Events

2024 events

At our events, particularly Drive Electric Earth Month in the spring and National Drive Electric Week in the fall, we not only offer test drives of dozens of EV models from local dealers, we EV owners invite you to talk with us at our personal vehicles, get an in-depth introduction to the cars, and get all your EV questions answered by people who know the cars from driving them every day.

We volunteer to help other organizations, the largest being in the EV Showcase at the Oregon International Auto Show where our many OEVA volunteers share their EV experience with the visitors. And we help out at smaller events too, like the Lake Oswego Home & Vehicle Electrification Fair. For fun and to let more people hear about the OEVA, we participate in Community Events like the 82nd Avenue of the Roses parade, and the Hillsboro Rotary 4th of July parade

New summer 2024, we've added events to bring the local EV community together. We're inviting all local EV clubs to join with us. This started with the All-EVs Picnic (July 11th, 2024), Group Drive to Hood River Taqueria and the Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum (July 27th, 2024), and Group Drive and Picnic at Wildwood Recreation Site (August 17th, 2024).

We hold a General Meeting on the second Thursday of every month, at EV business in the Portland area. Details are below about upcoming as well as past, meetings and events.

Find out what we're up to on this frequently updated page, and subscribe to our email announcements here.

Upcoming Events and Activities

October 10th Monthly Meeting

Meetings are the Second Thursday of every month

6:30 Board Meeting, 7 PM General Meeting

Damerow Ford, 10999 SW Canyon Rd, Beaverton


This will be our first meeting at Damerow Ford, 10999 SW Canyon Rd, Beaverton. This is also the Grand Opening of their new location, so be sure your navigation software is sending you to the new address. Check out the Ford EVs: The Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning. Both are very capable vehicles. Board member Rob Grove has an F-150 Lightning, which he seems quite happy with. The OEVA has a long history with Ford EVs. Board member Paul Burkey has two 1996 Ford Ranger electric pickup truck project vehicles. Those date from the lead-acid EV battery days. Ask Paul about them sometime. And check out Damerow Ford's new digs!

This is an important OEVA meeting. We'll be holding board elections. Formerly held in the early part of the year, we found that was a terrible time to bring on a new board as we were immediately behind in preparing for the Oregon International Auto Show and the Drive Electric Earth Month (DEEM) events. We decided it would be a lot better for the board to commit to a year of service right after the fall National Drive Electric Week (NDEW) event, giving us months to get plans organized before major events. This meeting is a great opportunity to learn what your board members do for the OEVA, and to talk with them about your ideas for the club.

The OEVA Board is an active board. While a corporate board may just sit back and critique the work being done by C-suite executives, we don't have any C-suite executives. We're a leadership team who takes action to make events happen, from the major outreach events: Oregon International Auto Show, and DEEM and NDEW EV Test Drive & Information Expos; and the fun All-EVs Events we held this summer that bring the EV community together: the Summerlake Picnic, Drive to Hood River Taqueria & the Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum, Wildwood Recreation Site Picnic, and the December Holiday Party.

If you would like to be more involved in OEVA activities, send Ron an email (web@oeva.org) to let him know about your interest. We're always looking for energetic OEVA members who want to step up their participation, and take on a valuable role on the Leadership Team. Let me know what you're interested in making happen. It's more fun when you're more involved!

And keeping with the theme of public service, Oregon State Representative Susan McLain will be our featured speaker at the meeting. The Oregon legislature is taking up a huge transportation bill (that you and I will pay for), to include a new I-5 Columbia crossing, tolls, and "fixes" to the gas tax. Susan is a co-chair of the Joint Committee on Transportation and is a great resource to learn what the legislature is considering. Find out what is going on in Salem. This is an opportunity to speak with an Oregon legislator, and you don't need to attend a $100-a-plate political fundraiser to do it! Last minute update, Representative McLain will need to postpone her visit to a later meeting. Instead we will have more time for Board elections, and to find out about the Ford EVs from the Damerow staff.

Bring your beverage and something to share, and we'll have delicious food, conversation, and look at the cars from 7 PM to 7:30. At 7:30 we'll start the meeting with announcements, introducing the board, and OEVA members will elect board members for a one-year term. After that, Representative McLain will enlighten us about Oregon's transportation plans. Then we'll break for more informal conversations, looking at cars, and eating whatever food remains. By 9 PM we're out the door and headed home. Our meetings are free and open to the public. Before the General Meeting, at 6:30, the OEVA Board will hold a board meeting. OEVA members are welcome to attend the board meeting.

PGE's Ride and Drive Events

Bush's Pasture Park, 890 Mission St SE, Salem, Saturday October 12, 2024

Sunset Transit Center, 10470 SW Barnes Rd, Portland, on Sunday October 13, 2024 

Both Events are 10 AM to 3 PM


Portland General Electric will hold their final two Ride and Drive events of the fall season, at Bush's Pasture Park and at the Sunset Transit Center. We'll have our OEVA tent at the Sunset Transit Center event on Sunday October 13th, displaying our EVs and answering questions from the public. Talking with people about my EV and dispelling EV disinformation is one of our favorite activities. If you would like to participate in this outreach activity, send Ron an email to let him know (web@oeva.org). Plan on arriving before 9:30 so you can get parked before the event starts. PGE provides a lunch voucher for the on-site food truck.  If instead you would like to take EV test drives, you can register for the drives at https://thedrivenexperience.com/portland-general-electric-ev-events/.

Our thanks to Portland General Electric as a Premier Level Sponsor of the OEVA. We couldn't do our many activities without the support of our sponsors, particularly the generous support of our Premier Level sponsors.

Community Events

The OEVA participates in many events in the community, from joining in vehicle parades to setting up our information booth in local events. Details to follow as they are scheduled.

Our Meetings Every Month

Our OEVA general meeting is held on the second Thursday of every month. The Board meets at 6:30 PM (and board meetings are open to all OEVA members). The General Meeting begins at 7 PM (and is open to the public). Festivities conclude by 9 PM.

We hold our meetings at the premises of local EV businesses. These are our past meetings and special events:

June 8th, 2023
Tesla Macadam in Portland
July 13, 2023
Polestar in NW Portland
August 10th, 2023
BMW Portland in Goose Hollow
September 14th, 2023
Herzog-Meier VW in Beaverton
October 12th, 2023
EV Drive in Swan Island
November 9th, 2023
Tesla Macadam in Portland
December 14th, 2023
Holiday Party Aviation American Gin
January 11th, 2024
Kia of Portland on NE Grand Ave
February 8th, 2024
Daimler Truck NA on Swan Island
March 14th, 2024
Portland Rivian Service Center
April 11th, 2024
QC Charge of Portland
April 28th, 2024
Test Drive & Information Expo at Daimler Truck
May 9th, 2024
Tesla Tigard
June 13th, 2024
Ron Tonkin Chevrolet in Portland
July 11th, 2024
All-EVs Picnic in Summerlake Park Tigard
July 27th, 2024
Group Drive to Hood River Taqueria and Western Aeroplane & Automobile Museum
August 8th, 2024
Polestar in NW Portland
August 17th, 2024
Group Drive & BBQ Picnic at Wildwood Recreation Site
September 12th, 2024
Titan Freight Systems Hub in Clackamas
September 15th, 2024
Test Drive & Information Expo at Daimler Truck, Swan Island

Upcoming Meetings & Events:
October 10th, 2024
Damerow Ford in Beaverton

We publish details about upcoming meetings on this page at the start of the month, and to our email announcements mailing list. Request to be added to the announcements list here.

2024 Past Events

2024 National Drive Electric Week  Oregon Electric Vehicle Association
Test Drive and Information Expo

Sunday September 15th, 2024, Setup 9 - 10 AM, Public Hours 10 AM to 4 PM
Daimler Truck HQ: 4555 N Channel Ave, Guest Parking: 4085 N Anchor St.

Test Drive A Broad Range of EVs

Test drive a broad range of EVs, from economy EVs to the performance-luxury Polestar 3, from the extremely capable Ford F150 Lightning to the alien-technology Tesla Cybertruck. We've already confirmed a wide range of models for you to test drive from Chevrolet, Ford, Genesis, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Nissan, Polestar, Tesla, Volkswagen, Volvo, and we're in the process of adding more! There's no better way to get the EV experience than actually driving the vehicles that you are considering from the different manufacturers on the same route and on the same day. Take your time looking over the display models. Then talk with real owners and get their insights from daily use of those models for years. The Oregon Electric Vehicle Association puts on Test Drive and Information Expo events twice a year, celebrating Drive Electric Earth Month in the spring and National Drive Electric Week in the fall,  to help you find the best EV for you. And a handy resource for your is the Cars page on this website  with datasheets for all EVs available in the US.


