Plug-In NCW Welcomes Garrett Brown to the Committee

Garrett Brown has been driving electric in a Cayenne Red Nissan Leaf since 2011 and is current president of the Mid-Columbia Electric Vehicle Association, a southeastern Washington chapter of the Electric Auto Association. Although he enjoyed racing toy electric trains and cars as a child in the 1960s, Garrett's real interest EVs emerged dramatically when Iraq invaded Kuwait during the 1st Gulf war.  While bicycling home from University one day and seeing an antiwar demonstration, he ironically noted that everyone had driven gasoline-powered automobiles to attend.  Throughout most of his college and work years, he primarily commuted by bicycle, including below zero temperatures, snow, hail, lightning and rain storms, and only drove his grandmother's 1972 Dodge Dart sparingly, knowing that every dollar spent on gasoline was going to a cause that he did not want to support.  In 1991, he purchased his only ICE vehicle, a Nissan Pickup and retired the Dart so it wouldn't have to haul so many yard and garden supplies.  He boldly told his wife that their next vehicle would be "electric" and they began saving $50/week for that eventual future.  Knowing his ability to tinker and "repair" things without being able to quite put them back together in working order, he even promised to wait until real commercial EVs could be purchased.  It has been a long twenty year wait, but now there are numerous EV choices, from neighborhood EVs to Tesla super luxury cars.  What started as a personal resentment against the oil industry, has resulted in a more enjoyable driving experience.  EVs are simply superior over ICE vehicles in every category.  They are powered by American-made electrons, increasingly generated by solar, wind, and hydroelectric power.  They are less costly to operate, fuel, and maintain (total cost of ownership).  They are quieter, smoother, cleaner, accelerate quickly, and cannot fake or fail emissions testing.  Best of all, they can be filled nightly, while the owner sleeps, pre-warmed in the garage, ready for each day's adventure.

In addition to his day job as an Analytical Chemist, Garrett's current interests include educating the public about the benefits of EVs, increasing the number of people driving EVs, and increasing the number of EV charging stations in southeastern WA State.  He still enjoys the great outdoors by gardening daily, filling his yard with native and non-native flowering plants, hiking/camping on occasion, and bicycling as fair weather and old bones allow.