Once again it seems we are just on the edge of an EV explosion. Fiat has announced great new lease pricing on its 500e. Ford has great discounts on the Focus EV. Nissan cut the price on the LEAF while adding several much requested features. The options are really starting to pile up. If you live in California, you can now get a RAV 4 EV for slightly more than what a LEAF cost last year.
Add to that record breaking sales from Tesla and Nissan and yes, both are targeting completely separate market segments but for every EV that hits the street that is another dozen people that will get direct contact with the owner which will see another 100 indirectly exposed to "EV Fever".
Which means the competition will starting ratcheting up soon. Tesla has the luxury EV market locked up for now with no challengers in sight but a logjam is already starting to form in the $25,000-$40,000 market and at a price many still feel is too high considering the drawbacks that limited range EVs come with so getting an early advantage in the market is going to help but sales incentives can only go so far.
And price is not the only consideration. It is a car after all, so range has to be a top priority. But bigger batteries and lower price dont go together unless we are talking oxymorons. So getting the range without the price is the real challenge. Charging at work is the best way. Not having to drive out of your way or spending any extra time to charge is the ultimate way to get it done. The LEAF mileage champ, Steve Marsh could not have amassed his estimated 75,000 miles in such a short period of time if his employer had not put in a station for his use less than 50 feet from his office. But most of us are not so lucky.
Nissan announced a few months ago that they were putting in 500 quick charge stations at Nissan Dealerships across the country and we would see "significant" progress within a few months. When I first heard this, I thought it was a brilliant tactical move on Nissan's part. Getting these stations out quickly was sure to spur sales since only the LEAF and the nearly non-existent Mitsubishi MiEV used Chademo. Add to that a big push from the Smyrna Plant and that would give Nissan a big psychological edge over fence sitters considering other EVs that lacked Chademo support.
Earth Day this weekend would have seemed a perfect date to have grand opening celebrations at DCFCs all across the country and that is exactly what is going to happen at about....2 or 3 of them. Despite Nissan's grand announcement, the rollout has been sluggish at best. Granted, 2 months was a very ambitious goal to begin with and I would have been happy to see a dozen in WA by the end of Summer but there seems to be little news of any stations anywhere near here.
MyNissanLEAF.com has several members scattered across the country and reports of ground breaking for stations has been very thin so far. Less than a dozen and all seem to be in CA mostly. Like WA and OR, CA is part of two different projects to install quick charge stations and despite having the greatest number of LEAFs, they have seen the least amount of activity from either the EV Highway Project or the West Coast Green Highway Project . So if Nissan was looking to address the neediest, I guess CA would definitely fit that profile which also happens to be in the area of the greatest expected number of new LEAF sales.
Is this "compliance" charging distribution? Putting most of them in CA and ignoring most of the rest of the country? With only 500 stations going in, I did not expect to see a charger in little town WA has to offer but the Seattle Market is near to the top in LEAF sales along with EV sales and hybrid sales in general so the right mindset abounds in the Pacific Northwest.
Now Nissan is not getting all the blame here. Oregon is smaller, less populated and has less money than WA does but has outdone WA in the installation of public quick chargers and has plans to install many more in the near future. WA! you need to get motivated here. Every mile driven in an EV is a mile that takes advantage of the abundant locally produced electricity and is another mile we dont have buy gas!
One good thing to report; SB 5849 providing fines for "ICE'ing" charging stations has passed both arms of Congress and was sent to the Governor on April 17th. Its pretty much a done deal. Governor Jay Inslee has been an EV supporter for years. Hopefully getting this signed will provide the momentum for more EV support and soon!
**Edit** Well that did not take long! Thanks to Brian for posting this link about Inslee and WA committing another 9 Million to getting more QC stations out for the West Coast Green Highway Project !!
Friday, April 19, 2013
Friday, April 12, 2013
Obama Proposal Promises to Boost Accelerating EV Sales Into the Stratosphere!
Despite my "Rah Rah EV" attitude (someone accuses me of that nearly every day) I am not going to go out on a limb and say that March plug in sales signals the start of the EV sales finally gaining a niche in the American automotive market.
The sales are impressive but Tesla has basically compressed 2+ years of sales into the last 4 months and is still playing catch up. Just as Mercedes and Lexus puts of sales every month, Tesla will continue to do the same and I think they will be #1 or 2 in the luxury car market by the end of the year. Their car really is that good. They are very proactive in addressing the quirks of the car and this can only bode well for their future offerings. Now, despite Musk's promises to the contrary, I dont think Tesla will ever offer a car for the masses. The Bluestar I am predicting will come out at $40,000 + and will still be more than most want to pay. Like other luxury nameplates, I expect Tesla to attempt a economy offering that will fail forcing them to go back to their bread and butter $70,000 offerings, but!
Obama is proposing to increase the EV incentive to $10,000 AND allow dealers to get the money for the EV buyer. This allows an instant rebate at the time of purchase and allows everyone to get it without having to calculate whether they fall under the Alternative Minimum Tax rule. I think this is a great idea but should ONLY apply to EVs only. The Volt, I will grudgingly continue to accept it getting the $7500 as a tax credit but the push to EVs needs to be more goal oriented.
Another big benefit of the larger EV incentive is that it will really push lease rates into a much more affordable range. the extra $2500 "could" make an 2 year lease $108 a month cheaper or $71.42 cheaper on a 3 year lease (assuming 23 and 35 payments respectively). Of course automakers could simply lower the residual to mitigate that savings but this allows fence sitters to gain that EV driving experience. Evan Fusco, a long time hybrid enthusiast states that after tooling around in his Tesla S 85, his previously beloved hybrids (Prius and Highlander) seems like "antiques" as stated (around 30:00 or so, give or take a minute...) on a recent "What Drives You" Show #116. I share his sentiment as my Prius (which I used to brag was so quiet) seemed like a 30 year old rattle bucket after driving the LEAF.
A new LEAFer in Seattle who was hesitant to go electric is now a full convert after a month (i am guessing it really only took a few days) driving something that cannot truly be described. It can only be experienced!
