GRANITE FALLS — At the gateway to Mountain Loop Highway, electric vehicle drivers have one last chance to charge before traveling the byway’s entire 55-mile stretch.
Blue signs with a charging station symbol and arrow direct drivers to two stations in the Granite Falls City Hall parking lot, near 205 S Granite Ave.
Visitors who choose to bypass Granite Falls don’t come upon another public charging station until Darrington, according to several maps.
“I’m not sure I would attempt the Mountain Loop Highway,” said Everett resident Jennie Lindberg, owner of an electric 2023 Volkswagen ID.4.
In July, Lindberg and her husband drove a stretch of the loop to Mount Pilchuck. But she wasn’t concerned about the vehicle’s battery range.
“It’s pretty much a math problem,” she said. “I’m very careful to use Google to calculate how many miles it is there.”
Snohomish County residents shouldn’t hesitate to purchase an EV, if they’re concerned about battery range for adventure travel, said Gerald Tracy, a Puget Sound Energy spokesperson, in an email. Still, current and potential EV owners remain skeptical.
Puget Sound Energy is one of the largest EV charger suppliers in Washington.
“Between current EV ranges and expanding charging infrastructure,” Tracy said, “it’s definitely possible to get to many of the area’s remotest locales — with a little extra planning.”
EVs can typically travel between 110 and 300 miles on a single charge, according to a 2023 report from the U.S. Department of Energy. The electric 2023 Chevrolet Bolt — one of the most affordable EVs on the market — can go an estimated 259 miles with a single charge.
With that range, “they should have little difficulty making it to the trailheads along Mountain Loop Highway with plenty of charge remaining to get them to a station in Granite Falls or Darrington on their way home,” Tracy said.
Everett resident Bill Trueit bought an electric 2020 Hyundai Kona right before the COVID-19 pandemic.
He is an executive committee member with Sno-Isle Sierra Club and often gives presentations on EVs to the group.
This month, he and his wife are planning a trip to Mount Shuksan in North Cascades National Park. He researched the route and expects to stop at the Electrify America Charging Station in Bellingham.
“Once people look into it and see the chargers that are out there,” he said, “they’re going to find that more and more of those places are being filled up with a charging spot.”
Local EV users recommend apps like PlugShare to see charging station locations, types, availabilities and ratings.
Even so, drivers — regardless of EV status — cannot plan for all scenarios.
On a trip to Chelan this summer, Everett residents Jeanne and Tom Crisp were charging their 2023 Model Y Tesla, expecting it to be at 100% when they returned to the vehicle.
But the car had lost up to 50% of its charge because the couple had accidentally left a temperature cabin control on during the charge.
“If a person was up in the mountains, that could be a real issue,” Jeanne Crisp said. “In our case, we just had to go back to a charging station where we were.”
Jeanne and Tom Crisp recently updated their AAA membership, so roadside assistance staff could tow their vehicle 250 miles instead of 5, just in case they ran out of charge in a distant place.
“That was the way we built in a little peace of mind about the whole thing,” Jeanne Crisp said.
Lake Stevens resident Marie Mills hopes to purchase an electric or hybrid vehicle this fall. Her 2007 Toyota RAV4 is failing and, after driving it for the past five years, she wants a car that is more environmentally friendly.
She grew up in north Seattle and has hiked in Western Washington for decades. At least once a week, she is out on the trail, spending much of this summer in the North Cascades.
“At the trailhead, you’re not seeing a lot of electric vehicles,” Mills said. “I’m seeing the standard Subaru.”
If her current vehicle suddenly became unusable, she would purchase a hybrid Toyota RAV4. Potential EV owners face a significant learning curve, Mills said. She wants to “fully understand the trailhead situation” before making the switch.
“You don’t have to convince me it’s a good idea,” Mills said. “It’s a big decision, and I want to get it right. I can’t afford to not get it right.”
Ta’Leah Van Sistine: 425-339-3460; taleah.vansistine@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @TaLeahRoseV.
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