Guide to Electric Vehicles in Oregon

Experience the diverse landscape, lush forests and natural wonders of Oregon the way this outdoor paradise deserves – in an eco-friendly electric vehicle..

Find out everything you need to know about driving an Electric Vehicle (EV) in the Beaver State, from whether you can get an electric car rebate in Oregon to how easy it is to charge your EV while you’re out and about.

Get the low down on electric car laws and zones (more on this later) in Oregon with Hertz, so you’re ready to enjoy your trip from the moment you arrive in the western state.

• How many EVs are there in Oregon?
• Are there incentives for electric cars in Oregon?
• EV registration, licensing, and fees in Oregon
• Oregon EV charging network

How Many EVs Are There in Oregon?

Many Oregonians are making the switch to electric vehicles. In 2019, Senate Bill
1044 outlined new Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV) targets. These targets included:

• 250,000 registered ZEVs on the roads by 2025.
• 90% of new vehicles sold each year are to be ZEVs by 2035.

In 2022, Oregon had the 5^th most EVs in the US and as of February 2023, the state had 65,921 registered electric vehicles. In 2022, almost one-third of all EVs were Teslas – with the most popularbeing the Tesla Model 3, but other EVs like the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt were also popular consumer picks.

Electric car ownership in Oregon is growing, with 1,000 more EV registrations per month in 2022. That’s why the state of Oregon is working hard to ensure that charging infrastructure keeps pace with consumers too.

As a founding member of the International ZEV Alliance, Oregon is dedicated to pushing the adoption of ZEV. It’s also striving towards ensuring that all passenger vehicle sales are ZEVs by 2050.

Are There Incentives for Electric Cars in Oregon?

Yes, there are several electric car incentives in Oregon. These include the Oregon Clean Rebate Program, Federal Tax Credit and local incentives.

Oregon Clean Vehicle Rebate Program

The Oregon Clean Vehicle Rebate Program is a type of electric car rebate in Oregon. It’s designed to reduce vehicle emissions by offering a cash rebate of up to $7,500 for Oregon drivers that lease or buy electric cars.

As of May 2023, the program has been suspended, but once funding is available, it will announce its reopening.

Federal Tax Credit

You may also be able to claim electric car tax credit in Oregon if you buy a new plug-in EV or fuel cell vehicle. Under the Internal Revenue Code Section 30D, you may be able to obtain credit up to $7,500. To claim the credit, you need to complete Form 8936 and file it with your tax return.

ODOT Community Charging Rebates Program

The ODOT program makes it cheaper to buy and maintain Level 1 and 2 charging stations at multi-family homes and publicly accessible parking areas. Launched in June 2023, the first round of funding has $1.75 million available for qualifying charging points.

You may be able to obtain a rebate of between $4,250 and $5,500 per charging port or 75% of project costs – whichever is cheaper.

Utility Rebates

Some energy companies in Oregon support electric car adoption and offer anything from advice on home charging options, all the way to financial incentives to go green.

For example, Central Electric Co-Op offers their customers rebates of up to $50 for each EV registered in Co-Op’s territory. They also offer:

• $150 towards preparing your home with a NEMA 14-50 outlet
• $200 for any Level 2 charger
• $450 towards a BPA Qualified Level 2 charger.

The best news is that you can stack incentives in Oregon, making it even easier to choose to go green. This means that even if you are eligible for Federal Tax Credit and the Oregon Clean Vehicle Rebate, you can also benefit from local incentives.

EV registration, licensing, and fees in Oregon

It’s important to remember the fees that come with owning an electric vehicle. In Oregon, a dealership can charge between $115 and $150 for an electric vehicle registration. In addition to standard registration fees, you must also pay an annual fee of $115 – or a road use fee of 19 cents per mile if you opt into the OReGo program.

OReGo is a different way of paying for road preservation. Instead of paying a fuel tax, OReGO is a pay-per-mile system so you only pay for the miles that you drive.

Hybrid electric cars must pay an annual fee of:

• $20 if the vehicle has a rating of 0-19 mpg
• $25 if the vehicle has a rating of 20-39 mpg
• $35 if the vehicle has a rating of 40 mpg or higher

Oregon EV charging network

Oregon is very EV-friendly and there are plenty of electric car charging stations in the state. There are almost 1,600 public charging stations from several charging networks. As well as Level 1 and Level 2 chargers, an increasing number of stations now have DC Fast Charger options, making charging your EV faster on the go.

The charging networks that serve Oregon are:

• Webasto
• Blink
• ChargePoint
• EVgo
• Greenlots
• SemaConnect
• Tesla

Joining a network can make it even easier to charge your electric vehicle on the move, as some charging networks offer plans for frequent users or membership cards. Download public charger location apps to make it easier to plan your route. Chargeway - an app that helps drivers find charging stations - color codes charging types to make it even easier to find the charger you need while you’re sightseeing in The Beaver State.

Oregon is a great city to go green in. Electric car ownership in Oregon has never been easier, thanks to incentives like the ODOT Community Charging Rebates Program and the opportunity for Federal Tax Credit. There are also plenty of charging points scattered across the state, meaning that you can road trip without range anxiety.

Let's Go!

Ready to take the wheel and hit the open road in Oregon with an electric vehicle? With an array of incentives like the ODOT Community Charging Rebates Program and potential Federal Tax Credit, going green has never been more appealing. Embrace the electric revolution, hop into an EV and begin your next adventure!

Rent an electric car from Hertz today.