All of this really points to a few things;
1) Incentives for EVs cant continue forever. Oil is simply too powerful to let it go on, so getting critical mass ASAP is vital and gives automakers incentive to put real money and factory time into getting the volume necessary to drive research and reduction in costs.
2) Word of mouth is what will ultimately drive EV sales. Its a bit of a foregone conclusion that Automakers are simply clueless on how to market EVs. Whethers is Nissan's "Polar Bear Hug" or Tesla's "$500 financing" the approach is not selling cars. The cars are selling cars but that cant be done until its in someone's driveway.
3) We preach Environmentalism but we ignore the real impact that oil has on our long term survivability. Accidental, unknown and unintentional leakage of motor oil from passenger cars alone is responsible for dumping the equivalent of the Exxon Valdez into Puget Sound every SIX YEARS. IOW; we are in the process of our own Gulf Oil Spill and NOTHING is being done about it... oh wait! There is a new program "Dont Drip and Drive" that provides FREE inspections and significant discounts for any repair needed to fix the drip.
The media blitz has been going on for a week now and it remains to be seen how many of the estimated 2.5 Million leaking gas powered cars will take the time to get their car in...
The sales are impressive but Tesla has basically compressed 2+ years of sales into the last 4 months and is still playing catch up. Just as Mercedes and Lexus puts of sales every month, Tesla will continue to do the same and I think they will be #1 or 2 in the luxury car market by the end of the year. Their car really is that good. They are very proactive in addressing the quirks of the car and this can only bode well for their future offerings. Now, despite Musk's promises to the contrary, I dont think Tesla will ever offer a car for the masses. The Bluestar I am predicting will come out at $40,000 + and will still be more than most want to pay. Like other luxury nameplates, I expect Tesla to attempt a economy offering that will fail forcing them to go back to their bread and butter $70,000 offerings, but!
Obama is proposing to increase the EV incentive to $10,000 AND allow dealers to get the money for the EV buyer. This allows an instant rebate at the time of purchase and allows everyone to get it without having to calculate whether they fall under the Alternative Minimum Tax rule. I think this is a great idea but should ONLY apply to EVs only. The Volt, I will grudgingly continue to accept it getting the $7500 as a tax credit but the push to EVs needs to be more goal oriented.
Another big benefit of the larger EV incentive is that it will really push lease rates into a much more affordable range. the extra $2500 "could" make an 2 year lease $108 a month cheaper or $71.42 cheaper on a 3 year lease (assuming 23 and 35 payments respectively). Of course automakers could simply lower the residual to mitigate that savings but this allows fence sitters to gain that EV driving experience. Evan Fusco, a long time hybrid enthusiast states that after tooling around in his Tesla S 85, his previously beloved hybrids (Prius and Highlander) seems like "antiques" as stated (around 30:00 or so, give or take a minute...) on a recent "What Drives You" Show #116. I share his sentiment as my Prius (which I used to brag was so quiet) seemed like a 30 year old rattle bucket after driving the LEAF.
A new LEAFer in Seattle who was hesitant to go electric is now a full convert after a month (i am guessing it really only took a few days) driving something that cannot truly be described. It can only be experienced!
All of this really points to a few things;
1) Incentives for EVs cant continue forever. Oil is simply too powerful to let it go on, so getting critical mass ASAP is vital and gives automakers incentive to put real money and factory time into getting the volume necessary to drive research and reduction in costs.
2) Word of mouth is what will ultimately drive EV sales. Its a bit of a foregone conclusion that Automakers are simply clueless on how to market EVs. Whethers is Nissan's "Polar Bear Hug" or Tesla's "$500 financing" the approach is not selling cars. The cars are selling cars but that cant be done until its in someone's driveway.
3) We preach Environmentalism but we ignore the real impact that oil has on our long term survivability. Accidental, unknown and unintentional leakage of motor oil from passenger cars alone is responsible for dumping the equivalent of the Exxon Valdez into Puget Sound every SIX YEARS. IOW; we are in the process of our own Gulf Oil Spill and NOTHING is being done about it... oh wait! There is a new program "Dont Drip and Drive" that provides FREE inspections and significant discounts for any repair needed to fix the drip.
The media blitz has been going on for a week now and it remains to be seen how many of the estimated 2.5 Million leaking gas powered cars will take the time to get their car in...
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
This Week in EV Bay; Should March 2013 Be Considered The Watershed Month of EV Adoption?
On the 2nd day of April, 2013, early morning announcements will create a more than a ripple in the automotive industry. Early reports stating that over 6,000 plug ins were sold in the month of March including a record of 2236 LEAFs for the middle class and over 2100 Tesla's for the "not so middle" class. Volt sales were somewhat lower at just under 1500 units but still respectable. Some speculate that announcements concerning the 2014 Volt has caused some to wait for the newer model.
Later in the day, it became obvious that March 2013 was simply "Car Month". Every brand was up with several notables. Chrysler had their largest month since 2007, Nissan had its largest month EVER. Quick note on that. 188 LEAFs were sold in the Western WA district making it #1 for the Nissan nameplate. This happening in a month when Nissan set sales records makes the achievement that much more impressive. And there is no signs of slowing as of yet. Tesla is still busy catching up with a 3 year backlog and Nissan has not completed stocking their dealerships of 2013's yet so very strong sales should continue for the foreseeable future. All of a sudden, Obama's dream of a million EVs on the road is starting to look reachable.
What is not keeping pace is public charging. Despite the announcement in Oct, 2012 from Blink concerning a half dozen DCFC's for the Seattle area, only a few have been installed to this point. I will say that so far, the Fife station has been rock solid and has worked perfectly for me every time I have used it. It does fill a very vital link for traveling regionally in the Puget Sound Region but I liken it to being an Oasis in the Desert. Too many stories of travelers found dead a half mile from the watering hole comes to mind here. Last night, I was working in Auburn and had to use the station twice. Luckily, there was no issue. If there had been, it would have not been a late night. It would have been morning (even with a 15 minute boost, I got home at 3 AM)
Now, putting in chargers has proved to be a much tougher challenge than anyone has realized. Whether its a question of legislation to pave the way or what, I really dont know. Guessing the reasons are highly individualized based on each specific situation. Now when EVs were moving like molasses in January, it was ok to talk about how to get these charging stations in the ground because we had time, but now we have run out of time and there has been very little progress made towards getting charged while out and about. Wish I knew how to rush them a bit but until then, there are still things we can do.