New Vehicle Display

Adjacent to the Test Drive area, local dealers display new vehicles for your inspection. Complementing the test drives, which give you the driving experience, the new vehicles on static display give you the opportunity to look them over in detail. Take your time to check out them out and ask the dealer representatives questions. They can answer questions on specs and availability and pricing. But to really know what it is like to own and use the vehicle on a daily basis, you need to talk to real owners.


Owner Display Vehicles: Real Owners, Real Experience, Real Answers

Ah, the heart and soul of the OEVA! Owners showing their personal cars, answering guest questions from their real lived experience. For our guests, you can learn what it's like to live with an EV as a daily driver and for cross-country road trips. Ask nicely and they're generally happy to invite you sit in their vehicle while they describe and show you everything you want to know about their EV. And for owners, it’s a great opportunity to share in the camaraderie of the EV community, inclusive of all makes and models.


Keynote Presentations from EV Experts

The Daimler Headquarters building south of the outdoor event space has state of the art multimedia meeting rooms, and we're making use of them for presentations on topics for people new to EVs as well as for experienced EV owners looking to learn more. Some things are best experienced, so we have test drives. Some things are best shown in the vehicle by a patient owner who has real world experience with the EV, so we have scores of EV owner volunteers displaying their vehicles. But some topics are best explained in a presentation with photos and illustrations. Our thanks to all of our experts who have prepared these concise 20 minute presentations for your delight and edification:


Time Subject Presenter

11:00-11:30am Used EV Purchase Experience Scott McAdoo/Carey Booth

11:30am-12:00pm Highway to Cheaper EVs Brian White

12:00-12:30pm EV Charging Tips / Best Practices Rob Grove

12:30-1:00pm Electric Cars = Energy Independence Brian White

1:00-1:30pm EV Purchase Incentives Beau Snyder

1:30-2:00pm Stress-Free Long Distance EV Travel Ron Jackson

2:00-2:30pm Gas to EV Conversion: A Personal Story Summer Schneider

2:30-3:00pm Epic Long Distance Road Trip Danny Brasuk


Gas to EV Conversions

These labors of love are magnificent one-of-a-kind creations, starting with a gas vehicle and transforming it for the fuel of the 21st Century. Curious about what it takes, or are you looking to create your own special vehicle? People who have done it are there to answer all your questions, and show you the meticulous work they've done.


1914 Detroit Electric Rides

Volunteers from the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum (WAAAM) in Hood River (an excellent museum, we highly recommend!) give free rides in their antique “parlor room on wheels,” steering and controlling speed with tillers while beguiling you with the story of this 110 year old EV technology. Check out the built-in bud vase in the photo above. It’s a unique chance to experience the early history of electric vehicles, and absolute hoot that you won’t soon forget!


Freightliner eCascadia

See the huge and hugely impressive eCascadia at its native home. Our deepest thanks to Daimler Truck North America for hosting our event, and to Diego Quevedo for making the arrangements with Daimler.


Food Service

We have confirmed two great food carts for the event, Getta Gyro and Richi's Tacos! As a special Thank-You for attending the event, the OEVA will give the first 400 guests a $10 discount coupon for the food carts. And for people who put on the event: the EV owners who display their vehicle and answer questions, the volunteers who make the event go smoothly, Keynote presenters, and dealer staff, the OEVA will provide coupons to comp their entree and drink.

Event Space Layout

Here is an overview of the Daimler site. Guest parking is in Daimler's lot at 4085 N Anchor St., kitty-corner from the event site. Onsite Handicap parking is available in front of the Headquarters Building, by the Antique EV Ride loading/unloading area. 

September 12th Meeting at Titan Freight Systems

6201 SE Lake Rd, Portland
Off of HWY 224 between Milwaukie and Clackamas
6:30 Board Meeting, 7-9 PM General Meeting

Now this month's OEVA Meeting is going to be interesting! There are a huge range of EVs available for consumers, and for most folks EVs are better than gas in every way. Heavy freight is the next big challenge, due to the huge demands of power and range under load required.

Titan Freight Systems has a Fossil Fuel Free Transportation Hub in the Portland area, and at our monthly meeting this Thursday we get to tour and find out all about it! See their electric Freightliner eCascadia 80,000 pound gross weight trucks and the DC Fast Chargers that charge them. They've even got Level 2 Car Chargers, which Titan offers for public free charging!

OEVA Secretary Bill Meyer(L) has set up our event with Titan Freight Systems Vice President Jason Altamirano(R)

And if getting the unique opportunity to see this unique Heavy EV site wasn't enough, Titan Freight Systems is providing Pizza! You are heartily encouraged to contribute foods that will go along with pizza. I wouldn't say no to a few cookies or other dessert. Snacks, side dishes, and beverages are also greatly appreciated as they add a lot to the festivity of the evening.

The board will meet at 6:30 PM, all OEVA members are welcome to attend. The general meeting begins at 7 PM with food and socializing. At around 7:30 I'll deliver some announcements, then Jason Altamirano will speak for 20 minutes or so, and answer our questions about EV heavy trucking. Jason may speak about:

After Jason's talk we'll have time to tour the site and socialize, until we head home by 9 PM.

The Titan Freight Systems Fossil Fuel Free Transportation Hub in Clackamas is located at 6201 SE Lake Rd, Portland, OR 97222 and accessed from the corner of SE Lake Rd and SE Rusk Rd. The aerial view (above) shows the headquarters and loading docks in the south building (site 1). The building northwest of the headquarters is not part of Titan Freight Systems. It's part of the city maintenance department. The north building (site 2) is Titan Freight's maintenance shed. DC quick charge stations are along the northeast boundary (site 3). It's a big site, so if you have an electric scooter, you might want to bring it!

We'll start the meeting in Titan Freight's Headquarters building (site 1). Parking is by the greenery along the edge with a few sites at the level 2 J1772 charging stations by the building. Inside the building are restrooms, a break room where we'll set up food, and a conference room where we'll hold the OEVA board meeting and, depending on how many people show up, also hold the general meeting.

All EVs Event: group Drive to
Wildwood Recreation Site, then enjoy a BBQ Picnic and the Unique Recreation site attractions

Saturday August 17th, 2024,
Meet at 9:30 AM near the EV chargers at
Columbia Gorge Outlets Mall,
450 NW 257th Way, Troutdale (or drive directly)

We had such a great time with the Summerlake Picnic and the Group Drive to Hood River & WAAAM, we've combined both a picnic and group drive for the final special All EVs Event of the summer!

The Wildwood Recreation Site at 65670 US-26, Welches, OR, is a beautiful forested setting with great amenities including a unique underwater stream viewing chamber where  you can get eye-to-eye with a fish without getting wet. There's sculptural art, paved trails through beautiful old growth forest, and a pedestrian bridge over the wild and scenic Salmon River leading to an interpretive boardwalk through a wetland. 

We have the Salmon River Picnic Shelter reserved for the day, and a small amphitheater where we can meet for EV talks. The Doodle Poll signup is at https://doodle.com/meeting/organize/id/e3K54Mne.

As with our other special summer All EVs Events we invited Tesla Owners Oregon and Portland Rivian Clubs, and non-member EVs are invited to join us too. The OEVA strives to be the center of the Portland Metro area EV community, where owners of all brands can connect for fun EV activities, to learn about their EVs, and to promote EV adoption.

Meet 9:30 AM Saturday August 17th, 2024
Columbia Gorge Outlets, Troutdale

Salmon River Picnic Shelter
Wildwood Recreation Site
65670 US-26, Welches, OR

We'll meet at the Columbia Gorge Outlets, 450 NW 257th Way, Troutdale, starting at about 9:30 AM on Saturday August 17th, 2024. The Outlets has both Tesla Superchargers (8 NACS compatible for non-Tesla vehicles with adapter, Plugshare rating 9.6) and four Electrify America DC Fast Chargers (5 CCS, 1 CHAdeMO, Plugshare rating 3.8). The mall opens at 10 AM so there should be no problem parking. We'll park near (but not blocking, please!) the Superchargers.

At 10:30 AM we'll head out, convoy style, for the 45 minute drive to the Wildwood Recreation Site. If you haven't driven in a convoy of EVs, it's fun! Particularly when gas car drivers notice the long line of EVs, and maybe wonder if the reports that they keep hearing in the media that nobody is buying EVs anymore, are perhaps not entirely true.

