Nissan Expanding Dealership Quick-Charging in Puget Sound Region

It's been a year since Nissan first announced an aggressive campaign to expand CHAdeMO quick charging at its dealerships across the U.S.  Initially, though, there were only a handful of chargers installed; far less than the oft-quoted 500 new units that LEAF drivers salivated for. Inexplicably, the rollout all but stopped in most regions by the summer of 2013.

Fast forward, and Nissan appears to be back in the car charging game.  It is like Nissan miraculously remembered that manufactures must also build charging infrastructure if EV sales are going to shift to mainstream car buying.  This "if we build it, they will come" philosophy was pioneered by Tesla, who continues to aggressively expand its nation-wide Supercharger infrastructure.

Nissan may have also been motivated to expand its dealership network of fast charging stations with the bankruptcy of the ubiquitous electric vehicle supply equipment manufacturer, Blink, during the fall of 2013. This certainly appears to to the case in Washington State's Puget Sound region.

The Seattle-Tacoma corridor regularly lists in the top 3 of Nissan LEAF sales every month.  However, until recently, there was a major gap in reliable quick charging for all of those new (to-be) LEAF owners in Seattle.

Enter redundancy.  Nissan seems to now be fully committed to taking on the burden of providing reliable quick charging in the Seattle-Tacoma region.  With the government-backed West Coast Green Highway prioritizing quick charging stations for longer distance travel outside of the Puget Sound area, Nissan is refocussing the redundancy effort where those Blink quick charging stations so-often disappoint in Seattle proper.

Nissan dealership quick charging coverage is providing much-needed redundancy in the Puget Sound Region.

Today, I set out to try my luck with this maturing Nissan dealership quick charging infrastructure. Living just north of Everett, WA provided me with an opportunity to hit the Nissan dealerships all the way to Olympia to test out their quick charging equipment, and hopefully make it back home without a need for rescue.  

Additionally, and very importantly, I wanted to find out how easy it would be to get those charges at a Nissan dealership.  In my mind, I envisioned the roughest of car sales people booting me from the property because I did not purchase our LEAFs there, or delaying my charge request because of dealership stock blocking the charging equipment.

Everett: Fob Needed/Dealership Hours Only

Edmonds: Fob Needed/Dealership Hours Only

Burien: Fob Needed/Dealership Hours Only

Puyallup: NO Fob Needed/24 Hour Access!

Olympia: NO Fob Needed/24 Hour Access!

Renton: Fob Needed/Dealership Hours Only

Each dealership charging experience was painless! There were no heavies blocking access to the charging stations, and each dealership was welcoming even though I did not purchase our LEAFs from them.

The shocker, though, came from the two newest CHAdeMO installations, at Puyallup Nissan and Olympia Nissan respectively.

Upon pulling up to each of these locations, there was not an RFID card/fob reader on the charging unit.  I simply got out of the car, plugged in the quick charging connector, and pushed the "start" button.  Easy!

For almost a year now, LEAF drivers have simply asked if there could be a way to allow one of the many car charging network fobs or cards to work on the Nissan branded quick chargers.  And for almost a year, there have been plenty of excuses reasons why a fob is needed to activate a charging session at Nissan dealerships.

It appears, now, that Nissan is warming up to the idea of open access at their dealership quick charging stations.

Today's 237 mile drive around the Puget Sound region didn't cost anything to "fuel" my LEAF. The free ride wasn't even the best part of the day. The highlight was in seeing how committed Nissan is to expanding the quick charge infrastructure in my corner of the world.  They are building it, and we will come!

***

Earlier in the day, while driving at sluggish speeds in heavy traffic on I-5 in downtown Seattle, I was initially frustrated with the stop-and-go driving and breathing the diesel fumes from a truck next to me.  Looking around, I saw a Tesla Model S a ways ahead and another LEAF not far behind me. Almost on cue, an early 90's hit song, Right Here, Right Now by Jesus Jones played on the radio.  The lyrics struck me:

Right here, right now

There is no other place I want to be

Right here, right now

Watching the world wake up from history

Breathing the soot from that neighborly diesel truck was not my idea of bliss. Seeing electric vehicles on the road, and driving an electric car myself, did give me a moment of immense satisfaction, though. As we all begin to see more EVs on the road, it is proof that the world is waking up.

The EV Mile-High Club

Up until now, I've had a 50/50 record for EV trips venturing into the North Cascades.  The first, was a trip to Mt. Baker that didn't fair too well.  The second was a success, but actually was scarier for non-driving reasons.

Plug-In North Central Washington has for some time worked to electrify the north-central part of Washington State, thus making the region's tourist destinations accessible for those driving EVs...even the range-limited Nissan LEAF.

This winter, there are two projects that will be pivotal in making the west-east trek on Highway 20 possible for those LEAF drivers.  There will be a commissioning of three EVSE (Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment) at the Mazama County Inn (two NEMA 14-50 outlets and one 240V 70amp J1772 EV Plug).  The NEMA outlets will be usable for LEAF drivers who have the EVSE Upgrade to take advantage of the RV type outlets; recreational vehicles widely use NEMA 14-50 outlets when at campgrounds. While the 70amp EV Plug is better suited to charging a Tesla Model S, a LEAF could still charge off of the unit, albeit just at a maximum of 30amps for a 2013+ LEAF.