ICEing is a problem that is being addressed but since its not law quite yet, not too late to put a bug in the ear of your representative! But things are looking good on that front.
The Golden Rule. Too many incidences reported of people camping out at charging stations. One person reported that they were rushing to make an appointment and someone was at a quick charge station topping off. The person advised that they only needed 10 minutes of charge and were rushed for time and asked if they could use the station and the other person relented but not before a somewhat unpleasant conversation was exchanged. Well, maybe we need to let someone else be the "bad guy". I think Blink should take it on. (Wish AV had dual head chargers!)
What if Blink set a time limit of 20 minutes to charge? with the other head already queued up, they would have to wait until the other person was done if they wanted to continue their charge. If there is not another person queued up. They simply restart the session. In Yokohama, the free chargers Nissan provided "might" have had a 15 minute charging limit. Cant read Japanese but a "15" on a stop watch face seems pretty intuitive.
Hard to see in the picture (I dont have the option to change the size...pitfalls of a free blog account I think) but next to the clock on the right is a picture of two cars with a circular motion suggesting that if 15 minutes is not enough time, you can get back in line again if you need to. This is something we need to adopt but unlike Japan (where the culture allows this kind of respect and sharing) unless we have some mechanism in place, it wont happen.
Because the DCFCs are still too few and too far between and too unreliable, its easy to understand someone who feels lucky that they found a working station and their reluctance to let it go to chance their luck that the next one down the road will work as well but we do have to realize that we are all in this together. We have to help each other out and if it means letting someone get a 10 minute boost, then let them!
Later in the day, it became obvious that March 2013 was simply "Car Month". Every brand was up with several notables. Chrysler had their largest month since 2007, Nissan had its largest month EVER. Quick note on that. 188 LEAFs were sold in the Western WA district making it #1 for the Nissan nameplate. This happening in a month when Nissan set sales records makes the achievement that much more impressive. And there is no signs of slowing as of yet. Tesla is still busy catching up with a 3 year backlog and Nissan has not completed stocking their dealerships of 2013's yet so very strong sales should continue for the foreseeable future. All of a sudden, Obama's dream of a million EVs on the road is starting to look reachable.
What is not keeping pace is public charging. Despite the announcement in Oct, 2012 from Blink concerning a half dozen DCFC's for the Seattle area, only a few have been installed to this point. I will say that so far, the Fife station has been rock solid and has worked perfectly for me every time I have used it. It does fill a very vital link for traveling regionally in the Puget Sound Region but I liken it to being an Oasis in the Desert. Too many stories of travelers found dead a half mile from the watering hole comes to mind here. Last night, I was working in Auburn and had to use the station twice. Luckily, there was no issue. If there had been, it would have not been a late night. It would have been morning (even with a 15 minute boost, I got home at 3 AM)
Now, putting in chargers has proved to be a much tougher challenge than anyone has realized. Whether its a question of legislation to pave the way or what, I really dont know. Guessing the reasons are highly individualized based on each specific situation. Now when EVs were moving like molasses in January, it was ok to talk about how to get these charging stations in the ground because we had time, but now we have run out of time and there has been very little progress made towards getting charged while out and about. Wish I knew how to rush them a bit but until then, there are still things we can do.
ICEing is a problem that is being addressed but since its not law quite yet, not too late to put a bug in the ear of your representative! But things are looking good on that front.
The Golden Rule. Too many incidences reported of people camping out at charging stations. One person reported that they were rushing to make an appointment and someone was at a quick charge station topping off. The person advised that they only needed 10 minutes of charge and were rushed for time and asked if they could use the station and the other person relented but not before a somewhat unpleasant conversation was exchanged. Well, maybe we need to let someone else be the "bad guy". I think Blink should take it on. (Wish AV had dual head chargers!)
What if Blink set a time limit of 20 minutes to charge? with the other head already queued up, they would have to wait until the other person was done if they wanted to continue their charge. If there is not another person queued up. They simply restart the session. In Yokohama, the free chargers Nissan provided "might" have had a 15 minute charging limit. Cant read Japanese but a "15" on a stop watch face seems pretty intuitive.
Hard to see in the picture (I dont have the option to change the size...pitfalls of a free blog account I think) but next to the clock on the right is a picture of two cars with a circular motion suggesting that if 15 minutes is not enough time, you can get back in line again if you need to. This is something we need to adopt but unlike Japan (where the culture allows this kind of respect and sharing) unless we have some mechanism in place, it wont happen.
Because the DCFCs are still too few and too far between and too unreliable, its easy to understand someone who feels lucky that they found a working station and their reluctance to let it go to chance their luck that the next one down the road will work as well but we do have to realize that we are all in this together. We have to help each other out and if it means letting someone get a 10 minute boost, then let them!
Monday, April 1, 2013
Mar 2013 Drive Report
The Yaris traveled 326.6 miles in March with SO's 9 mile commute accounting for nearly all the gas burned at the rate of 11.25 cents per mile or $36.74 The Fife DCFC allowed me to use the LEAF over the Yaris at least 3 times.
The LEAF traveled 1963.9 miles at a cost of $42.66 or 2.17 cents per mile. which does include a first ever? "pay for public" charge at the new Blink L2 at Hawks Prairie Medical Center for $2 while getting annual checkup. I pulled in with very little charge so didnt think I would have made it to the Walgreens 2 miles away and besides, didnt want to sit at Walgreens either so I caved in and bit the bullet.
There was 132.31 Kwh from public charging that was "mostly" free. Semaconnect as always is still free as is Blink and AV quick charge stations.
As one would guess, this is best month ratio wise ever also most miles in the LEAF, least miles in the gasser, etc. and this pace would blow past my 45,000 mile lease limit easily but alas it is not to last! We already have 2 gas trips planned where the distance is not so bad. It is really the lack of convenient fast charging on our route.
