Kicking the tires on electric travel in the Northwest

John Ryan pens down a very detailed report of traveling in a Chevy Bolt to attend a Journalism conference in Boise, Idaho. He wanted to explore how the EV charging network has developed in the Northwest region.

Here are some important observations made by him:

• The Pacific Northwest is in the early stages of making a very big switch: from gasoline to electricity.
• Chevy Bolts are one of the slowest EVs on the market at charging, with a maximum recharge speed of 55 kilowatts, according to InsideEVs.
• Used Plugshare and ABRP to navigate charging stations
• The trip definitely took longer than it would have in a gasoline car—with gas pumps that work in a flash available almost everywhere. But it was quiet, cheap, and a lot less polluting, especially in a car propelled mostly by climate-friendly hydropower