Oregonians Are Doing the Math and Driving Away With Big Savings
By Steve Gutmann, Wy’East Resource Conservation and Development
Forget the myths: Electric vehicles are not glorified golf carts, they aren’t just for the wealthy, and they don’t spontaneously combust. Claims that EVs are impractical for rural life, unreliable, or environmentally harmful are also unfounded.
In Wasco County and across rural Oregon, a profound shift in thinking about EVs is underway, and it’s driven by cold, hard cash.
Wy’East Resource Conservation and Development, a rural economic development nonprofit based in The Dalles, recently helped launch EVmath.org, a statewide campaign to challenge misconceptions about EVs and highlight their financial benefits for rural Oregonians.
Centered on 10 trailblazing EV owners across the state, the campaign shows how rural Oregonians are saving thousands of dollars every year by switching to EVs. Among those profiled are Phil Brady and Kurt Conger, of The Dalles; Robert Wallace, of Dufur; and Brandie and Larry McNamee, of Antelope.
Phil is a retired high school teacher, college professor, and Wasco County commissioner. He bought a Honda Prologue EV about a year ago and drives it almost 2,000 miles a month all over the state. Phil is delighted with his new car’s efficiency, driving dynamics, and sure-footed grip in the snow.
“I love this car,” he says. “It does everything I need with comfort and economy.”
Brandie, an accountant and co-owner of a 5th-generation family ranch, lives about 75 miles away in Antelope. A few months ago, she swapped an old Ford Expedition for a Tesla Model Y. She and her husband, Larry, drive about 20,000 miles annually—36 miles on bumpy back roads to ferry 6 kids to the nearest school bus stop, plus a lot of long weekend trips.
They used to pay about $8,333 in annual fuel and maintenance costs—plus a lot of Larry’s time—to drive the old SUV. Leasing the brand new Tesla costs $440 a month, including bumper-to-bumper maintenance, plus another $600 a year to fuel. So, now they’re driving a new car and saving $2,453 a year.
The bottom line: EVs are saving Wasco County’s early adopters thousands of dollars.