The LEAF traveled 1963.9 miles at a cost of $42.66 or 2.17 cents per mile. which does include a first ever? "pay for public" charge at the new Blink L2 at Hawks Prairie Medical Center for $2 while getting annual checkup. I pulled in with very little charge so didnt think I would have made it to the Walgreens 2 miles away and besides, didnt want to sit at Walgreens either so I caved in and bit the bullet.
There was 132.31 Kwh from public charging that was "mostly" free. Semaconnect as always is still free as is Blink and AV quick charge stations.
As one would guess, this is best month ratio wise ever also most miles in the LEAF, least miles in the gasser, etc. and this pace would blow past my 45,000 mile lease limit easily but alas it is not to last! We already have 2 gas trips planned where the distance is not so bad. It is really the lack of convenient fast charging on our route.
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
This Week In EV Valley; Surveys, Does Anyone Ever Win The Prize?
The rock band Heart has announced they will be touring with Jason Bonham, son of Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham. Bonham will play a 30 minute Zep tribute at the end of the Heart Concert. Despite the WA State roots, early tour info shows the closest they will approach the Emerald area is Portland, OR. Like wow, what is with that??
My inability to keep any job long term (interest or circumstance) has allowed me to earned a pension from two different companies. It wont be much but it will be two separate paychecks both starting at 65 (Social Security says my full benefits will not start until I am 66 years and 10 months old...).
My dad retired from the Army then worked civil service, retiring from there as well. So, he is set. My old neighbor retired at 50 something from Boeing collecting $40,000 a year in pension payments. (no wonder planes cost so much!) Yesterday, Boeing workers approved a new contract where Boeing employees hired in this department after March 1, 2013 will have a 401K plan. Now, we have only ourselves to rely on to put away the money for our golden years. Guessing, Boeing paying as well as they do will have a generous matching program to help with that.
Wow, times sure have changed. This all reminds me of the struggle for EVs to exist in this "Old World." The reason pensions went away is because of the long term cost. The reason EVs are struggling is the same thing but backwards. Its the "entrenched" money that is desperately holding onto the legacy gasoline based car.
Like 401K's, it is now up to us to manage and promote EVs. Writing to your congressman to let them know their EV stance will control your vote is one way. Now, we need to work on that "entrenched" money and let them know that if they dont support EVs, we wont support them.
One of the jobs I have is inventorying the drugs at the Walgreen's Pharmacy's in Western WA. This as you can guess can keep one very busy because there are a lot of them! Which means the opportunity to purchase items is a common one for me and Walgreen's also provides you an opportunity to fill out a survey asking about your experience while visiting their stores. The info for the survey is printed on your receipt and you can go online or call their 1-800 number. So, naturally all my surveys to them (and for any other store that offers it) has either
Now, dozens of stores offer a survey and offer anywhere from great prizes ($10,000) to "is that a prize?" (free whopper IF you buy something else...never guess where that is from eh?) Now, I have to be honest with ya. Until I started campaigning for charging stations via survey, I hadn't really noticed how many were doing this but having filled out about 50 or so in the past month or so and have yet to win anything! Wondering if they are dissing my entry based on my comments?
But considering the free charging from Walgreen's and others, I guess I am a winner!
My inability to keep any job long term (interest or circumstance) has allowed me to earned a pension from two different companies. It wont be much but it will be two separate paychecks both starting at 65 (Social Security says my full benefits will not start until I am 66 years and 10 months old...).
My dad retired from the Army then worked civil service, retiring from there as well. So, he is set. My old neighbor retired at 50 something from Boeing collecting $40,000 a year in pension payments. (no wonder planes cost so much!) Yesterday, Boeing workers approved a new contract where Boeing employees hired in this department after March 1, 2013 will have a 401K plan. Now, we have only ourselves to rely on to put away the money for our golden years. Guessing, Boeing paying as well as they do will have a generous matching program to help with that.
Wow, times sure have changed. This all reminds me of the struggle for EVs to exist in this "Old World." The reason pensions went away is because of the long term cost. The reason EVs are struggling is the same thing but backwards. Its the "entrenched" money that is desperately holding onto the legacy gasoline based car.
Like 401K's, it is now up to us to manage and promote EVs. Writing to your congressman to let them know their EV stance will control your vote is one way. Now, we need to work on that "entrenched" money and let them know that if they dont support EVs, we wont support them.
One of the jobs I have is inventorying the drugs at the Walgreen's Pharmacy's in Western WA. This as you can guess can keep one very busy because there are a lot of them! Which means the opportunity to purchase items is a common one for me and Walgreen's also provides you an opportunity to fill out a survey asking about your experience while visiting their stores. The info for the survey is printed on your receipt and you can go online or call their 1-800 number. So, naturally all my surveys to them (and for any other store that offers it) has either
As an EV driver, I can't tell you how invaluable it is to me that you are hosting an EV charging site. When making any unplanned purchases the primary factor controlling my decision is convenience. However, Walgreen's is always my choice because of the charging stations. Granted, I will only get a few miles of range for the short time it takes me to get what I need and my fondest wish is that you encourage your other locations to do the same. Once again, thank you for recognizing the importance of supporting a great, clean and green transportation option for the future!or
As an EV driver, the ability to grab a quick charge can be the difference between a stressful drive home with the minimal range or knowing that I can get the few extra miles I need while visiting your establishment. As an electric vehicle charging station host, there would be little doubt in anyone's mind concerning your environmental stance. Several of your competitors have taken on that responsibility to help support a method of transportation that is cheap, efficient, clean and powered by homegrown electricity in a very green way. I frequently make unplanned purchases and the primary reason for the business I choose is convenience and location and that means several choices. A charging station makes the "tiebreaker" an easy choice.OK, so I guess the real reason for this post is that I need advice. I want to definitely give the business the impression that if they dont have a charging station that they are pretty much not on the list, but I dont want to sound like I am giving them an ultimatum, so am looking for some advice. Do you think I have gotten the point across in a "semi PC" way?