Or you can drive directly and meet us at the Wildwood Recreation Site at 65670 US-26, Welches, OR, at around 11:30 AM. Park in the Family Picnic Area parking lot near the Salmon River Picnic Shelter and the barrier-free restrooms. We'll gather in the Salmon River Picnic Shelter with the OEVA providing freshly grilled cheeseburgers and hot dogs (meatless patties available too). Thanks to Terry Kammer of the Portland Rivian club for providing the propane grill and helping with the grilling. That truck of his is amazingly equipped for outdoor adventures!

We'd all appreciate it if you bring something to share: a side, pasta or green salad, coleslaw, corn or potato chips, cookies, brownies, veggies, fruit, dessert, sodas, juice, whatever you like. Remember to open the packaging (and provide serving utensils if needed) so people can grab the great stuff you brought. Your Web Administrator is going to make a Blueberry & Blackberry Crisp, which was very well received at the Summerlake Picnic. We grow blueberries and thornless blackberries in our backyard garden. It is far too easy to make for how good it tastes. Look for it in the desserts section.

Admission to the park is $5 per car, or free if you bring an America the Beautiful Pass (National Parks Pass) or Northwest Oregon District Passenger Vehicle Day Use Pass (whatever that is).

Sculptural Art In The Park

3D Relief Map of the Mt. Hood Area

Walk the many paved, level trails

Wetlands Boardwalk Interpretive Trail

The unique Underwater Stream Viewing Chamber is not the only interesting feature of Wildwood Recreation Site. Be sure to check out the sculptural art and the 3D relief map of the Mt. Hood Area. Walk on the many paved and level forest trails, cross the pedestrian bridge over the wild and scenic Salmon River, to the Wetlands Boardwalk Interpretive Trail. After enjoying lunch, making new friends, and talking EVs to your heart's content, there is a lot to see and do at the Wildwood Recreation Site. Plan to make a day of it!

Download and print the Wildwood Recreation Site map (2550 x 3300 pixel jpg)

All EVs Event: group Drive to
Hood River Taqueria, then Visit the Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum

Saturday July 27th, 2024,
Meet at 9 AM near the EV chargers at
Columbia Gorge Outlets Mall,
450 NW 257th Way, Troutdale

This the the OEVA's first group drive! Our next summer fun event will be a group drive to Hood River for breakfast/lunch and then on to the Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum. My wife Karla and I have greatly enjoyed the many group drives we've done with the Tesla Owners Oregon club, and now the OEVA is taking the lead on a group EV drive for all makes and models. We're inviting Tesla Owners Oregon and Portland Rivian Clubs, and non-member EV owners are invited to join us too!

Meet 9 AM Saturday July 27th, 2024
Columbia Gorge Outlets Mall, Troutdale

Group Drive to Hood River Taqueria
1210 13th St, Hood River

We'll meet at the Columbia Gorge Outlets mall, 450 NW 257th Way, Troutdale, at about 9 AM on Saturday July 27th, 2024. The Outlets has both Tesla Superchargers (8 NACS compatible for non-Tesla vehicles with adapter, Plugshare rating 9.6) and four Electrify America DC Fast Chargers (5 CCS, 1 CHAdeMO, Plugshare rating 3.8). The mall opens at 10 AM so there should be no problem parking. But that also means their restrooms will likely not be open when we're there, so you might want to make a quick pit stop at the nearby TA Travel Center on your way to the mall.

We'll park near (but not blocking, please!) the Superchargers. At 9:30 we'll head out, convoy style, for the 45 minute drive to the Hood River Taqueria, 1210 13th St, Hood River. If you haven't driven in a convoy of EVs, it's fun. Particularly when gas car drivers notice the long line of EVs, and maybe wonder if the reports that they keep hearing in the media that nobody is buying EVs anymore, are perhaps not entirely true.

We chose Hood River Taqueria because we wanted a place that has food suitable for breakfast or lunch appetites, and Huevos Rancheros is great if you're in a breakfast mood. The owner has given us the spacious patio for our group. We'll leave when everyone is finished, for the 6 minute drive to the museum at the Hood River Airport.

Tony Ackerman, 1914 Detroit Electric

Antique Gas Cars
But then, all gas cars are antiquated now!

Tony Ackerman has brought the Western Antique Aeroplane & Automobile Museum's 1914 Detroit Electric to our Fall 2023 and Spring 2024 Test Drive and Information Expo events, to give rides to our members and guests. I can say from experience that the rides are a hoot! He has graciously volunteered to give our group a tour of the museum, and to give us rides in the Detroit Electric. We get the group rate discount for museum admission, so bring $15 per person, cash American money. We need to pay in one lump sum to get the group rate, and I'm not taking credit cards. So if you want the discount, bring cash.

There is a lot to see at WAAAM. They have 3.5 acres of aviation and automotive history on display in their vast hangars, all flyable and driveable. I was gobsmacked when I saw the museum for the first time last year. Who would have thought such a magnificent collection would be here in a Columbia Gorge town better known for Windsurfing and as the eastern gateway to Mt. Hood? After the tour feel free to wander among the collection and head home individually whenever you're satiated, or when the museum closes at 5 PM, whichever comes first.

Curtiss Model D Biplane

Magnificently Restored Aeroplanes

Should you need a charge before you head home, there are Tesla Superchargers at Safeway, 2249 Cascade Ave, Hood River (8 NACS compatible for non-Tesla vehicles with adapter, Plugshare rating 10), and Tesla Superchargers near the waterfront, 504 Anchor Way, Hood River (16 NACS compatible for non-Tesla vehicles with adapter, Plugshare rating 8.6). There are also Electrify America DC Fast Chargers at Walmart, 2700 Wasco St., Hood River (4 CCS, 1 CHAdeMO, Plugshare rating 8.8) and EVCS Fast Chargers at Columbia Lot Hood River, 607 Columbia St, Hood River (3 CCS, 3 CHAdeMO, Plugshare rating 5.2).

Mark Saturday July 27th on your calendar. This is a new thing for the OEVA, and we don't know how many folks will show up. So we've set up a Doodle Poll at https://doodle.com/meeting/participate/id/dL5oLzXe for you to let us know you plan to attend. Please click the link and let us know if you're planning to participate in this fun and fascinating activity.

Summerlake All-EVs Picnic A Great Success!

Enjoy the photo carousel below from the Thursday July 11th, 2024, event

All EVs Event: Summerlake Picnic

Thursday July 11th, 2024, 6:30 to 9 PM,
Summerlake Park Picnic Shelter,
111450 SW Winter Lake Dr, Tigard, OR

Summerlake

We're delighted that the Tesla Owners Oregon and Portland Rivian Club have officially joined with the OEVA for our Summerlake Park Picnic! We're bringing the EV community together for an evening of summer fun at the beautiful Summerlake City Park in Tigard in place of our regular second Thursday of the month evening meeting.

OEVA Hospitality Coordinator Chris Stonard brought this gem of a park to the OEVA Board's attention. When I went there to check it out I was surprised at all that this park offers.

The lake is the centerpiece of the park. It is a great draw, both for people and wildlife. On my second visit to the park I saw a Great Blue Heron perched by the lake, ignoring me and my dog as it was looking for its next meal. 

Summerlake Picnic Shelter

Ron's Blueberry and Blackberry Crisp

We've reserved the Picnic Shelter starting at 6 PM, when the Board will begin setup for the party. We expect it will take about a half hour to prepare the space and for the coals to be ready to barbecue burgers, so you're invited to show up at 6:30 PM or thereabouts. We have the shelter reserved until 9 PM. It promises to be a pleasant evening of electric conversations with your EV enthusiast friends, and making new friends in the EV community. If you haven't been to an OEVA meeting, this will be a fun event to come and check us out.

We ask that you sign up using our Doodle Poll at https://doodle.com/meeting/participate/id/eZmM4ngd so we know about how many burger patties and buns to buy. Invite your EV friends to come and meet other EV enthusiasts. For those of you who are OEVA members, this is a great time to wear your OEVA embroidered polo shirt and name badge. Those of us who don't have a talent for remembering names will appreciate it!

If you are a member but haven't gotten your shirt and name badge yet, see Paul Albertson, who has been doing excellent work with this project, and sign up for yours. And if you're not a member but you've been thinking about joining the OEVA, track down OEVA Treasurer Karl Boekelheide and he'll get you signed up. It's only $20 annual dues, and that comes with the shirt and badge.

We'd all appreciate it if you bring something to share: a side, salad, chips, veggies, a dessert, sodas, whatever you like. Your Web Administrator is going to make a Blueberry & Blackberry Crisp. We grow blueberries and thornless blackberries in our backyard garden. That's toasted coconut on top. It is far too easy to make for how good it tastes. Look for it in the desserts section.

