Getting Plugged In

RICHLAND - Vista Engineering Technologies, LLC announced this week its entrance into the Plugin Hybrid Electric Vehicle market. The service offering provides plug-in conversions for Prius and other Hybrid Electric Vehicle owners as well as charging station infrastructure at businesses, residences and government facilities throughout the Columbia basin.

Waitsburg's KC Kuykendall will be talking with Waitsburg City Councilors to approve a public charging station somewhere in town, in addition to adding a personal charging station at his home.

"There are significant gains for transit authorities, public fleets and transporters targeting a reduction in fuel consumption, cost and emissions" said Vista President Phil Ohl. "Vista is going after this market very aggressively. The EV market expansion represents a significant impact on energy security and stability. This effort aligns with our sustainability initiatives and is good for the region."

VET's overall expansion into the electric vehicle market will also include engineering and integration services for private and public sector fleets of mid-to-heavy-duty vehicles including vanpools, buses, and delivery trucks.

"The Pacific Northwest is well suited for electric transportation due to the relatively cheap power and expensive fuel. We are seeing a significant market shift and Vista is committed to leading the way for Eastern Washington to get plugged in," said Kuykendall, Vista's Sustainable Solutions Team Manager. Vista's goal is to develop an E.V. charging infrastructure and PHEV demand that will support the region's bid as a national leader in the clean energy economy.

"This is a natural migration for our Energy Services team," Kuykendall said. "Our history of delivering technical solutions to the renewable energy and transportation industries is simply combined with this effort. Our aim is to lead the EV market transformation in Eastern Washington, Oregon and Idaho by making PHEV's more affordable, and the charging infrastructure manageable for local utilities and grid-balancing authorities."