Now, dozens of stores offer a survey and offer anywhere from great prizes ($10,000) to "is that a prize?" (free whopper IF you buy something else...never guess where that is from eh?) Now, I have to be honest with ya. Until I started campaigning for charging stations via survey, I hadn't really noticed how many were doing this but having filled out about 50 or so in the past month or so and have yet to win anything! Wondering if they are dissing my entry based on my comments?
But considering the free charging from Walgreen's and others, I guess I am a winner!
Sunday, March 17, 2013
This Week in EVburgh; On Sale Now!
Happy St. Patrick's Day to all. Hope you are wearing green unless you are cute, then I hope you're not! (just kidding)
Couldnt help but notice when getting gas for the 2011 Yaris last week that it had exactly 4,100 miles more than the LEAF. Now, both are 2011's but the Yaris has not been driven much lately. The Fife DCFC has helped me eliminate a few of the trips I used to use the Yaris for and the work schedule has either been close or a vanpool was available (which only requires about a 50 mile round trip in the LEAF)
Either way, my goal is for the LEAF to exceed the Yaris mileage by the end of the year. So far on the first 17 days of March; Yaris miles month to date; 220. The LEAF; 988. I think it will be close!
SB 5489 Update; The bill passed the Senate and should go to the "other" half (Representatives) then the governor. The vote was very encouraging as it passed like 45-3 I think or something similarly lopsided. Only change made was the fine was reduced from $250 to $124 (which is just about the amount of gas tax paid by me last year. coincidence I am thinking ;) )
The "ICE'ing Fines" experiment left little doubt of its effectiveness. From Seattle LEAF owners on Facebook;
One comment lamenting why the issue is worse in some areas than others;
But sometimes it is just the attitude of the people. I have to recognize the people of Lacey, WA as one of the more considerate in this area. The Walgreens in Hawk's Prairie has one of the only (had the ONLY one until Providence put some Blinks at their new medical building) chargers in NE Lacey. It is in the front of the building at the far left but situated right next to the Redbox machines that also sit out front. Despite the close proximity, the station has never been ICE'd. Now, being so close to home, I have only charged there 3-4 times, but drive by there frequently and I always look (mostly for other LEAFs) and so far, so good!
Can't wait for the March 2013 sales report. I think LEAF sales will really prove that the biggest problem Nissan had with 2012 sales was not range anxiety but sticker shock.
Seeing much more activity on the public forums over people picking up 2013's and reports of dealers doing very brisk business. Eastside Nissan of Bellevue, WA has 25 LEAF loaners! Like WOW!
But if predicting sales, I would think 1400-1500 this month, 2000+ for April.
Couldnt help but notice when getting gas for the 2011 Yaris last week that it had exactly 4,100 miles more than the LEAF. Now, both are 2011's but the Yaris has not been driven much lately. The Fife DCFC has helped me eliminate a few of the trips I used to use the Yaris for and the work schedule has either been close or a vanpool was available (which only requires about a 50 mile round trip in the LEAF)
Either way, my goal is for the LEAF to exceed the Yaris mileage by the end of the year. So far on the first 17 days of March; Yaris miles month to date; 220. The LEAF; 988. I think it will be close!
SB 5489 Update; The bill passed the Senate and should go to the "other" half (Representatives) then the governor. The vote was very encouraging as it passed like 45-3 I think or something similarly lopsided. Only change made was the fine was reduced from $250 to $124 (which is just about the amount of gas tax paid by me last year. coincidence I am thinking ;) )
The "ICE'ing Fines" experiment left little doubt of its effectiveness. From Seattle LEAF owners on Facebook;
All I know when the signs were up the spots were not ICE'd but when they were down ICEing galore!Someone eventually took down the signs and the ICE'ing picked up right where it left off almost immediately and that did not go over well with the EV community.
You would think the business owner that went through the trouble of putting these charging stations in their parking lot would care more about whether or not EV drivers can actually use them.Personally, I think the business owners are relieved that the parking bill is on the table. Takes the responsibility of being the "bad guy" out of their hands.
One comment lamenting why the issue is worse in some areas than others;
Wonder why this is such an issue there, but not at Lake City. Totem Lake is slightly closer to front door, I guess.Guessing, this poster was lucky enough to be there when it was not busy. Locations of the charging stations is a key consideration and I am very willing to walk a hundred yards or whatever if I have a better chance of being able to plug in when I need a charge. A few of the Walgreens put their charger in the back lot if they have one which is a great idea. Those spots are never taken up.
But sometimes it is just the attitude of the people. I have to recognize the people of Lacey, WA as one of the more considerate in this area. The Walgreens in Hawk's Prairie has one of the only (had the ONLY one until Providence put some Blinks at their new medical building) chargers in NE Lacey. It is in the front of the building at the far left but situated right next to the Redbox machines that also sit out front. Despite the close proximity, the station has never been ICE'd. Now, being so close to home, I have only charged there 3-4 times, but drive by there frequently and I always look (mostly for other LEAFs) and so far, so good!
Can't wait for the March 2013 sales report. I think LEAF sales will really prove that the biggest problem Nissan had with 2012 sales was not range anxiety but sticker shock.
Seeing much more activity on the public forums over people picking up 2013's and reports of dealers doing very brisk business. Eastside Nissan of Bellevue, WA has 25 LEAF loaners! Like WOW!
But if predicting sales, I would think 1400-1500 this month, 2000+ for April.
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
This Week in EVville; Working For the Power Company
When the weather gets cold so does everything else including the battery in my LEAF, and like me it gets sluggish. Like any star athlete who needs to warm up, my LEAF's battery is the same way. So a slower charge is expected.
Now, I am in the camp that believes that quick charging is best when charging the lower 2/3rds of the pack. The charge is quicker, less heat build up and more people are able to charge. Case in point; On Monday, I swung by the Tumwater DCFC and there was a lady (Diane) from JBLM (joint base Lewis-McCord just south of Tacoma, WA) charging. She was at 94% and had 5.9 Kwh so she was basically topping off. I was not in a hurry so I was not upset but guessing someone who had a time schedule might be. I dont know where she was going but in her case, L2 would have provided almost the same charging speed as she was getting. Now, she had only had her LEAF since October so maybe she did not know and I should have advised her but we got talking and she was a very motivated EV'er and adamantly stated several times she did not want to buy gas and the LEAF was her only vehicle and so I spaced it out... oh well
But back to topic!