The second Highway 20 charging opportunity that is to be installed over the winter months is a public EVSE at the Seattle City Light Newhalem site (west of Diablo Lake).  While the specifics are yet to be released, it is expected that this unit will be a J1772 EV Plug and thus usable by a wide-range of plug-in vehicles.

Diablo Lake

Over on the Seattle Nissan LEAF Owners Group site, there is a question of whether the trip from the Puget Sound region to the Mazama County Inn will be possible in a Nissan LEAF come spring of 2014 when the soon-to-be-installed EVSE is up and running.

I believe that this trip is possible.  It would not be an easy trip, though!

A more detailed look:

Burlington Outlet Shoppes to the Newhalem Site

To start the trip, all but the Burlington-local LEAF drivers would need to do a combination of Level 3 (quick charging up to 80% battery) and Level 2 (80-100%) at the Burlington Outlet Shoppes.  To reach 100% in this manner, it would take a 2013+ LEAF about an hour.  From Burlington, it is just over 61 miles to reach the Seattle City Light EVSE up near Diablo Lake.  If leaving Burlington with a full charge (and healthy battery pack), one wouldn't need to worry about traveling less than the speed limit. This would be a pretty easy leg.

Newhalem Site to Mazama County Inn

The second leg of the North Cascades traverse is going to be much more of a challenge in a LEAF.  No question, there would need to be another full charge at the Seattle City Light site near Diablo Lake.  This would be 3-4 hours of charging for a 2013+ LEAF, as the whole session would be at the Level 2 EV Plug.  Thank goodness there is plenty to do and see at that location, making an extended charging session rather painless!

From Newhalem, the LEAF driver will need to be very cautious to control speed and throttle.  That full charge is going to have to take the LEAF from and elevation of 531 feet up to more than a mile above sea level!  After peaking at 5458 feet 40 miles into leg #2, there will still be about 20 miles of driving before safely arriving at the lovely high-powered Level 2 EVSE units at the Mazama County Inn.  Yes, there will be plenty of brake regeneration on that trip down into Mazama, however, the downhill grade will not guarantee a LEAF can make it that far if the battery is very low.

Even with the potential of complete disaster, I am ready for the trip!  Come spring, when the weather is warming and the snow melting, I look forward in joining the north-central EVers at their little get-together.  In all prudence, I'd better not bring my kids on this one:)


  

Team CrazyDaddy at it Again!

Just five days ago, I had substantial shoulder surgery.  Today, I have a serious case of Cabin Fever-itis. Tomorrow, while Tanya is at work, I am going to take Sabrina and Charlie on a little road trip--great medicine!

We'll be heading up north.  First to Bellingham, and then we'll be driving up to the ski area at Mt. Baker.  With a little luck, the three of us can have a nice picnic up in the mountains and bag another fun excursion in our Nissan LEAF.

For this trip, I encourage folks to follow us on their smartphones via the Glympse app.  We'll be traveling via the Glympse tag:  !CrazyDaddy    Yes, there is an exclamation point at the beginning.

I'll also be updating on Twitter @EV_RoadTrip    Additionally, the Twitter updates will be used should I miscalculate the battery charge in our car and end up in trouble.  We will be in the wilderness, but may be able to send a Tweet in sticky situation where there is spotty cell coverage.

Real-time speed, E.T.A., and live mapping.

In Bellingham, we will take our LEAF up to a 100% charge with the CHAdeMO and J1772 electric vehicle supply equipment in Sehome Village.  From there, here is what we're looking at:

Sea Level to 5000 feet in 60 miles!

I will be collecting data for a later blog post--stay tuned!

Can an EV Make the Trip to Yakima?

For my grandfather's 91st birthday, I thought it would be nice to take Sabrina and Charlie to see Great Grandpa in Yakima this past weekend.  Tanya and I haven't visited Grandpa since owning an EV, and frankly I was always concerned with the feasibility of the trip with our kids.  With the successful BC2BC trip under my belt, I figured that if a LEAF can cover the "EV Badlands" of California, where there isn't a J1772 or CHAdeMO for hundreds of miles in much of the state, then visiting my grandfather in Yakima ought to be doable.

Before leaving, it looked like we would be okay to CHAdeMO quick charge all the way to Cle Elum. However, successfully traversing I-82 from Ellensburg to Yakima seemingly would require some Level 2 time in Ellensburg.  When asking for route options from fellow LEAF owners on the Seattle owner's Facebook site, there were suggestions to travel along the Canyon Road instead of I-82.  Avoiding the steep terrain of I-82 sounded good--the Canyon Road was the way to go!

The Canyon Road from Ellensburg to Selah is such a beautiful drive!

This trip was also the first time that I would use the data logging feature from the LEAF Battery application.  This Android app was developed by "Turbo3" from the My Nissan Leaf forum. Using this app was a critical part of the successful BC2BC drive, and having it for the drive to Yakima would be important so that I would not end up stranded on the side of the road with a two and five-year-old.

