Monrovia's Aerovironment to Install Electric Car Charging Stations along 'Green Highway' in Oregon

Monrovia's , the local technology company that produces everything from to electric , has reached a deal with the state of Oregon to install its EV chargers along a 150-mile corridor it's calling the "green highway."

The company will install eight of its EV fast charging stations along the I-5 freeway from the California state line to the Willamette Valley and eventually hopes to extend the corridor so that it stretches from California to Washington, according to Steven Gitlin, a spokesman for Aerovironment.

"It's another important element of the comprehensive EV infrastructure that we believe will be necessary to support broad EV adoption," Gitlin said.

The chargers are currently compatible with the Nissan Leaf and Mitsubishi IMiev, Gitlin said. The fast chargers can fully recharge a car's battery in about 15 to 30 minutes depending on how depleted it it, he said.

Gitlin said Aerovironment is in the process of determining the cost it will charge to use the EV chargers along the route and said the company intends to offer several convenient methods of payment.

"There will be a cost for using these chargers, and we are determining what that cost is going to be," Gitlin said.

Aerovironment currently has a deal in place to outfit locations in Houston and Dallas with its fast chargers. Once the company installs the Oregon corridor, he said Aerovironment will have the largest network of charging stations in place nationwide.

A spokesman for Oregon's transportation department said in a statement that the state is committed to making EV cars viable in high traffic areas.

"Fast charging stations along high-traffic transportation corridors will help make driving electric vehicles between communities a viable option for Oregonians,” said Art James, project director with the Oregon Department of Transportation, in a written statement.“The state of Oregon is committed to providing EV drivers with practical, safe and reliable EV recharging infrastructure, which is why we selected Aerovironment as one of our partners. Aerovironment secured this contract for the southern leg of the ‘EV Green Highway’ project by demonstrating its support, customer service, and price and value.”

Aerovironment should have all of its Oregon charging stations in place by the end of this fall, according to a news release.