So, my habit has been go to QC, plug in 7-15 minutes, then go. Frequently I that was all the time I had and other times, I simply didnt have the patience to sit there longer. But a few months ago, I noticed that I seemed to be getting less charge than I normally finished with. I had no hard numbers unfortunately. Just a hunch.
Now, the business owner at the Shell Station hosting the charger has been upset over how AV has been handling his account and I thought "well, maybe he throttled down the power?" but I had spent the weekend watching spy conspiracy movies and my head was in a weird place...
But anyway, Monday was a perfect day to test. I was at 21 GID or so, It was 42º. So I plugged in, cranked up the timer and tracked my Kwh times
1 Kwh...........81 seconds
2 Kwh...........84 seconds
3 Kwh...........95 seconds
4 Kwh...........103 seconds
5 Kwh...........107 Seconds
Ok, so my experiment did not provide a lot of data supporting my conspiracy. I also did this a few times in Summer where temps were in the mid to upper 70's and had a the first few Kwh as low as 75 seconds. So guess maybe he had the charger turned back up!!
Want to make more money than you or your great great grandchildren (or your spouse at Macy's) could ever spend? Then invent an effective power grid storage system.
Electricity has a huge advantage over gasoline. It can be generated a dozen different ways, can never be exhausted, can be scaled to nearly any size, is pervasive thru out our society and it runs our cars!
But it has an Achilles heel; a single drawback that allows fossil fuels to thrive and that is ineffective ways to store large quantities of it in areas where its needed.
In fact we have the ULTIMATE sin happening on a regular basis and that is shutting down ultra expensive emission free sources of power while other forms of power are allowed to run. In WA State, when Wind generators are shut down, the host is still paid for the potential revenue (not the actual amount of power generated based on that periods wind speed) which is a huge hit on the PUD's budget. (obtw; that "ultra expensive" part I got from my local oil company's report. they did not provide a reference link for that statement)
But what if an army of EVs were recruited to balance the grid? How would that work?
Well, supposing you are at the EV store choosing colors and the salesman says "Sign up for Grid Balance, participate for 4 years and we will give you 15 Kwh for free"
You say "Free is in my price range!" and with this, you get access to a charger at home and at a place convenient to your work all paid for by the PUD. Your only requirement is to set a mileage requirement you need. IOW, how much you plan to drive that day and plug in most of the time. It could be that simple!
The two areas you spend nearly all your time is home and work. With your EV plugged in, the grid will either charge your car, or drain your car to manage grid demand. Now, instead of maintaining large base load coal plants, a move to green sources is much more manageable.
Instead of managing several different accounts for a half dozen charging companies, your EV's net usage will be on your electric bill (over 99% of us have one)
Instead of paying several thousand dollars for range you might use 5-10 times a year, you have access to that range anytime you need it. Simply plug in that you need 150 miles that day or whatever and the grid will drain someone else's EV. After all, 98% of EVs will only be traveling locally that day so its not like they have to look far to replace you.
Cost to install will go down. Sure its expensive for US to install QC's and what not, but think of how much money it would cost if the PUD in conjunction with local government was running the show? No permit fees, no OUTRAGEOUS power line upgrade fees. Even gassers would benefit (although very slightly)
But the real benefit is decentralizing the grid. It is pretty obvious that our next terrorist attack will be on a public infrastructure of sorts. The internet today, tomorrow it will be a gasline, pipeline, or the grid. With grid access so prevalent, adequate protection is simply not possible. A coordinated attack at a just a few key (usually very remote) power switching stations transmission lines is all that is needed to cause great havoc and huge expense.
Having grid power stored in 50 million EVs makes such an attack fruitless especially when in most cases, a large percentage of those vehicles could be tapped to cover the sudden loss.
Now I did not spike my coffee enough to not realize that such a project is a decade of dedicated partnership away from reality but the sooner we start, the sooner we stop paying the Piper.
Now, I am in the camp that believes that quick charging is best when charging the lower 2/3rds of the pack. The charge is quicker, less heat build up and more people are able to charge. Case in point; On Monday, I swung by the Tumwater DCFC and there was a lady (Diane) from JBLM (joint base Lewis-McCord just south of Tacoma, WA) charging. She was at 94% and had 5.9 Kwh so she was basically topping off. I was not in a hurry so I was not upset but guessing someone who had a time schedule might be. I dont know where she was going but in her case, L2 would have provided almost the same charging speed as she was getting. Now, she had only had her LEAF since October so maybe she did not know and I should have advised her but we got talking and she was a very motivated EV'er and adamantly stated several times she did not want to buy gas and the LEAF was her only vehicle and so I spaced it out... oh well
But back to topic!
So, my habit has been go to QC, plug in 7-15 minutes, then go. Frequently I that was all the time I had and other times, I simply didnt have the patience to sit there longer. But a few months ago, I noticed that I seemed to be getting less charge than I normally finished with. I had no hard numbers unfortunately. Just a hunch.
Now, the business owner at the Shell Station hosting the charger has been upset over how AV has been handling his account and I thought "well, maybe he throttled down the power?" but I had spent the weekend watching spy conspiracy movies and my head was in a weird place...
But anyway, Monday was a perfect day to test. I was at 21 GID or so, It was 42º. So I plugged in, cranked up the timer and tracked my Kwh times
1 Kwh...........81 seconds
2 Kwh...........84 seconds
3 Kwh...........95 seconds
4 Kwh...........103 seconds
5 Kwh...........107 Seconds
Ok, so my experiment did not provide a lot of data supporting my conspiracy. I also did this a few times in Summer where temps were in the mid to upper 70's and had a the first few Kwh as low as 75 seconds. So guess maybe he had the charger turned back up!!
Want to make more money than you or your great great grandchildren (or your spouse at Macy's) could ever spend? Then invent an effective power grid storage system.