One of Two Playgrounds at Summerlake Park

Paved Trails Throughout the Park

There are things for the whole family to do at the park. There are two playgrounds, one of which is quite close to the picnic shelter. There is also a nearby fenced off-leash dog play area. And there are restrooms.

Eat too much dinner? I know I plan to! Walk it off on the wide, paved, level trails throughout the park and around the lake.

Summerlake, Bench, and Trail

Summerlake Park Map

Then after your walk, settle down on one of the benches and watch the sunset. It's going to be a lovely evening!

You can click on the map image above to download a high quality printable PDF map of the park from Tigardmaps.com.

It's going to be a great evening, but that's not all the fun that the OEVA has planned for this summer. That's not even all the OEVA has planned for July!

The Hillsboro Parade, A Fun Local Tradition!

The OEVA will once again participate in the Hillsboro July 4th Parade!

Last year we had 5 entries parade along the 3 mile route, tossing candy to the kids and waving to the crowds. It’s a lot of fun so bring your EV and join us this year on the morning of July 4th.

Hillsboro July 4th Parade

Meet 7 AM, PGE Charging Station, 2567 SE Tualatin Valley Hwy

Because all of us must check in together, we will meet at the Hillsboro PGE Charging Station at 2567 SE Tualatin Valley Hwy at 7 AM. This is right next to Highway 8 in front of the Target. We will add magnetic signs, flags, and pass out candy to each car between 7 AM and 7:30 AM. We will then convoy to the Parade Staging Area at 7:30 AM and check in.

If you wish to participate it would help us if you sign up at the Doodle Poll so we know how many will be coming:
https://doodle.com/meeting/participate/id/eZmoykJd

After the Parade, which should end around noon, we can all meet for lunch afterwards at the Burgerville on SW Walker and SW 185th Ave. So come on out and be in the Parade and join us for lunch afterwards at the Burgerville!

Ron Tonkin Chevrolet

Andrew Roncarati

Chevy Blazer EV

June 13th General Meeting at ron tonkin chevrolet

122 NE 122nd Ave, Portland

The June OEVA General Meeting is this Thursday, June 13th, 7 PM, at Ron Tonkin Chevrolet, 122 NE 122nd Ave, Portland. Everyone is welcome, as our General Meetings are free and open to the public. As usual the OEVA Board Meeting will be before the General Meeting, at 6:30. All OEVA members are welcome to attend the Board Meeting to hear the latest reports of what their Board is doing, which is a lot.

Ron Tonkin Chevrolet is providing pizza and beverages (Thank-You!), and everyone is invited to bring something to share to go along with that. Salad? Beverage? Dessert? I'm bringing a Costco bag of Girl Scout Chocolate Covered Thin Mint Pretzels! I hear Morris will bring a veggie tray. You're entirely welcome to bring your preferred alternative to pizza. We encourage you to bring something, as the variety makes the meetings more festive, but if you're running from work to the meeting don't sweat it. We're actually getting to the point that there are some bits of food left over at the end of the evening.

As soon as we wrap up the Board Meeting you can expect to see the board start in on the food. We'll all be wearing our OEVA polo shirts and name tags, and members are encouraged to wear theirs as it makes it so much easier to remember names. Please come up to Board members and let us know ideas you have to make the OEVA more fun and informative. If you haven't gotten your OEVA polo shirt and name tag, see Paul Albertson at the meeting and he will set you up. You get your shirt and name tag for free when you join the OEVA, and it's only $20 for annual membership dues, so what are you waiting for?

The informative part of the evening begins at about 7:30, with announcements of upcoming events. OEVA Co-President Tom Ma, will introduce and ask questions of our hosts, Sales Manager Andrew Roncarati, and EV Specialist Sales Consultants Chris Kocalis and Archie MacMurchy. This is your opportunity to see, ask questions about, and if time permits maybe even test drive the Equinox EV and Blazer EV. They might also have a Silverado EV you can see, but they won't have any available for test drive yet. If you've been reading for years about the upcoming Ultium vehicles from GM, and this is your opportunity to finally see them in person and find out all about them. And maybe to learn about what happened to the Bolt? Get your Chevy EV questions answered. After about 45 minutes, give or take, then we'll get back to looking at the cars, talking EVs with our friends, and eating whatever food remains. It sounds like another pleasant OEVA meeting evening.

May 9th General Meeting at Tesla Sales Tigard

10069 SW Cascade Ave, Tigard, OR 97223

Our Thursday May 9th, 2024 OEVA General Meeting will be held at 7 PM at Tesla's New Sales and Delivery Showroom, 10069 SW Cascade Ave, Tigard, OR 97223. This is the new building nearer Cascade Avenue, not the remodeled Toys-R-Us building that houses the Service Center. Highlights of the evening are expected to include the Cybertruck. When my wife, Karla, and I attended a Tesla Owners of Oregon meeting here they let you climb in to check it out. Making diesel truck sounds is discouraged, as it is electric, though you can grab the wheel and imagine what it would be like to cruise the highway in this futuristic marvel.

They currently have the long range version of the newly updated Model 3 for you to check out, and by Thursday they might have the new Performance version on display. That is the sports sedan determined to be superior to the BMW M3 by car review journalist Jason Cammisa, who ended his Carmudgeon Show discussion with the statement, "The Model 3 Performance is spec-f-ing-tacular. Okay, you heard it here first, the [BMW] M3 has no reason to exist, because the M[odel] 3P is better." He then sighed and put his head down on the table, dismayed that the pinnacle of the German-engineered ICE performance sedan had been dethroned by a US-engineered EV, and available at half the price!

You can also check out a non-active display model of the Optimus robot. So there should be lots of interesting things to see.

Our speakers for the evening will be Dan Stanton (7 year Tesla advisor) and Matthew Kummernuss (1+ years Tesla advisor). Both will be prepared to briefly speak on Cybertruck and other exciting and recent Tesla info, as we know it’s always changing. Tesla has been focused on Full Self-Driving and they will tell us about the newest version of software and why it is special. I drive that software daily, and I agree that Tesla is really onto something with this AI-based approach to their Supervised Full Self-Driving. I'm looking forward to hearing what Dan and Matthew can share with us Thursday.

The General Meeting is open to the public. The OEVA board meets at 6:30, and the board meeting is open to OEVA members. As usual, please bring a snack to share. Tesla has one of those coffee pod machines that we're welcome to use, but then it is an evening meeting and that may not be your evening beverage of choice. So remember to bring your own beverage, as eating snacks is thirsty work!

2024 Oregon Electric Vehicle Association Drive Electric Earth Month
Test Drive and Information Expo

The 2024 Oregon Electric Vehicle Association Drive Electric Earth Month Test Drive and Information Expo event on Sunday April 28th was a great success! In spite of some rain showers that may have reduced attendance somewhat, we had great Test Drive participation from dealers and guests, with an estimated 500 test drives given. New for this event, there were car display areas for dealers next to the test drives to give people vehicles to look at while they waited for their turn for a test drive. Thanks to the dealers, and their sales folk, and to the many OEVA volunteers who kept the test drives running smoothly all day.

We had dozens of owner display vehicles, including some of the latest in-demand models, like a couple of Cybertrucks. It's not just about answering questions for people who are thinking about buying their first EV. A big part of the OEVA experience is owners talking with each other, sharing their experiences using their EVs. There were several unique EV conversions, and even antique EVs. Our thanks to everyone who brought vehicles, and we hope everyone had a fun and interesting day.

We were a bit concerned that guests wouldn't find the Expert Presentations, off in the Daimler Headquarters building, but all of the presentations were well attended. Brian White of YouTube channel FutureAZA recorded the presentations (and recorded other interviews from our event) and has put them up on his channel along with his regular prolific content. I'll be adding these to the Videos page soon. Thanks to the presenters Gary Exner and Rob Grove, and to Brian White for two presentations.

Tony Ackerman and the other volunteers from the Western Antique Aeroplane and Automobile Museum in Hood River again brought their 1914 Detroit Electric to our Expo and gave guests the electric ride experience of 110 years ago. It's a hoot! Our thanks to Tony and the WAAAM volunteers!

Did you get to the Information Tents in the back row of the event? OEVA Premier Sponsors PGE and Pacific Power had tents where they had great information about charging incentives and plans to help you save money charging your EV. All our sponsor tents had information that can be helpful to EV owner's and are worth checking out at our events. Our thanks to all our sponsors, and particularly to our site host, Daimler Truck North America, and Diego Quevedo at Daimler who made all of the arrangements for use of the facilities.

