Climate action group presents program on EVs

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For electric vehicles — or EVs —  the growth in popularity as well as the growth in options between automobile brands has led to many questions among folks looking for their next eco-friendly vehicle, or people just curious about how they work.

Join Tony Billera of Olympic Climate Action for a virtual program all about EVs as he reviews the history of electric automobiles, rapidly expanding choices, home and public charging networks, battery technology, and recycling.

“Why All the Excitement About EVs?” is sponsored by Olympic Climate Action, a grassroots organization centered on countering climate change, and will be held via Zoom from 6:30 to
8 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 27. The presentation will last less than an hour, leaving time for a question-and-answer period.

Billera, an electric vehicle owner himself, will also cover purchasing incentives, EV performance, and the low maintenance required to keep the vehicles in working condition.

With glaciers in the Olympic Mountains and around the world disappearing and extreme weather events worldwide, organizers of the Zoom program note that climate change is already leaving its destructive imprint on the Peninsula and beyond.

In the rural North Olympic Peninsula, emissions inventories conducted recently by local governments show that transportation is the largest source of carbon dioxide.

A recent study in Port Angeles revealed that transportation is the source of 68 percent of the community’s total carbon dioxide emissions. Billera and members of the Olympic Climate Action group believe that the switch to EVs could be a big part of the solution for carbon emissions, along with the many perks that come with the switch to electric.

“After owning EVs since 2017 for over 75,000 miles, I can unequivocally say that EVs exceed my combustion engine experiences in every way,” Billera said.

He added that he enjoys the acceleration from their instant torque and superior handling with electric vehicles because of their low center of gravity.

Billera worked in information technology and cellular services before moving to Port Angeles from Whidbey Island. Currently, he is a senior director at the Center for Advanced Transportation and Energy Solutions, a Seattle-based think tank where he focuses on reducing traffic and related emissions through technology and the transition to transportation electrification.

As a long-term nature lover, Billera has been a climate activist for more than a decade, including positions with the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration Climate Stewards, Citizens Climate Lobby, Carbon Washington, and volunteering for local sustainability efforts such as Port Angeles’ greenhouse gas study and climate resiliency project.

To register for the event, go to the Olympic Climate Action’s website at olyclimate.org.

Olympic Climate Action