Electricity has a huge advantage over gasoline. It can be generated a dozen different ways, can never be exhausted, can be scaled to nearly any size, is pervasive thru out our society and it runs our cars!
But it has an Achilles heel; a single drawback that allows fossil fuels to thrive and that is ineffective ways to store large quantities of it in areas where its needed.
In fact we have the ULTIMATE sin happening on a regular basis and that is shutting down ultra expensive emission free sources of power while other forms of power are allowed to run. In WA State, when Wind generators are shut down, the host is still paid for the potential revenue (not the actual amount of power generated based on that periods wind speed) which is a huge hit on the PUD's budget. (obtw; that "ultra expensive" part I got from my local oil company's report. they did not provide a reference link for that statement)
But what if an army of EVs were recruited to balance the grid? How would that work?
Well, supposing you are at the EV store choosing colors and the salesman says "Sign up for Grid Balance, participate for 4 years and we will give you 15 Kwh for free"
You say "Free is in my price range!" and with this, you get access to a charger at home and at a place convenient to your work all paid for by the PUD. Your only requirement is to set a mileage requirement you need. IOW, how much you plan to drive that day and plug in most of the time. It could be that simple!
The two areas you spend nearly all your time is home and work. With your EV plugged in, the grid will either charge your car, or drain your car to manage grid demand. Now, instead of maintaining large base load coal plants, a move to green sources is much more manageable.
Instead of managing several different accounts for a half dozen charging companies, your EV's net usage will be on your electric bill (over 99% of us have one)
Instead of paying several thousand dollars for range you might use 5-10 times a year, you have access to that range anytime you need it. Simply plug in that you need 150 miles that day or whatever and the grid will drain someone else's EV. After all, 98% of EVs will only be traveling locally that day so its not like they have to look far to replace you.
Cost to install will go down. Sure its expensive for US to install QC's and what not, but think of how much money it would cost if the PUD in conjunction with local government was running the show? No permit fees, no OUTRAGEOUS power line upgrade fees. Even gassers would benefit (although very slightly)
But the real benefit is decentralizing the grid. It is pretty obvious that our next terrorist attack will be on a public infrastructure of sorts. The internet today, tomorrow it will be a gasline, pipeline, or the grid. With grid access so prevalent, adequate protection is simply not possible. A coordinated attack at a just a few key (usually very remote) power switching stations transmission lines is all that is needed to cause great havoc and huge expense.
Having grid power stored in 50 million EVs makes such an attack fruitless especially when in most cases, a large percentage of those vehicles could be tapped to cover the sudden loss.
Now I did not spike my coffee enough to not realize that such a project is a decade of dedicated partnership away from reality but the sooner we start, the sooner we stop paying the Piper.
Sunday, March 10, 2013
The Week in EVton; Carwings Is Your Friend
The week was relatively uneventful but not completely without some minor detours. I decided to do a range test of sorts to check the tires, etc. Unlike my normal tests, I decided to see how speed affected the range and did it ever!
I set my speed using the cruise control to 65 mph and drove 59.2 miles starting with GID count of 277 and ended with 23 GID for projected range of just over 62 miles! Yes, it was cold (27º) but I was shocked.
I then went home keeping speeds between 55-60 mph and drove 58.9 miles and ended with GID count of 70 or projected range of 75 miles. It was warmer (45º) and I usually am better by a few miles in this direction but the adage "Speed Kills" really applies here!
A great thing happened this week. A LEAFer in Seattle was contacted by Nissan who stated they detected irregularities in his LEAF from his charging records that were transmitted by CARWINGS. On Nissan's recommendation, he took his LEAF to the dealer to have it looked at and sure enough they found a defective cell. It was replaced and now everything is fine.
What is even more unusual is that he never had any dash lights, warnings or any other indication that something was wrong. It is probably good that a bad cell is detected quickly since its failure to "hold up its end" will cause other good cells to degrade prematurely. So kudos to CARWINGS (probably their first ever!) and Nissan for being proactive in fixing the problem before it became an issue
I set my speed using the cruise control to 65 mph and drove 59.2 miles starting with GID count of 277 and ended with 23 GID for projected range of just over 62 miles! Yes, it was cold (27º) but I was shocked.
I then went home keeping speeds between 55-60 mph and drove 58.9 miles and ended with GID count of 70 or projected range of 75 miles. It was warmer (45º) and I usually am better by a few miles in this direction but the adage "Speed Kills" really applies here!
A great thing happened this week. A LEAFer in Seattle was contacted by Nissan who stated they detected irregularities in his LEAF from his charging records that were transmitted by CARWINGS. On Nissan's recommendation, he took his LEAF to the dealer to have it looked at and sure enough they found a defective cell. It was replaced and now everything is fine.
What is even more unusual is that he never had any dash lights, warnings or any other indication that something was wrong. It is probably good that a bad cell is detected quickly since its failure to "hold up its end" will cause other good cells to degrade prematurely. So kudos to CARWINGS (probably their first ever!) and Nissan for being proactive in fixing the problem before it became an issue
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Tires, Signs and Fines.
Well last week was tough but ended on the upside. Last week, I was turning left onto I-5 North at exit 109 when I hit something. It was 4:45 AM and dark and I was the 4th or 5th in line so did not see anything, just heard it as I ran over it. Being completely unprepared for whatever it was, I swerved and hit the curb. Result; two flat tires. I got a tow to Oly Nissan where I got a pair of Dunlap Fierce Instinct VRs put on. Definitely not low rolling resistance but that was the best they had and I did not really have the time to be picky. I then left for work and found out on the way home that there was a big hit on my range. I ended up doing 50 mph home and stopping for a 10 minute quickie charge at Fife for good measure.
The next morning, I checked and sure enough, my tire pressures were all set to 36 PSI, so I jumped them back up to 42 PSI. There is always a very active discussion on what PSI's should be and its a near even split and both sides are pretty adamant that they know what is best. Well, my brother when he was alive was the manager of the Les Schwabs in Bremerton and did talk about tires a bit (well, ok that is all he talked about besides the Mariners) and he did say that you should run your tires at or near the max tire pressure printed on the tire for long life and better handling. The max pressure on the Dunlaps were the same 44 PSI as the Ecopias so I figured 42 PSI was good. Per my brother's recommendation, I also rotate my tires every 5,000 miles.