Thanks to all the people who have contributed photos from the event. I tend to focus on the people at the event because I want to convey the enjoyment expressed by the guests who are there, but some folks really just want to see pictures of cars. So in the photo carousel below I've included some of the photos people have sent to me, which tend to be of the latter type. I hope everyone will find some photos here that they like!

QC Charge of Portland

Focus on High Voltage & Powertrain Repairs

Alex Bessinger

April 11th General Meeting at QC Charge of Portland

8750 NE Emerson St., Portland, OR 97201

Our Thursday April 11, 2024 OEVA General Meeting will be held at QC Charge of Portland, 8750 NE Emerson St., Portland, an independent EV repair shop and the new Portland offshoot of the well established QC Charge EV repair business of San Diego. As usual the OEVA Board meets at 6:30, all members are invited to attend, and the General Meeting begins at 7 PM, which is open to everyone, members of the OEVA and the public. Parking is in the lot in front of QC Charge, and on Emerson street.

At the meeting find out the latest details about our upcoming April 28th Drive Electric Earth Month Event at Daimler Truck North America. Our October 8th, 2023 National Drive Electric Week Event at Tesla Macadam was a great success, and with much more space, high-tech facilities, and an excellent test drive route we're hoping to make this event another leap forward!

If you have an older, out of warranty EV, or you might need to pay to have your EV serviced someday, you really might want to attend this meeting. For out of warranty EVs, often dealer repairs can be very expensive, especially for cars that were produced in lower volumes and/or don’t have great manufacturer support. For certain failures, dealers usually don’t provide “repairs”, but only replace the major component assemblies associated with the issue, rather than opening it up to replace the individual components that are causing the issue. Why replace a bearing when you can charge a customer to replace an entire motor? By performing repairs at the root cause of the problem, QC Charge of Portland can often save you hundreds, or even thousands of dollars.

We'll hear from Alex Bessinger, the owner of the shop. While Alex owns and runs it independently, it’s QC Charge’s second location (the original being in the San Diego area), and they have been pioneering in EV repairs for the last 6+ years, with thousands of drive unit rebuilds and countless other repairs under their belts. His shop specializes in repairing EVs, with a particular focus on High Voltage System and Powertrain related repairs (including batteries, drive units, etc.).  Alex reports, "Our big specialty that a lot of folks know us for in certain communities is rebuilding the Tesla Large Drive Unit, along with providing enhancements that fix some of its fatal flaws." Ooh, Tesla fatal flaws, I'd like to know more about that!

You can reach QC Charge at (971) 444-5064, text (503) 847-9345, or email alex@qccharge.com.

Alex is springing for pizza for the meeting, so yay! Please bring something to share that goes well with pizza, like veggies or salad or cookies or other dessert or other snack items. Don't forget your beverage, there's no thirst like a pizza thirst. Chat with your OEVA friends, learn something new, have a fun evening, and maybe save on future repair costs. 

March 14th General Meeting at Rivian Portland Service Center

2620 SW 1st Ave, Portland, OR 97201

I've been curious about the Rivian Service Center at 2620 SW 1st Ave in Portland, and I'm looking forward to finding out what is inside the building. Will we get to see the Rivian service operation? Will we have a fascinating speaker sharing inside information about Rivian that will leave us breathless with excitement? Maybe. I haven't gotten any information about the meeting yet.

But what I can tell you is that as with all our monthly meetings, the board will meet at 6:30 PM. All OEVA members are welcome to attend the board meeting. Then the General Meeting starts at 7 PM, and is open to everyone, OEVA members and anyone interested in EVs. Festivities conclude by 9 PM. I'll send out a meeting reminder with the latest information a day or two before the meeting, and I'm hopeful that by then we'll have the details nailed down.

Parking is limited in front of the Rivian building. Looking at Google street view, it looks like there is on-street parking in the neighborhood if you continue south on southwest First Street for a block or so past Rivian. This is one of those cases where it will be helpful to carpool with your OEVA friends. If you are familiar with parking in this area in the evening, drop me an email and I'll pass the information along.

Please bring a snack to share and your beverage. Everyone likes snacks!

Oregon International Auto Show, February 22-25, 2024

Enjoy these photos from the Electric Avenue at the Oregon International Auto Show, where about 20 volunteers from the Oregon Electric Vehicle Association spent hundreds of hours answering questions about EV ownership based on their real experience as EV owners. It was fun! Photos by Ron Jackson, Tony Foley, Bill Meyer.

February General Meeting at Daimler, 7 PM, Thursday, February 8, 2024

Daimler HQ, 4555 N Channel Ave, Portland, OR 97217

Daimler Headquarters Building

Meeting Rooms!

This month we're meeting in the Daimler Headquarters building, 4555 N Channel Ave, Portland, on Swan Island, just a block away from the Daimler/PGE Electric Island charging station. Daimler is giving us the use of what I'm sure you will agree is a very impressive meeting room (the picture shows the space that can be partitioned into several individual meeting rooms).

This is an important General Meeting. We'll be electing our new OEVA board members for 2024. The board sets the direction for the OEVA, and provides leadership for our volunteer activities. We're looking for people who are excited about EVs, and invite you to take the next step into leadership. If you would like to find out more about being on the board, contact OEVA President Morris Green (Pres@oeva.org), or Vice President Peter Hoeckel (VicePres@oeva.org). Get more involved, it's more fun the more you participate.

We've got ideas for new club activities for 2024, and we're open to your ideas. Come to the meeting to find out what we've thought of, and make your own suggestions for ways we can make the OEVA even more effective, fun, and educational in 2024. Show up and cast your vote for your board members.

The OEVA National Drive Electric Week Test Drive and Information Expo we held on October 8th was a huge success! We hope that at this meeting we'll have confirmed and be able to reveal the outstanding location for our 2024 Drive Electric Earth Month event, planned for Sunday, April 28th, 2024. Can this event possibly be even bigger than the October 8th Expo?

This is the meeting to get the latest information about our participation in the Oregon International Auto Show. Especially if you haven't volunteered before, come to the meeting and find out what is involved. OEVA President Morris Green, Vice President Peter Hoeckel, and Past President Gary Exner, are the OEVA's leaders in working out the details with the auto show. Find out what has changed for this year. Get all your questions answered. If you don't have your OEVA embroidered polo shirt yet, see Paul Albertson at the meeting!

As with all our monthly meetings, the board will meet at 6:30 PM. All OEVA members are welcome to attend the board meeting. The General Meeting starts at 7 PM, and is open to everyone, OEVA members and anyone interested in EVs. We're in one of the meeting rooms in the Daimler HQ, 4555 N Channel Ave, Portland. Parking is available in the large lot directly in front of the Daimler Headquarters building. See the photos above. The meeting rooms are through the main door to the impressive entry lobby, then to the right down the hall. Restrooms are further down the hall, on the right.

Please bring a snack to share and your beverage. Everyone likes snacks!

Our thanks to Diego Quevedo and Daimler for inviting us to their outstanding facility.

January OEVA General Meeting at Kia of Portland

Check out the new Kia EV9 at our meeting this Thursday, January 11th, 2024, 7 PM, at Kia of Portland, 720 NE Grand Ave, Portland.

Everyone is welcome, you don't need to be an OEVA member to attend. As usual, there will be a board meeting at 6:30 before the 7 PM General Meeting. All OEVA members are welcome to attend the board meeting.

The star of the evening will be the new Kia EV9, a full-sized three row six or seven seat SUV. If you're in the market for a larger SUV EV, this might be the vehicle you have been looking for. And if you just like to keep up with what EVs are available, you'll want to check out this sure to be popular new model. I've done a little Googling, and it looks like Kia will start making the EV9 in their West Point, Georgia plant later this year. It will be great to have another domestically made EV on the market. We should see more domestic EVs in the coming months as manufacturers strive to meet all of the requirements for the Inflation Reduction Act's $7,500 tax credit, particularly as it becomes available at point of sale.


Kia of Portland is doing several things to make our meeting special. They are bringing in Stephanie Arciniega, EV Facilitator with Kia University, as the featured speaker. There will be EV9's available for test drive at the meeting, and Kia of Portland's master EV mechanic will be on hand to answer technical questions. I've gotten word that they will be providing food, but I don't have details. Let's keep up our OEVA tradition of bringing some snacks to share for the potluck table. I have an overflowing abundance of Holiday treats, so I will be bringing some sort of sweet treat snack item for the potluck.


