Getting There: State program will boost electric car chargers in northeastern Washington

The small but growing number of electric car owners in northeastern Washington will soon get a boost from a state program.

The Washington State Department of Commerce has approved funds for several new charging stations in northeastern rural counties, and around the state, as registered electric vehicles continue to increase. The projects are funded through the Climate Commitment Act to different counties around the state.

“We want to make the charging access available to everyone, regardless of whether they have the ability to put a charger in at home,” said Steven Hershkowitz, clean transportation managing director at the Washington State Department of Commerce.

Just within 2022 to 2023, there were 24 newly registered electric vehicles, going from 32 to 56 in Pend Oreille County – one of the largest percentage increases in electric -vehicle use across the state with a 75% growth.

Stevens County also had an increase of registered electric vehicles going from 145 to 211, resulting in a 45.5% growth. The number of registered EVs stayed the same in Ferry County, with a total of 26. There were 4,312 electric vehicles registered in Svpokane County in 2023.

“Washington State has been very successful across the board in increasing electric vehicle adoption,” Hershkowitz said. “We were the No. 1 state in the country in growth in ED registrations in 2023. We’re very proud of that.”

Hershkowitz said the state is working on “Level 2 charger projects” – which could get the vehicle up to 80% charged capacity within six to eight hours of charging – and hope to get them done in 270 days.

The “fast charger” projects, however, he said are complicated and will take longer to complete.

“These are very important for road trips and making sure that, if you’re at a destination for, say, 30 minutes or so, that you can fill up your battery,” he said. “And these take longer, there’s more electrical equipment involved, and so we are requiring those projects to be finished within 580 days, so a little less than two years.”

These projects will add 15 locations in northeastern Washington, including in Cusick, Kettle Falls and Metaline Falls. Most locations will include both Level 2 ports and direct-current fast charging ports.

There currently are only eight charging stations in northeastern Washington. All charging stations are Level 2 ports and have no direct-current fast -charging ports.

Bryan Zeski, owner of a 2021 Tesla Model Y and resident of Oroville – a small town 45 minutes north of Omak, said having more Level 2 chargers in northeastern Washington will be great, but the fast -charging ports could be the real game-changers.

“That would be a significant boost to EV adoption,” he said. “Right now, there are no L3 chargers between South Spokane and Canada.”

Zeski, who bought his Tesla in 2021, said the switch to EV has allowed him to save money and feel like there is an “increased reliability.”

“Omak is the closest U.S. ‘city’ (to Oroville) that has any shopping options – and with high gas prices, the 45 -minute one-way trip made it hard to justify going down there for anything except a large shopping trip. With a Tesla, we’re able to make the trip into Omak, Penticton and Kelowna, Canada, and back without spending anything on gas,” Zeski said.

Brandon Hansen, resident of Chewelah, said he initially was skeptical on how electric vehicles would work, especially in the winter, and was looking to get a hybrid vehicle.

But a test drive changed his mind.

“With the drama around Tesla, I wasn’t enthused about going that route, so we went to the KIA dealership in Liberty Lake, as we had a positive experience with them with our previous cars,” Hensen said. “Initially, we had looked at just getting a hybrid, but an EV Niro we test-drove impressed us.”

Hansen said he and his wife, who both drive electric cars, save money on their commutes.

The only real challenge that he sees through living in a rural town would be the lack of charging stations in the area. Currently, Chewelah’s golf course has four Level 2 charging stations, where a half charge costs $7.50 and a full charge $15.

However, that is likely change in the next couple of years.

“It’s greatly needed for people in the area who own EVs but also for those traveling to the area,” Hansen said. “If they know they can find a station up here they’ll be a little more confident to head this way.”

Currently the Tesla Model 3 is the most popular electric vehicle in Ferry County, while the Tesla Model Y ranks as one of the most popular in Stevens and Pend Oreille County.

Hershkowitz also said the state recently launched the Electric Vehicle Instant Rebate Program for low-income households to help them switch fully to an electric vehicle. This program offers $2,500 to $9,000 off at time of purchase or lease.

Hayden Sweeney, sales associate at Colville Toyota, said since the launch he’s gone from the rare phone call to a few phone calls a week asking about their inventory.

“That’s actually brought a lot of attention to our fully electric vehicles,” Sweeney said.

He said, Colville’s Toyota sells more hybrid vehicles than any other vehicle, especially because it gives customers the flexibility to switch between using gas and the battery for longer trips and a better sense of reliability.

“We had a customer actually rent a Prius from us to travel across Montana because there’s not enough charging stations to drive her Tesla over there,” he said.

The program will be funded through June 2025 and will provide between 6,500 and 8,000 rebates.

More charging station funds might also be available in the future, according to the Washington State Department of Commerce website; however, there is no current timeline.

“Right now it’s something that we’re just trying to support. People who want to make that move, make it easier and more affordable for them because it will save significantly on fuel costs,” Hershkowitz said. “It’s actually about four times cheaper to fuel an EV in the state than it is to fuel up with gasoline.”