Katie Bair, of Central Point, charges her Tesla Friday at Target in Medford. Medford officials are looking at beefing up requirements for parking lots so they are wired for easier installation of electric vehicle charging stations. [Jamie Lusch / Mail Tribune]
Medford is shifting gears toward an electric vehicle future.
The Planning Commission will review proposed regulations Jan. 9 that would require new parking facilities to be more charging-station ready than currently required.
Under existing regulations, new parking lots must have 20% of spaces capable of electric charging if the parking lot is serving five or more residences.
New regulations, which could be adopted sometime this year, would require new parking lots to have electric charging capability available at 40% of the spaces.
The Planning Commission will consider code reforms that are an outgrowth of the 2022 Climate Friendly and Equitable Communities rule-making from the Department of Land Conservation and Development, based on Gov. Kate Brown’s executive order in 2020.
Medford’s code change, which will ultimately require City Council approval, would only require a developer to install wiring, but not the charging stations themselves.
“It will make it easier and more cost effective to install charging stations later,” said Medford planner Casandra Brown.
Essentially, running wiring during the construction phase is cheaper than trying to run wiring after a project is completed.
The wiring must be capable of handling Level 2 charging, which requires a 240-volt power source with no less than a 40-amp circuit breaker.
Level 1 charging adds roughly 4 miles of range an hour, while Level 2 charging provides about 25 miles of range an hour.
Medford’s draft code changes would require charging-station wiring on parking lot expansions and to areas of parking facilities that are excavated or are undergoing renovation.
In Oregon, there are about 50,000 electric vehicles, and the state estimates another 200,000 will be added by 2025.
Right now, according to the state Department of Transportation, there are about 2,500 Level 2 chargers. To meet the expected demand, the state hopes to have a five-fold increase in chargers. According to ODOT, the electric grid should be able to handle the increased demand.
The state is expected to pump $100 million into investments for electric vehicle infrastructure, with most of the money coming from the U.S. Infrastructure and Investment Act.
Some of the charging stations would be located in rural areas by partnering with Walmart, Target or other large stores. The chargers also could be located in downtown parking lots.
More electric vehicles are hitting the road and are capable of very fast charging, in some cases as little as 15 or 30 minutes.
The state also is looking at programs that would encourage workplace charging.
Oregon has joined Washington and California by allowing only the sale of emission-free cars by 2035.
Oregon Department of Environmental Quality estimates electric vehicles should cost roughly the same as internal combustion engine vehicles between 2030 and 2033 while the cost of electric pickup trucks and internal combustion trucks should be roughly equivalent by 2035.
A combined federal and state rebate program currently offers $15,000 off the cost of an electric vehicle. The federal Inflation Reduction Act also offers a $4,000 rebate on used electric vehicles.
Reach freelance writer Damian Mann at dmannnews@gmail.com.