OEVA Meeting Streaming on Google Meet

OEVA Secretary Bill Meyer has volunteered to stream the General Meeting. We're currently using Google Meet. This streaming service does not let us record the stream, so we're looking into using Zoom for future meetings, which should let us record. Apparently the EVA has some sort of Zoom membership for the organization, but we've been unable to get details about using that. Maybe next time. This is still experimental for us, so don't be shocked if it doesn't work.

The event information below is the same link that we used for earlier video streams. If you are not going to be at the meeting in person, how about trying to connect with the Google Meet stream and then email Web@oeva.org, Tech@oeva.org, and Secretary@oeva.org to let us know how it went for you. But of course we'd rather see you in person at the meeting, if that works for you.

OEVA Monthly Meeting
Thursday, January 11th, 7:00 – 9:00pm
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/thv-azyz-xxd
Or dial: ‪(US) +1 484-262-9268‬ PIN: ‪921 091 555‬#
More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/thv-azyz-xxd?pin=9583577054644

2023 Past Events

We wrapped up 2023 with a Very Merry Holiday Party on December 14th in the beautiful and spacious meeting room generously provided by Aviation American Gin. We extended the invitation to other local EV clubs, and a sizable contingent from the Portland Rivian Club took us  up on the offer. I'm excited about the possibilities of cooperative events with all the local EV clubs. Attendance was more than double last year's party, food was delicious and plentiful, the setting was elegant and comfortable, the EV conversation was bubbling, and I'd venture the assessment that everyone had a good to great time. Check out the image carousel below for some pictures from the evening.

Jen Goudey

Jen at the battery development factory

oeva November 9th Meeting at Tesla Macadam

If you've been following Tesla, you've probably heard about the 4680 battery they are developing with its revolutionary dry electrode manufacturing process. If you've been to Tesla Macadam you may have met Jen Goudey in sales. But did you know that before coming to Portland, Jen worked at Fremont in 4680 Development at the Pilot Facility?

At our meeting this month Jen will give us the inside story of the 4680. Why is Tesla doing the 4680 battery, and what are the dry electrode battery production benefits? She'll tell us what it's like to work in a Tesla production setting, specifically the 4680 Development at the Pilot Facility. And she says she'll tell us why "Tesla engineers are the best!"

The November meeting is Thursday November 9th, 2023, is at Tesla Macadam, 4330 S Macadam Ave, Portland, OR 97239, in the customer lounge. Look for the OEVA feather banner set up by the door to the lounge. 

As usual, the OEVA board meets from 6:30 to 7 PM. OEVA members are welcome to attend the board meeting. The general meeting is from 7 to 9 PM, and is open to everyone, members and the public. This is after hours for sales and service, so you can park in any open spot. We've been doing really well with snacks the past few meetings. Please remember to bring a snack to share and your beverage.

Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to hear about what it is really like to work at a Tesla factory.

October 12th Meeting at EVDrive on Swan Island

Did you see the amazing EV conversion BMW 3-series Bob Simpson brought to the OEVA meeting at BMW Portland on August 10th? If not you missed something, as it was a beautiful, meticulously converted vehicle.

Sadly, about a week ago in Lake Oswego, a car crossed the center line and hit Bob in the BMW, resulting in a total loss of the vehicle. Most importantly, Bob is OK (if a bit banged up), but the beautiful one-of-a-kind car is not to be seen again. See what you miss out on when you don't show up for an OEVA meeting!

Our meeting this week, Thursday October 12th, 2023, is at Bob's company, EVDrive, at 4865 N Lagoon Ave, on Swan Island in Portland. These guys build all kinds of high performance electric drive products and systems. They provide custom engineered electric drive systems, off the shelf products, and vehicles from record breaking cars to industrial mine equipment. Sounds like a fascinating place. And they are opening their shop with a tour for us! This should be a fascinating look into unique systems engineered to drive in the most demanding conditions.

As usual, the OEVA board meets from 6:30 to 7 PM. OEVA members are welcome to attend the board meeting. The general meeting is from 7 to 9 PM, and is open to everyone, members and the public. EVDrive is on the south end of the building. There is some parking there, but if parking there is full there is more parking in front of the building on the north end. We've been doing really well with snacks the past few meetings. Please remember to bring a snack to share and your beverage.

Don't miss out on this inside look at this beautiful technology.

2023 Electric Vehicle Test Drive and Information Expo

Sunday October 8th, 2023, 10 am to 4 pm
Held at 4330 S Macadam Ave, Portland, OR 97239.

An Oregon Electric Vehicle Association event, with site facilities generously provided by Tesla Macadam, with the participation of nearly every EV brand and EV dealer in the Portland area!

Test Drive the Latest Electric Cars

The Oregon Electric Vehicle Association's 2023 Electric Vehicle Test Drive and Information Expo is our most comprehensive electric vehicle event yet! This free event features test drives (bring your license and proof of insurance) from an extremely broad range of EV dealers, with about 26 different EV models covering almost all EVs available in the US. As of the time of writing we have confirmed the following test drive vehicles: Audi Q4 Etron, Audi Q8 Etron, BMW i4, BMW iX, Cadillac Lyriq, Chevy Bolt, Ford F-150 Lightning, Ford E-Transit van, Hyundai Ioniq5, Hyundai Ioniq6, Hyundai Kona EV, Kia EV6, Mercedes EQE sedan, Mercedes EQE SUV, Mini Electric, Nissan Ariya, Nissan Leaf, Polestar 2, Subaru Solterra, Tesla Model 3, Tesla Model S, Tesla Model X, Tesla Model Y, Toyota BZ4X, and Volkswagen ID.4. Unconfirmed at this time but possibly participating: Chevy Blazer, Ford Mach-E.

Experience History

After test driving the latest 21st century electric vehicles, take a ride in an original 1914 Detroit Electric! Our friends at the Western Antique Airplane & Automobile Museum (WAAAM) in Hood River have brought the cutest little 109 year old EV for you to experience. WAAAM's Detroit Electric docent extraordinaire, Tony Ackerman, will regale you with fascinating details as he chauffeurs you on a memorable ride. 

More WAAAM in the Expo Room

Museum volunteers will be in our Expo Room, answering questions about Detroit Electric, WAAAM, and showing a model of the mechanical "digital" motor controller, a marvel of 1914 technology. 

Electric Cars and their Informative Owners

There will be dozens of Electric Vehicles on display. The EV owners displaying their vehicles will be on hand to answer questions about their ownership experience with their cars. The core strength of the Oregon Electric Vehicle Association is its members, who in many cases have years and tens of thousands of miles of experience with electric vehicles. We're all delighted to share our experience, both because it is fun to talk about our cars, and because we want to help dispel some of the myths that are holding back EV acceptance. The motto of the OEVA is: Real Owners. Real Experience. Real Answers.

If you're new to electric cars, or if you are considering buying a car from a different manufacturer, talking with an owner of the type of car you are considering can make your experience so much better. Don't miss out on this opportunity.

Visit the Expo Room
The Information Central of the Event

Go through the large roll up door on the Tesla building to check out the Expo Room, the Information Central of the event. This is the first time we've had the space for this feature. The idea is to have a space where you can see exhibits, gather information, and meet with representatives of companies and other EV experts.

In addition to the Western Antique Airplane and Automobile Museum (highlighted above), we'll have companies that serve the EV community, companies like Greenlots and Platt Auto Group. At the OEVA table we'll also have materials from other organizations like vehicle information sheets from manufacturers. Details are still being settled at this time.

After giving their prepared presentations (see below), sometimes there are more questions than time allows. Presenters are encouraged to move from the adjacent Presentation Lounge and continue the discussion in the spacious Expo Room, allowing the next presentation to start on schedule.

Attend Live Presentations in the Lounge

Attend free live prepared presentations on a variety of topics, with a new presentation at the hour and half-hour starting at 11 am and the last presentation ending before the event closes at 4 pm. 

Our lead presenter is EV Expert Brian White, host of the My Tesla Weekend YouTube channel. He will give 3 presentations: How much better can batteries get? Juice Up your EV for cheap (or free)! Will EVs KILL or SAVE the grid? Brian is extremely well informed, with many inside sources in the industry, and provides some of the most accurate predictions and insightful commentary available on the EV industry. If you want to know the inside scoop about EV manufacturers from one of the hardest working YouTubers, Brian is the person to talk with.

Hannah Morrison, Planner with the Policy, Planning & Projects Group of the Portland Bureau of Transportation, will present on City of Portland Electric Vehicle Policy. She will cover City climate policy and transportation electrification, talk about the Portland Bureau of Transportation’s EV Charging in the Public Right-of-Way Code Project, and give a preview of a recently awarded $3.5M grant from the US Department of Energy focused on public charging. If you have an EV and live in the city of Portland, or visit the city in your EV, you'll want to hear Hannah's talk. She will be at the event for a few hours before and after her presentation to engage with you. Look for her in the Expo Room, or talk with her as she walks around the event.

