Loud & Proud: Kurt Conger’s Electric Shift
In The Dalles, Oregon, a picturesque town with abundant cherry orchards at the eastern end of the Columbia Gorge, Kurt Conger has been using his commute to showcase the benefits of driving electric for years. A 43-year veteran of the electric utility industry with 14 years at Northern Wasco County Public Utility District, Kurt has worked his way through a succession of electric vehicles: first a Chevy Volt, then a Ford Fusion, a Mitsubishi Outlander, and most recently, a Cyber Metallic Orange Tri-Coat Ford Mach-E. When asked about the color, Kurt chuckles, “It’s definitely a conversation starter.”
Kurt also really enjoys the cost savings from driving electric. Because of Northern Wasco PUD’s cheap 6-cents per kWh residential rate, a round-trip drive to Portland and back costs him only $3.60, and driving 6,000 miles a year costs only $120. “Sure beats weekly $50 fill-ups at the gas pump,” he notes. In 2024, Kurt’s wife Robyn bought her first plug-in car, a Kia Sorento PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle). “So long to weekly $4-a-gallon pit stops,” she grins, “this car is fun and inexpensive to drive, totally tricked out, and tough enough for our cold winters.” Neither Kurt nor Robyn plan to go back to driving ICE (Internal Combustion Engine) cars.
And then there’s the performance. Kurt has a hard time when he occasionally goes back to driving a gas car. “My Mach-E is a precision machine that blows away ICE vehicles. Drive one for a day and you won't want to go back either.” When a co-worker mocked his “fancy EV,” Kurt fired back: “$3.60 to Portland and back, versus $30… do the math!” After taking a test drive, his once-skeptical colleague is now shopping for his own EV. “These cars are practical, powerful, and fun,” Kurt says, “and if you run the numbers, they sell themselves.”
One thing Kurt did miss at times was the rumbling sound of the well-tuned gas cars that he grew up with, but he recently found a way to scratch that itch. He installed an aftermarket sound enhancement kit that lets his EV growl, rumble, and roar like the gas guzzlers of old. Now, if he wants his Mach-E to sound like a classic Mustang GT500, a Charger SRT 392, or any other muscle car on a given day, he can choose his favorite VROOM. It’s the fun of a muscle car minus the gas bill.
Kurt’s first few EVs were all plug-in hybrids, which isn’t surprising given where he lives. The Dalles is surrounded by open country, so until recently the combination of limited-range EVs, sparse charging infrastructure, and inexpensive power made plug-in hybrids the logical choice. But pure BEVs (Battery Electric Vehicles) have come a long way and there’s now a lot more charging infrastructure. Thanks to trailblazers like Kurt who are embracing the shift, EVs are taking root in rural Oregon—and showing that the future of driving can still be a thrill.