Washington State to build first ‘electric’ highway
OLYMPIA, Wash. — The Evergreen State is ‘greening’ a major interstate highway by building a network of electric vehicle recharging locations.
The so-called "electric highway" — the first of its kind in North America — will support plug-in electric cars and trucks along the 276 miles of I-5 between Oregon and British Columbia.
The first charging sites will be placed along I-5 north of Everett and south of Centralia.
In February, Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire signed an action plan with leaders from Oregon, California, and British Columbia to establish I-5 as a green highway by building infrastructure for alternative fuels and electric vehicle charging.
Proponents hope that Washington’s electric vehicle charging infrastructure could boost development of a West Coast network spanning from B.C. to Mexico.
About 300,000 electric vehicles are expected to hit Washington roads in the next 10 years. As many as 2 million are expected on the West Coast in the U.S.
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