And we'll have talks from knowledgeable members of the Oregon Electric Vehicle Association. OEVA Past President Gary Exner will talk about EV Incentives. If you are buying or leasing, new or used, there may be incentives available that can save you thousands of dollars. But you need to know about them, and what are the restrictions to qualify. Given the importance of this topic to everyone getting an EV, we'll try to get Gary to repeat this presentation so more people have the opportunity to attend.

OEVA Member Michael Johnston is a retired Intel senior software engineer, with a subsequent career as a bagpipe player and instructor. He travels to gigs throughout the Northwest in his Kia Niro. You may have heard that long distance travel is difficult in non-Tesla EVs, due to limited vehicle range and the unreliability of non-Tesla charging networks. Michael shares his techniques to make long distance travel a breeze in his Kia. If you want to do long road trips and don't drive a Tesla, don't miss this talk. And as a bonus Michael will explain how he powered the critical systems in his house from his Kia Niro during a power outage.

OEVA Web Administrator Ron Jackson will give a lively and (hopefully) humorous talk about surprising EV Myths and Realities. Many myths have a grain of truth, but what makes them myths is you're not getting the whole story. Are road trips in an EV really problematic, or more convenient than in a gas car? Do EVs actually get their advertised range? Is range anxiety the bane of EV ownership, or a completely solved problem? Does EV ownership cost more than owning a gas car? Do you really need an expensive EV charger at home? Ron will tackle these questions and others, based on his years of EV experience. Ron and his wife Karla own two Teslas, a 2018 Model 3 (which they've road-tripped 4,500 miles to northern Minnesota and back), and a 2023 Model Y. Ron has been driving Tesla's Full Self-Driving beta release software for over a year, and has an informed opinion about the future of autonomous driving.

The presentation schedule will be posted at the Registration Tent and at the Presentation Lounge.  Check there for any schedule changes.

See the eCascadia Fully Electric Semi

Did you know about the engineering of a fully electric semi done right here in Portland? And not just any vehicle, the Class 8, Max GCW 82,000 lb, up to 230 mile range Daimler Freightliner eCascadia! Electric drive is not only for passenger cars. The lower cost of electric power and simplified maintenance compared with diesel also makes the future of commercial trucking electric. You'll be impressed by the massive size of the eCascadia.

Electric Vehicle Conversions

See several electric conversions of gas cars, including the amazing White Zombie, the Original Fastest EV in the World, which does 0 to 60 in 1.3 seconds. Talk with Sham Datta, retired Intel engineer and our OEVA Information Technologist, and see how he converted his gas Toyota 4-Runner to electric propulsion. John Wayland will show his 400 mile range, full battery electric converted Honda Insight. And we expect to see Bob Simpson of EV Drive with his fully electric BMW 325i. There is even an EV Corvair conversion by Summer Schneider. Ah, the Corvair, now that brings back childhood memories for me! As of now we have five very different conversions confirmed for the event.

On-Site Mad Greek Deli Food Cart

Registered test drivers, display EV owners, and event volunteers, will receive an $8 discount coupon for food at the on-site Mad Greek Deli food cart!

Register Now!

Register to attend, to present your EV, or to volunteer to help put on the the event, at the National Drive Electric Week website, using the link https://driveelectricweek.org/event?eventid=3915.

Have questions? Contact the event's organizer, OEVA Vice President Peter Hoeckel, at Ask@oeva.org.

September 14th Meeting Location

Andy Metcalf, EV Specialist, Herzog-Meier Volkswagen

See the gorgeous Volkswagen ID.4!

Thursday,  September 14th, 2023, OEVA Meeting at Herzog-Meier VW in Beaverton

We're having great success holding our monthly OEVA general meetings at EV sales locations in the Portland area. Our Thursday, September 14th OEVA meeting will be at Herzog-Meier VW, 4275 SW 139th Way, Beaverton, OR 97005. We start with a board meeting at 6:30 PM, which OEVA members are welcome to attend. The general meeting starts at 7 PM, and concludes at 9 PM.

Find Out About VW's Current and Planned EVs

At our meeting we'll hear about VW's current and planned EVs from Andy Metcalf, EV Specialist Sales Consultant at Herzog-Meier. Andy will discuss how the sales process has changed as the market pivots from early adopters to the general public. He will delve deep into the evolving sales process and the work their doing at Herzog-Meier to educate customers about charging, road trips, maintenance, and more.  Herzog-Meier VW has a number of Volkswagen ID.4 SUVs in stock, so you can take a look at this popular EV. It will be fascinating to hear what's coming as one of the largest automakers in the world pivots from fossil fuels to clean electric technology.

Electric Vehicle Test Drive and Information Expo Update

There is so much planned for the 2023 OEVA Electric Vehicle Test Drive and Information Expo on October 8th! At this meeting OEVA Vice President Peter Hoeckel will give us the latest scoop on plans for the event. Find out the latest details and get your questions answered.

Get Your Embroidered Polo Shirt and Custom Nametag

OEVA members, have you signed up for your OEVA Embroidered Polo Shirt and Custom Nametag? If you haven't put in your order for your shirt and nametag yet, there may just be time to get it before the October 8th event if you get your order in at this meeting. We expect that more shirts will be available at this meeting, as our supplier was out of stock on most sizes at the last meeting. Our thanks to Paul Albertson for taking on the Polo Shirt Project!

Snacks and Socializing

As always our meetings will have ample time for enjoyable socializing and EV talk! Bring your beverage and snacks to share. Our August meeting at BMW had bountiful snacks, thanks to all who contributed. Let's keep up the good work, bring snacks!

The OEVA is a place where members of all Portland area EV clubs can come together to share our common love of EVs. We're extending the invitation to our meetings to all Portland area EV brand clubs. Everyone is welcome at the OEVA!

August 10th Meeting Location

Tony Foley, Featured Speaker
BMW Master Elite Technician,
EV Specialist

See the gorgeous BMW iX!

Thursday,  August 10th, 2023, OEVA Meeting at BMW Portland

Our OEVA general meetings are the Second Thursday of every month. OEVA President Morris Green has started a new initiative to get our meetings out to local EV sales locations. The third of these will be 7 to 9 PM on August 10th, 2023, at BMW Portland, 2001 SW Jefferson St, in Goose Hollow. There are two parking lots for our cars at the meeting.  The Primary Parking is north of SW Jefferson St, off of SW 20th Ave. If Primary Parking is full, you will be directed to park in the Secondary Parking lot, about 250 yards west of SW 20th Ave at 2251 SW Jefferson St, on a mild hill. See the map below and photos below for more details.

And this month will be another fascinating speaker, Tony Foley, long-time OEVA member and BMW Master Elite Technician, EV Specialist. Every time I talk with Tony I learn something new about EVs. Does your EV have a battery in it? Of course it does! Do you want it to last a long time, or would you prefer to ruin it and need to have it replaced through your own lack of knowledge? Of course you want to understand EV batteries and how to keep them healthy!

At the August OEVA meeting at BMW Tony will tell us all about EV batteries, and show us with an actual BMW EV battery breakdown Q&A, with EV battery modules and pieces from an i3 and a newer vehicle (possibly an iX, but it depends on what parts are flowing through his shop as a warranty return). We'll also get to see how far modern EV batteries have come as he might be able to show us an older NiMH battery assembly from a 2009 X6 hybrid. Tony says he will "Sprinkle in some of the PHEV cell modules I have at home for repurposing, and we have basically the entire scale production BMW battery history for their hybrid, PHEV and EV vehicles." I know this is a talk that I really don't want to miss! And my EV will be glad that I learned something.

The OEVA is a place where members of all Portland area EV clubs can come together to share our common love of EVs. We're extending the invitation to our meetings to all Portland area EV brand clubs. Everyone is welcome at the OEVA!

Please bring a snack to share and your beverage, as nothing adds to the conviviality of our meetings like sharing tasty snacks while chatting about EVs.

Primary Parking, West of SW 20th Ave

Secondary Parking, North of SW Jefferson St

Electric Car Guest Drives

Electric Car Insider invited the OEVA to share our EV experience with the public at their Electric Car Guest Drive (ECGD) events for 2023. 

The next ECGD will be in Salem on Saturday July 29, 2023, from 10 AM to 4 PM, venue to be determined. Paul Burkey will set up a Doodle Poll for signups and we'll provide more information when the board approves plans for our participation.

