Portland General Electric and NEC have joined forces to declare North America’s first public-use, quick-charge station for electric vehicles open for business.
Heralded as a tipping point for the roll-out of electric vehicles in the U.S., the Takasago Rapid Charging Station is said to provide batteries with up to 80 per cent full strength in 20 to 30 minutes. Company officials and Governor Ted Kulongoski took the opportunity to power up a visiting Nissan LEAF before it left for a two-day tour of the area.
The Rapid Charging Station installed in the parking garage of the World Trade Center at 121 SW Salmon St in Portland, Oregon is manufactured by NEC subsidiary Takasago Ltd and has now been awarded public use certification. This means that for the first time in the U.S., electric vehicle owners can head to a publicly available quick-charge station for a 20 to 30 minutes lithium-ion battery boost which will bring battery strength up to 80 per cent capacity.