV, Chevy Volt, a Tesla sports car and one of Toyota’s first factory-made plug-in Prius hybrids.

Link Transit’s all-electric trolley, “The Current,” will be there for free rides. An electric ATV, Gem Car, forklift and bicycle could also be on display.

Many of the rally drivers are hard-core electric-car enthusiasts with adventurous spirits, Johnston-Rodriguez says. Many are members of the Seattle Electric Vehicle Association or nationwide Plug In America group.

“We expect to learn a lot of lessons,” he said.

World staffer Emily Wooldridge contributed to this story.

Christine Pratt: 665-1173

pratt@wenatcheeworld.com

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lonedog3 11 months, 1 week ago

I hope theres no chevy volts coming since the fire department has been depleted. maybe the ambulance company can stand by with some fire extinushers.

JohnBarta_ 11 months, 1 week ago

"...vehicles on display will include Nissan Leafs, a Mitsubishi i-MiEV, Chevy Volt, a Tesla sports car and one of Toyota’s first factory-made plug-in Prius hybrids."