The Portland ECGD was held on Saturday and Sunday June 3-4, at the PCC Sylvania Campus in Portland. I think we all had fun sharing our EV experience with the Drive Guests. Thanks to Jim Marquard, Carey Booth, and Ron Jackson who each worked a 2-hour shift, and special thanks to Paul Burkey and Morris Green who each worked a full day at the OEVA booth!

We joined forces with Electric Car Insider at their ECGD for the first time last year, and we hope to make this a regular partnership!

July 13th Meeting Location

Noel Johnson, Featured Speaker

See the Gorgeous Polestar 2

Thursday,  July 13th, 2023, OEVA Meeting at Polestar Portland

Our OEVA general meetings are the Second Thursday of every month. OEVA President Morris Green has started a new initiative to get our meetings out to local EV sales locations. The second of these will be 7 to 9 PM on July 13th, 2023, at Polestar Portland, 2116 NW Quimby St, in Northwest Portland, (Across the street from New Seasons Market). On street parking is free after 7 PM, before that use the Parking Kitty App to pay for on street parking.

You'll get to see the new “Polestar Space” and hear about current and upcoming Models. The entry level 2024 Polestar 2 has been improved to 320 mile range (EPA), and two SUVs (the Polestar 3 and Polestar 4) will start deliveries in 2024. Seating is limited so if you have a portable camp chair consider bringing it along, and your beverage. And please consider bringing a treat to share, as nothing spices up our time together like sharing tasty treats!

Our featured speaker is Noel Johnson, an award-winning real estate developer, consultant, and nonprofit leader. His real estate experience spans $1B+ of investment activity across 20+ developments with specific expertise in sustainable development. Noel’s consulting work serves firms facing the interconnected challenges of business strategy and the build-environment. Additionally, Noel teaches entrepreneurship at Lewis & Clark College, is President of the Teacup / Mt. Hood Nordic Ski Area and serves on numerous civic boards. He is a graduate of Stanford Business School, Portland State University and Williams College. 

Noel has faced multiple challenges in his development projects relating to providing and/or installing charging equipment for EV drivers. We as EV drivers often complain about infrastructure, so it will be interesting to hear about challenges for those working to provide it.

The OEVA is a place where members of all Portland area EV clubs can come together to share our common love of EVs. We're extending the invitation to our meetings to all Portland area EV brand clubs. Everyone is welcome at the OEVA!


25,000 People throng the Hillsboro 4th of July Parade route

Marching bands, floats, a real community participation event

Join the OEVA in the Hillsboro Rotary 4th of July Parade

The 4th of July Parade is a big deal in the Hillsboro community! An estimated 25,000 people line the streets of the parade route. Said to be the third largest parade in Oregon, it's a community tradition, lots of fun, and an opportunity to show off our EV's close-up where people will see them.

Here's the OEVA plan: Let's meet at the Hillsboro Electric Avenue charging site at 2295 SW Tualatin Valley Highway at 7:00 AM. We'll decorate our vehicles with the OEVA magnetic signs, and we'll depart for the staging area together at 7:30. We must arrive together at the staging area and all staging must be complete by 8:00 AM, so that’s why we will leave Hillsboro Electric Avenue at 7:30 AM. We're in the second of six sections of entrants, so we're nearer to the front of the parade.

Morris Green writes, "I did the 82nd Avenue of the Roses Parade this year, and it was fun!  We went out to lunch afterwards and that was enjoyable too. After the parade we'll have an OEVA lunch together at the Burgerville at SW 185th and Walker Rd. That’s far enough away to avoid the after parade lunch crowds."

Sounds like a fun way to participate in a real local 4th of July tradition, and raise awareness of EVs in our community. Sign up on the Doodle Poll so we can plan for how many will be joining us: https://doodle.com/meeting/participate/id/bqZxmGRd


June 8th Meeting Location

Beau Snyder,  featured speaker

 See the Gorgeous Tesla Model S

Thursday,  June 8th, 2023, OEVA Meeting at Tesla Macadam

Our OEVA general meetings are the Second Thursday of every month. OEVA President Morris Green has started a new initiative to get our meetings out to local EV sales locations. The first of these was on June 8th, 2023, at Tesla Macadam, 4330 S Macadam Ave, Portland.

Beau Snyder, Senior Advisor at Tesla, gave a fascinating talk, starting with his early EV experiences which began well before his over 10 years at Tesla. His insights into the growth of the EV industry were inspiring, and after his talk people gathered around to continue asking him questions until it was time to head home.

The OEVA can be a place where all of the Portland area EV clubs can come together for our common love of EVs. As an experiment, we made a special invitation to Tesla Owners of Oregon (TOOR) club members to join us for this meeting. Quite a few TOOR members showed up, including club president Phil Gorski. I'd say the experiment was a great success! We're extending the invitation to all Portland area EV brand clubs.

82nd Avenue of Roses Parade, April 29, 2023

Myles Twete, driving his 1920 Milburn, led the Oregon Electric Vehicle Association's contingent in the 82nd Avenue of Roses Parade. It was inspiring seeing the progress of electric cars over a century from the Milburn to the "computer on wheels" Tesla Model 3. This Portland Rose Festival tradition resumed on Saturday April 29th after being on hiatus for 3 years. KATU live streamed the event, which is archived on their website. If you want to skip ahead in the video, we show up at time 30:10 in the stream. 

Enjoy the photo carousel above, captured from KATU's live stream, which shows our participants. Look closely and see if you can spot the Toyota SUV BEV conversion by OEVA Information Technologist and Intel Encore Fellow, Sham Datta. Just for fun and as a special challenge for you, your tricky Web Administrator has slipped a photo of a non-electric vehicle into the mix. See if your keen eye and knowledge of EV models can discern the non-EV parade vehicle!

Many thanks to Paul Burkey for organizing our participation in this community event, to Morris Green for getting the cool magnetic Oregon Electric Vehicle Association logo signs, and to the OEVA members who paraded their vehicles!

Portland International Auto Show, February 2-5, 2023

Electric Avenue is the first thing you see as you descend to the main floor of the Oregon Convention Center for the Portland International Auto Show. The auto show is a huge event, with participation from major auto manufacturers and local auto dealers. Electric Vehicles are a growing part of the auto show, and the OEVA is the heart of the electric Electric Avenue. On your right as you proceed down Electric Avenue is the massive Wall of All EV and Plug In Hybrid Vehicle Datasheets, created through a whirlwind effort by Gary Exner with help from OEVA members who researched many vehicle's data. Those EV datasheets are available on our Cars page.

At the far end of the Avenue, which is lined with EVs from many manufacturers, is the OEVA's exhibit space, and right in front of the popular "Vote for Your Favorite EV" display is the Belle of the Ball, the most popular and exciting vehicle at the Portland International Auto Show (by most accounts), the rare (for now) Rivian R1S, brought to the the show by outgoing OEVA president Gary Exner. And close by the R1S is a Tesla Model Y performance, brought to the show by OEVA Web Admin Ron Jackson. Being the only Rivian and Tesla at the show, they receive almost constant attention, with Gary and Ron busy answering questions and demonstrating the amazing features of their state of the art EVs from the rapidly growing new electric-only auto manufacturers.

Thanks go out to all the Electric Avenue volunteers at the auto show. Special recognition to Peter Hoeckel who was there essentially all hours all days, from before show opening to close. Gary Exner, Ron Jackson, Morris Green, and Karl Boekelheide were also long-hours volunteers for the whole run of the show. Apologies to any other long-hours volunteers I missed as I didn't frequent all areas of Electric Avenue. Special thanks to Chaz Smith who brought in delicious home baked cookies to the volunteer's break room (now there's a guy who spreads happiness wherever he goes, along with cookie crumbs), and to all the many OEVA members who volunteered their time to share their valuable EV experience with the public.

The 2023 Portland International Auto Show has taken up residence in the memories of those of us who volunteered and the people who attended. If you have photos from the Auto Show, please send them to your tireless Web Admin and he'll add them to the photo carousel above. And if you have photos from other OEVA events, or striking or funny pictures of your EV in a scenic location, please send those in too as we're always on the lookout for the right image to enhance our rapidly expanding website. Email photos or share a Google Drive album with Web@oeva.org.

Not only is there the 2024 Auto Show to look forward to, there are more events coming in 2023 for the OEVA and more opportunities for you to share your love of all things EV. Get more involved, its more fun that way!

Drive Electric Earth Day

Our Drive Electric Earth Day event for 2023 was cancelled due to issues with the venue. We're now focusing our efforts on our National Drive Electric Week Event this fall. We'll apply what we learn at National Drive Electric Weeks and have a great Drive Electric Earth Day event in 2024.