State selects EVCS for charging station contract

PATEROS – The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) has selected EV Charging Solutions (EVCS), to build and retrofit 21 EV Fast Charging locations in the state, including one in Pateros. The $8.1 million contract was awarded by the WSDOT’s Zero-Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Partnerships (ZEVIP) to EVCS in collaboration with Forth Mobility Fund and Energy Northwest. The partnerships will support the installation of 76 new and upgraded EV chargers along priority corridors in Washington.

Construction is scheduled to begin this month in 21 communities.

“The City of Pateros is pleased to partner with EVCS to offer DC fast charging to the general public while visiting our town center,” said city administrator Jord Wilson. “The fast-charging site will feature two 150 kilowatt (kW) chargers, one level two charger and an outlet for electric bike charging. The 150kW chargers will be able to provide up to 200 miles of range during a 30-minute stay in Pateros."

Wilson told the Pateros City Council at its Jan. 17 monthly meeting that the city is “coordinating with EVCS to get the best possible placement” that will still allow the city to consider its planned parking lot and Commercial Avenue improvements.

Commenting on the contract, EVCS co-founder and CEO Gustavo Occhiuzzo said “We’re honored to partner with WSDOT to help accelerate consumer confidence across Washington to switch to an EV. Our goal is to democratize the EV charging experience by tackling some of the largest hurdles EV drivers face today.”

Those hurdles include access to reliable and fast public EV charging across all applications, simplified and upfront pricing, and access to more locations.

“With the help from the ZEVIP grant, we’re able to address these issues for Washington-based drivers and make the EV transition more seamless,” Occhiuzzo said.

The award supports Washington's mandate to ban the purchase of new gas-powered vehicles by 2035. Electric vehicle demand spiked in 2022 as the number of first-time EV purchases in Washington state rose 43 percent from the previous year, with more than 29,000 vehicles sold, an EVCS media release said.

WSDOT Alternative Fuels Manager Tonia Buell, Alternative Fuels Manager said WSDOT “is pleased that EVCS is upgrading the legacy West Coast Electric Highway equipment to serve more electric vehicles. The modern equipment will provide faster charging and expand access to all EV drivers.”