From Minivan to Electric SUV: A Rural Veterinarian’s Quiet Revolution
Sutherlin, Oregon is best known for its natural beauty, vineyards, and small-town quirks. Robin White, a local veterinarian who loves animals and the outdoors, has been keeping the area’s pets and livestock in good health for years. Her family’s garage once held a minivan, a Toyota 4Runner, and a hunting truck, all typical vehicles for a place where rugged dirt roads snake up the hillsides. But these days you’ll see something different gliding out of Robin’s driveway: a Rivian electric SUV.
Robin’s EV journey began in 2020, when she traded in her minivan for a Tesla Model 3. “It was a practical, money-saving move,” she says. “Daily commutes to the clinic, kids’ sports trips up and down I-5 every weekend… the gas receipts were really adding up.” The Model 3’s 300-mile range and zippy acceleration turned heads in Sutherlin, and at $0.10 per kWh to charge at home vs. $4 a gallon for gas, replacing her thirsty old minivan immediately slashed her fuel bills.
But rural life eventually threw Robin a curveball. The area’s steep, unpaved roads and harsh winters—think mud, snow, and the occasional ice storm—exposed the Model 3’s limitations. “It was great for pavement and good weather,” Robin says, “but I needed something more rugged.” So in 2024 she swapped the Tesla for a Rivian R1S, an all-electric SUV. With its 316-mile range, all-wheel drive, and ground clearance that shrugs off ruts and potholes, the Rivian has become her do-everything ride. “This thing’s amazing,” she says. “It’s like an SUV and a Tesla had a baby—and the baby’s a way better athlete than either of its parents.”
Cost Breakdown: Gas vs. Electric
Robin drives about 20,000 miles a year. Her minivan averaged 18 miles per gallon, and at $3.80 a gallon, it burned through about $4,222 annually. Oil changes, tune-ups, and the odd repair added roughly another $600, for a total of $4,822.
The Rivian goes roughly 2.2 miles per kWh. Home charging 95% of the time at Douglas Electric Cooperative’s off-peak $0.10/kWh rate, and 5% of the time at $0.38/kWh fast chargers, Robin’s annual charging costs about $1,036 a year. Tires, wipers and fluid add another couple hundred bucks, so the Rivian is costing her about $1,236, for estimated annual savings of $3,586.
What about range anxiety? Robin has none. She nearly always charges at home while she’s sleeping—“plug it in, eat dinner, sleep, and wake up with a full battery”-- which yields plenty of range for most daily driving. If she does need a fast top-up, Sutherlin boasts one of the largest fast-charging depots in the nation, with a whopping 51 Tesla Superchargers strategically placed about halfway between Portland and the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition, the Oregon Department of Transportation estimates that there are now about 850 super fast Level 3 chargers statewide. “A quick 20-minute charge once in a blue moon sure beats pulling into a gas station every week,” says Robin. “It’s also a lot cheaper, and I definitely don’t miss the gas station ambiance.”
But the Whites aren’t ditching gas entirely – Robin’s husband still drives the 4Runner and they’ve also kept his hunting truck for trips into Oregon’s outback. “For me,” Robin explains, “it’s all about options. I like diversifying fuels like you’d diversify row crops or stocks. Petroleum’s not forever, and different vehicles work better for different things.” Her EV blends practicality with a quieter, cleaner life. “Charging at home calms our household chaos a bit and also saves us a bundle of cash.”
If you’re near Sutherlin and spot a Rivian R1S parked outside the Timbers Veterinary Clinic or climbing a dirt road, it’s probably Robin White, leading the charge to electric propulsion. “I never thought I’d be an EV cheerleader,” she laughs, “but here I am, and it’s pretty fun.”