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EV Fest fills Pioneer Courthouse Square with the latest in electric vehicle technology, which is taking up a growing share of the automotive market.
(Patrick Connor/Oregon Electric Vehicle Association)
If you've been holding any doubt about the ability of electric vehicles to jump into the U.S. auto market, you might want to walk it back a little.
Electric vehicle sales – as well as sales of hybrids – increased by 229 percent over 2013, totaling a 500 percent increase since 2012. Dealers sold about 96,000 plug-in electric cars, and while it's only a half of one percent of the overall auto market share, it's a sign that EV popularity is growing exponentially.
And even though Oregon's best-selling car is a truck, it comes as no surprise that Portland is playing host to a big electrical vehicle event, EV Celebration Day 2014 (also known casually as EV Fest).
The free festival will run all day Saturday, July 5, at Pioneer Courthouse Square. Organized by the Oregon Electric Vehicle Association, the event will display some of the newest electric cars on the market, and will educate attendees about the technology and benefits of driving without gas.
If you've ever wanted to learn about how far, how fast and how well those silent cars drive, this would be the time to ask.
The 2014 EV Fest comes on the heels of big news for U.S. electric car fans. Last month Oregon joined an eight-state coalition that will be planning a joint agreement on non-monetary enticements for EV drivers – that could mean car pool lane use or preferential parking for residents who drive electric.
Lawmakers in Oregon – along with California, New York, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, Rhode Island and Vermont – will also encourage the installation of charging stations at workplaces, and will lobby Congress to extend tax credits for rechargeable cars.
It means that if you're in the market for a new car, and have been on the fence about going electric, there might be more incentives to do so in the near future.
The organizers of this year's EV Celebration Day would certainly like to convince you. And with luxury automakers like BMW getting into the electric game, you're sure to see some interesting designs. The future of cars is upon us, and that future looks electric.
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EV CELEBRATION DAY 2014
When: July 5, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Pioneer Courthouse Square (701 S.W. 6th Ave.)
Admission: Free
--Jamie Hale