The range was a bit better but still shockingly short. (roughly 70 miles. before I could stretch it to near 80...) I then decided that maybe the new tires should go on the back. Maybe if they are off the drive wheels, that might help performance. When swapping them, I did notice they were heavier than the ecopia's. I had a hard time finding any real details about the Dunlaps (tirerack never heard of them...) but did finally find a shipping weight of 23.8 lbs at walmart.com so going with that which means the ecopias cant weigh no more than 15 lbs which seems awfully light.
After putting the Dunlaps on the back, naturally life and work combined forces to prevent me from being able to get a decent range guesstimate until today. I took off this morning with temps about 36º and put on 32 miles then in the afternoon put on 36 more when it was about 45º. I did cruise control at 60 mph and minimal CC only using defrost enough to clear the windows. The afternoon, although not sunny did provide more than enough radiant heat that it was very comfortable. In the morning, fresh out of a hot shower with coffee in hand, I rarely feel cold then either. ( I use heat VERY sparingly in the blast furnace as well, believe it or not...) But my projected range turned out to be about 74 miles with about 9 miles of the 68 miles driven at street speeds of 35-40 mph. So, I guess if I need to stretch it a bit, I can still just drive slower.
Now for the upside! Remember SB 5849? the bill that would create a $250 fine for ICE'ing a charging station? Well, its still a long way from being enacted (crossing fingers!) but it looks like it might be a great idea and now there is proof!
The DCFC at the Totem Lake Fred Meyer is situated in front of the store in a very prime parking area in front of the sidewalk that surrounds the building. Needless to say, its ICE'd nearly all the time despite being very well labeled as to its purpose.
Well a Seattle EV'er put up a "$250 fine" sign just below the "No Parking except to charge" sign which had been completely ineffective and guess what??
Now, the charging stations are NEVER ICE'd anymore. The sign was put up last weekend and since that time there have been nearly a dozen reports of no ICE'ing!
Just goes to show you that people would undoubtedly being parking in handicap parking as well if not for the threat of a fine.
Thank you **** for the sign idea! (not sure he might not get in trouble so he will remain anonymous for now)
****Public Service Alert****
Help us help you! Plug in America has a survey to measure LEAF battery degradation. It takes only a few minutes and will help the EV Brainiacs get the data they need so they can tell us what we can expect down the line
http://www.pluginamerica.org/surveys/batteries/leaf/survey.php
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Feb 2013 Drive Report
Gone are the gasser days of 5-6 cents a mile. With the Prius being wrecked, the 2011 Yaris takes its place and its running 8-10 cents a mile for gas costs and that cost will probably go up. Gas went from $3.279 to $3.659 during the month and I am guessing that has already gone up. In other news, Friday, March 1st, Oil set a new "low" price for 2013 at just over... ahh, what does it matter??
Now, the SO's job transfer from Centrailia to Lacey means she drives the Yaris most of the time since it is our policy that the LEAF takes the longest trip of the day that is easily manageable with the existing public charging system combined with its range which varies greatly due to the seasons. There are occasions where I take the Yaris for the longer drives due to my work needs.
The Leaf traveled 1261.5 miles in Feb for cost of $29.75 or 2.36 cents per mile in home electricity cost all of which was billed at tier 2 Puget Sound Energy rates which after taxes and such worked out to about 10.7 cents per Kwh.
In that mix was 10 public charging sessions (all free) using Ecotality, Semaconnect and AV stations adding 68.83 Kwh of power. If that power was billed at the same home rate, my cost per mile "jumps" to 2.94 cents per mile.
As a side note; I did get a chance to talk with Shandy; the Ecotality Rep who was working on the Fife DCFC who states they hope to install another 20-25 stations in the Puget Sound region and start a monthly subscription service for unlimited access. She mentioned $15 a month which I thought was more than an excellent deal but would really depend on where and when these stations come about. Right now, the Fife Station is the only one in my area. Put 4-5 well placed stations around me and it would be a great deal at double the price!
The Yaris did travel 1023 miles (that included trips totaling 300 miles the last week of Feb) for a prorated gas cost of $104.59 or 10.22 cents per mile. In defense of the Yaris; when I take it for work, 25% of the time I have co-workers with me which means a much heavier passenger load than I normally see when solo'ing in the LEAF although the LEAF was used twice for work with a passenger in Feb.
Now, the SO's job transfer from Centrailia to Lacey means she drives the Yaris most of the time since it is our policy that the LEAF takes the longest trip of the day that is easily manageable with the existing public charging system combined with its range which varies greatly due to the seasons. There are occasions where I take the Yaris for the longer drives due to my work needs.
The Leaf traveled 1261.5 miles in Feb for cost of $29.75 or 2.36 cents per mile in home electricity cost all of which was billed at tier 2 Puget Sound Energy rates which after taxes and such worked out to about 10.7 cents per Kwh.
In that mix was 10 public charging sessions (all free) using Ecotality, Semaconnect and AV stations adding 68.83 Kwh of power. If that power was billed at the same home rate, my cost per mile "jumps" to 2.94 cents per mile.
As a side note; I did get a chance to talk with Shandy; the Ecotality Rep who was working on the Fife DCFC who states they hope to install another 20-25 stations in the Puget Sound region and start a monthly subscription service for unlimited access. She mentioned $15 a month which I thought was more than an excellent deal but would really depend on where and when these stations come about. Right now, the Fife Station is the only one in my area. Put 4-5 well placed stations around me and it would be a great deal at double the price!
The Yaris did travel 1023 miles (that included trips totaling 300 miles the last week of Feb) for a prorated gas cost of $104.59 or 10.22 cents per mile. In defense of the Yaris; when I take it for work, 25% of the time I have co-workers with me which means a much heavier passenger load than I normally see when solo'ing in the LEAF although the LEAF was used twice for work with a passenger in Feb.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)