First Electric Drive

Enjoy the photos. There are a few more on our SmugMug site: https:// orpca-pix.smugmug. com/2023-ORPCAEvents/ORPCA-EVArrive-and-Drive-6323-/

Times they are a-changingand a-charging! June 3rd was a beautiful day for OEPCA’s Inaugural Electric and Hybrid Drive! And with non-Porsche all-electric cars invited to join, it was a great way to make nonPorsche owners aware of this great club and events.

We met at the Electrify America EV Charging Station in the Walmart parking lot in Tigard. It was an excellent meeting place due to the sheer number of EV chargers. Many "topped off" their "tanks" before the drive.

William and Anne Rasnake and Ravi Rajaram were the tour organizers and leaders. They briefed everyone on the drive and conducted the safety meeting. The route map and directions were expertly crafted and appreciated by all. The Rasnake's shared that this drive had been three years in the making, delayed by COVID challenges, and likely grew from two participants to the six cars and ten participants included this day.

The four Porsches rolled out led by the Rasnake's in their stunning red Taycan Turbo S, followed by Matt Clippinger in his “blacked-out” Taycan 4, the Gotchers in their Panamera E-Hybrid, the VanFleet’s in their Panamera E-Hybrid, the Johnsons in their Jaguar I-Pace, and the sweep car, Ravi Rajaram in his Tesla Model 3. The back roads from Tigard, through Hillsboro, to Forest Grove were all enjoyable and very light on traffic on this sunny Saturday morning. What a great way to see this part of the Willamette Valley! While passing the Forest Hills Golf Course, driver and navigator Jeremy and Heather VanFleet had quite a surprise as a stray golf ball struck the windshield of their Panamera. Luckily, there was no damage, and to Brian and Kara Johnson who were following behind in their Jaguar I-Pace it looked like a very strange white bird shooting straight up in the sky. A memorable video was made by the VanFleet’s on their dashcam.

We made an early rest stop at the beautiful Fern Hill Wetlands in Forest Grove. A return trip is highly recommended to explore all the walking trails and bird watching at this nature park.

Back on the road, we made a quick trip from Forest Grove to Vernonia Lake City Park. (The restrooms were closed for remodeling here, hence the earlier stop). It was "free fishing" weekend and many commented that they had brought the wrong vehicles to accommodate their fishing poles. More birds, water lilies, butterflies, and sunshine were taken in before getting back on the road, this time in reverse order with Ravi and his Tesla now leading the way, with the Rasnakes taking the sweep position.

We found our way to the Jewell Meadows Wildlife area. Typically frequented by a local elk herd, we only saw a deer on this day. It was very quiet and void of other people, making it a perfect spot to line up the cars and drivers for a picture.

Once back on the road, we happened upon a couple of gravel patches from road work that was unexpected. Ravi led the group slowly and carefully through the rough patches. We completed the rest of the 122-mile drive through the gorgeous landscape and arrived at Bridgewater Bistro near the historic bridge in Astoria, Oregon. A delicious lunch was had by all at the beautiful waterfront restaurant. And the Rasnakes treated us to an incredible bottle of Champagne and a bottle of Rose that they had selected to toast the inaugural drive.

Many thanks to our leaders and organizers, William and Anne Rasnake, and Ravi Rajaram, for creating this firstever ORPCA Electric and Hybrid Drive. And much gratitude for inviting the nonPorsche owners along for the ride! It was a beautiful and enjoyable trip.

For your author, who grew up hearing stories of her father Ray Frone participating in OMI (Oregon Motorsports Incorporated) and owning his own Porsches – a ‘57 Cabriolet Super, ‘58 Coupe and ‘65 C Coupe, this was quite an amazing experience. The Johnsons look forward to owning their own Porsche and officially joining the club one day in the not-too-distant future.

And thank you to everyone who came out to enjoy this first-of-a-kind drive. By this time next year, we expect to add a Macan EV or two to the list! n