Electric Vehicle Industry and UO Athletics Impact Oregon's Economy

Two recent reports shed light on the economic impact of two very different parts of Oregon's economy: the electric vehicle industry and University of Oregon (UO) athletics.

The study on the state's electric vehicle (EV) industry was conducted by Tom Potiowsky, the director of Portland State University's Northwest Economic Research Center, and Oregon's former State Economist. The results show that the production of electric vehicles and their component parts has generated $266.6 million in economic activity, along with 1,500 jobs. Other findings include:

• Over two-thirds of the firms surveyed for the report work in manufacturing, as well as parts and components
• The majority of EV-related companies are clustered along the I-5 corridor
• Of the EV-related firms surveyed, on average, half of their business activity is EV-related, and half of that EV-related business is conducted in Oregon

In other news, the University of Oregon published the results of a study on UO athletics, which finds that the school's sporting events attracted $60 million in local spending in 2011-2012 fiscal year. All told, Lane County saw $101.2 million in total spending from UO athletics, as well as the creation of more than 1,200 jobs. The full study provides more details, and a summary provides some nifty infographics!