Events

2024 events

Before buying your first Electric Vehicle, wouldn't it be helpful to talk with actual EV owners? Find out from owners who can speak from their lived experience how to most easily transition from gas to clean electric power. At our events, particularly Drive Electric Earth Month in the spring and National Drive Electric Month in the fall, we have the time to invite you to sit in our cars and get an in-depth introduction to our personal vehicles before you go to a dealership or manufacturer's store to buy one. 

We join with other organizations, the largest being the Oregon International Auto Show where we have large displays and many OEVA volunteers share their EV experience with the visitors. And we help out at smaller events too, like the Electric Car Guest Drives put on by Electric Car Insider. And for fun and to let 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

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

Upcoming Events and Activities

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. 

Drive Electric Earth Month OEVA Test Drive and Information Expo

April is Drive Electric Earth Month! The OEVA Test Drive and Information Expo is 10 AM to 4 PM on April 28th, 2024, hosted at Daimler Truck North America, 4555 N Channel Ave, Portland! We're expecting this to be our greatest event yet, thanks to our many volunteers, EV owners who volunteer to display their vehicles and answer questions, EV dealers and staff who provide test drives, the WAAAM and their volunteers who give delightful rides in their 1914 Detroit Electric, presenters who give great talks (watch the videos here from our fall event), exhibitors who provide great information, sponsors who contribute funding, and an enthusiastic round of applause for the great folks at Daimler Truck North America who clear their parking lots and open their facilities to the OEVA to hold the event. We can't do it without you! 

For all the details and to sign up, go to our Drive Electric Earth Month Event Website at https://driveelectricearthmonth.org/event?eventid=4181.

Check out the 50 photos in the image carousel below of our October 8, 2023, National Drive Electric Week event held at Tesla Macadam, and check out our Videos page, with six videos from that event that collectively have about 18,000 views on YouTube! 

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. Our June 8th, 2023, meeting was held at Tesla Macadam in Portland. Our July 13, 2023, meeting was at Polestar in NW Portland. Our August 10th, 2023,  meeting was held at BMW Portland in the Goose Hollow neighborhood. Our September 14th, 2023, meeting was held at Herzog-Meier VW in Beaverton. Our October 12th, 2023 meeting was held at EV Drive in Swan Island. Our November 9th, 2023 meeting was held at Tesla Macadam. Our December 14th, 2023 meeting was our Holiday Party at the Aviation American Gin meeting room in NW Portland. Our January 11th, 2024 meeting was held at Kia of Portland on NE Grand Ave. Our February 8th, 2024 meeting was held at Daimler's Headquarters on Swan Island in Portland. Our March 14th, 2024 meeting was held at the Portland Rivian Service Center.

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

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.