2024 Events

Past Events from 2024

This is an archive of event information from 2024, collected here for you to see what we were up to in that year. We had our General Meetings on the second Thursday of every month, except for December when we held our Holiday Party. We held our major Test Drive & Information Expo events for Drive Electric Earth Month in April and National Drive Electric Week in September at the Daimler Truck North America headquarters. We also put on several events over the summer for the EV community, and attended parades and other community events. It was a busy year!

If you want to see our upcoming events, go to our Events page!

3-Club Holiday Party!

Thursday December 12th, 6 to 9 PM

McMenamins Cedar Hills, 2885 SW Cedar Hills Blvd., Beaverton

A Special Thank-You For Our Members

It's been a great year for the OEVA, thanks to our many active members. The OEVA Board discussed, "How can we show our appreciation for our club members?" Our OEVA Hospitality Coordinator Chris Stonard found a great location for our Holiday Party: McMenamins Cedar Hills. The Board agreed that a fitting gesture of appreciation would be for the club to provide delicious Pub Party fare for our members. This is a Social Event, so bring your partner who probably wonders who are the people you hang out with every 2nd Thursday of the month evening.

McMenamins Pub Party menu revolves around their Artisan Pizza and Cheeseburger Sliders, accessorized with McMenamins Fries with Mystic 18 Sauce, Mini Corn Dog "Scooby Snacks", and healthy creative Green Salads. The club will also take care of pitchers of soda. Of course, McMenamins is famous for their 40 Beers on Tap, which the club, sadly, will not cover for you. This is not a "Free Beer!" event, but McMenamins would be delighted to sell those pints to you!

What is a Holiday Party without Festive Desserts? We're asking that you please bring a nice dessert to share. We'll set up a dessert table so we can celebrate with all our favorite treats! I'm bringing my famous Blueberry-Blackberry Coconut Crisp, made with our home-grown berries from this summer's crop. I checked with the manager, and McMenamins is fine with us bringing in our own desserts.

When I mentioned this Holiday Party to Bruce Crunican, President of the Portland Rivian Club, and Phil Gorski, President of Tesla Owners Oregon, they were enthusiastic about extending the invitation to their club members, as they appreciate their members as much as we do! To keep track of which members are with which club for settling the bill between the three clubs (and some of us are members of more than one club), Chris Stonard will manage a sign-in list. Please sign-in with Chris when you arrive so we have an accurate count. Show your club pride and wear your Club Badge (or Clubs Badges), or take a paper name tag at registration.

This will be a fun evening with your EV friends and their partners in a festive holiday setting. I encourage you to chat with the folks from other clubs. Ask the Rivian or Tesla club guys how they like their cars or ask their favorite club activities, and you won't lack for things to talk about. Building new friendships makes a positive difference, helps us reconnect with others to overcome these divided times, and makes us a strong EV community. Plus it's a fun evening out!

November 14th Monthly Meeting

Special Tours of The Steward 5 to 7 PM

6:30 Board Meeting, 7 to 9 PM General Meeting

Oregon Representative Susan McLain is our Featured Speaker

The Steward, 7007 SW Hampton St, Tigard, Oregon


For those of us with our own house with a garage, owning an EV is the most convenient thing in the world as we can easily charge at home. But for folks living in apartments, the situation is difficult. Most complexes have too few chargers, if any. But through the efforts of developers like Josh Daniels of The Steward (7007 SW Hampton Street in Tigard), the situation is radically changing. Josh sent me this information:

I am the developer and co-owner of The Steward (www.bethesteward.com), a brand new state of the art fully-electric multifamily building in Tigard, Oregon.  This project has no natural gas or carbon operating footprint due to the 103kw pv solar array on the rooftop, and we give back to our residents with our Energy Credit Program (ECP) to reduce or remove their electrical bill.  We also have fiber internet, indoor/outdoor community areas, and incredible living amenities in the residences.


We have tons of dedicated EV charging / parking in our secure garage.  Both of the developers for this project are dedicated EV drivers (Rivian/Tesla/Audi) and wanted to provide the same experience for residents of The Steward.  At open, we will have 1 EV charging space for every 3 residences;  typical newer multifamily buildings in our area offer 1 EV charging space to 25 - 50 residences and have long waiting lists for these spaces, so they’re not available to new residents.  We also future-proofed with the ability to scale EV charging to 75% of the spaces in our garage over time.


Josh has arranged special tours for us of the complex from 5 to 7 PM, before our General Meeting on Thursday, November 14th. Come see the future of energy efficient and zero carbon emissions living. They are also providing pizza at 7 PM for our meeting, so Yay! So come early to tour the site, and stay for our General Meeting.


And what is happening at our General Meeting, you may wonder? After our usual half-hour of socializing and feasting, at 7:30 we'll start the program and Oregon State Representative Susan McLain will be our featured speaker (rescheduled from our October 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!


We're inviting the EV owners from the Portland Rivian Club and Tesla Owners Oregon to join us for the event. It's going to be very interesting and informative for the whole EV community. Come early for the tour if you can, or if you can't get here early just arrive at the regular time for the meeting. As usual, we're asking people to bring something to share: dessert items, snacks, sodas, or foods that would help round out the pizza.


The board will meet in The Steward's meeting room at 6:30. OEVA members are welcome to attend. The General Meeting will start in the meeting room at 7 PM.


With all this going on, I better make a schedule:


Thanks to OEVA Treasurer (formerly Secretary) Bill Meyer for coordinating with Rep. McLain and Josh Daniels. His efforts made this event happen! 

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.

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.

Registration is open now at https://driveelectricweek.org/event?eventid=4425

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. 

Registration is open now at https://driveelectricweek.org/event?eventid=4425

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