AeroVironment to install I-5 electric vehicle chargers in Oregon

AeroVironment Inc., a maker of electric vehicle charging stations, announced Wednesday it was selected by the Oregon Department of Transportation to install high-powered charging stations along the Interstate 5 corridor.

The stations will be installed at eight interchanges identified by ODOT, with specific locations yet to be determined.

"We're looking at potential host sites," said Kristen Helsel, vice president of electric vehicle solutions for AeroVironment (Nasdaq: AVAV), which is also partnering with Nissan to install chargers for Nissan Leaf owners in the car's launch communities.

But while home electric charging stations, called Level 2 charging docks, can take several hours to charge up a vehicle, the public chargers AeroVironment will install in Oregon starting in late summer are Level 3 charging stations, which can give close to a full battery charge in under 30 minutes.

Helsel said that Monrovia, Calif.-based AeroVironment will aim to locate the Level 3 chargers where there are other services drivers can take advantage of while a car is charging.

The stations are the first step in what is being touted as a "green highway" stretching from San Diego to Vancouver, B.C. Helgel said Washington is also looking at I-5 charging stations but that Oregon is the first state to make a move.

"Fast charging stations along high-traffic transportation corridors will help make driving electric vehicles between communities a viable option for Oregonians,” said Art James, project director with the Oregon Department of Transportation, in a press release. “The state of Oregon is committed to providing EV drivers with practical, safe, and reliable EV recharging infrastructure."

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