Not only did we successfully make the trip from Lake Stevens to Yakima, but it was downright easy! We utilized only CHAdeMO quick charging--Level 2 charging in Ellensburg was not necessary at all.

Here is how it looked:

Bellevue College DCQC to Snoqualmie DCQC

We did a long charge at Bellevue College, leaving with 267 GIDs @ 92% State of Charge ("SOC" hereafter).  I wasn't sure if we could make it to the Summit at Snoqualmie with a more typical 80% charge.

We arrived at the Snoqualmie summit with 70 GIDs @ 33% SOC remaining.  Driving at 60 m.p.h., this is an easy leg in the summer, and can probably be driven in the winter too.

Snoqualmie DCQC to Suncadia Lodge DCQC

Even with a quick charge to just 199 GIDs/71% SOC at Snoqualmie Pass, it was way more than what was needed to drive to Suncadia Lodge at 60 mph.  I could've made up some time by driving this leg at 70 mph or charging less at the Summit.  We arrived at Suncadia with 70 GIDs/33% SOC.

Suncadia Lodge DCQC to Yakima via Canyon Road

It is a good thing that Tony Williams amended the rules of the "100 Mile Club" because, with an elevation profile like this, I could've driven all the way to Goldendale on a single charge.  Note that the ~800 foot uptick at the end of this leg was due to Grandpa's home being actually outside of town, up in the Naches Heights area.

Back at the Suncadia Lodge, we did an hour-long charge and departed with 280 GIDs/96% SOC. Pulling into Grandpa's place, the battery was at 111 GIDs/45% SOC.  When we arrived into Yakima, there was still more than half of the battery charge remaining--charging to 80% at Suncadia would be more than enough to make the summer time drive into Yakima possible.

The return trip was even easier--we only quick charged twice.  Driving from Yakima to Suncadia is no problem, again driving the Canyon Road.  We arrived at the Suncadia Lodge with 47 GIDs/24% SOC. In the winter time, I recommend driving on WA-10 from Ellensburg to Cle Elum to avoid the freeway speeds of I-90.

The CHAdeMO at the Summit is proving to be a great location.  We made it back home to Lake Stevens (~75 miles) with just an 80% charge, driving 65 mph from the Summit to Issaquah, then 60 mph on I-90/I-405/I-5 the rest of the way home.

Taking our gas car to Grandpa's house used to take four hours, with a couple of stops along the way for our kids.  On this trip with the LEAF, it took five and a half hours to get to Yakima, and five hours for the return.  If we were to take advantage of doing the minimal charging needed at the CHAdeMO stations, the trip to my grandfather's house could be done in just about the same time that it took us to drive using our gas-powered vehicle.  Now, that is amazing!

Mountain Loop Highway: First Ever for a LEAF...If I Could've Made It

I had about five hours to spend with Sabrina and Charlie today while Tanya was out and about.  Sabrina and I were a bit antsy to go do something and Charlie was in his third day of being sick.  I thought that it would be best to take the kids up to the mountains--Sabrina would get some energy out while we tromped around up at the Big Four Ice Caves and Charlie would be exposed to the glorious mountain air that was to surely clear him right up.

As I started to plan the trip this morning (remember that we are all EV--no gas car in our garage), I realized that we would have an easy trip to the Big Four trailhead up on the Mountain Loop Highway, and could probably make it to Darrington via the gravel road part of the Mountain Loop Highway past Barlow Pass.  Also, I saw that we would have a legitimate shot at making it all the way back to Arlington where there is a Level 2 EVSE at the Snohomish County Fleet center.  The Plugshare app did have the three Blink EVSE units in Arlington as "restricted access" though.  I wasn't too worried because, with these being Blink units, I knew that there would be a higher likelihood that there would be easy access so Blink could maximize their profits.  Win-Win, and I would have the kids home by 3:00 to start the BBQ and watch our Sunday Night Movie.

When I inquired about the road conditions on the stretch of the Mountain Loop Hwy. between Barlow Pass and Darrington with the Verlot ranger, she clearly had some concern seeing me with Sabrina and Charlie (very sickly).  The ranger's parting question was, "Do you have a full tank of gas?"  Not wanting to declare myself as the likely first person to try this adventure in an all-electric Nissan LEAF, I paused briefly and responded that "we left Lake Stevens topped off."

With this new itinerary, treking all of the way up to the ice caves at Big Four was not going to be in the cards.  We had a great lunch at the trailhead and did the quick hike to a large bridge crossing the south fork of the Stillaguamish River.  

Upon leaving the Big Four trailhead, I knew that I could recapture quite a bit of energy on the decent from Barlow Pass to Darrington.  There are 14 miles of unpaved, rutty, sometimes washed-out road coming down from the pass.  We loved this part of the trip!  We enjoyed the beautiful views and occasional stops to play.

I love this shot:  EV ORV :)

Upon entering the town of Darrington, I noticed that we had regenerated about 5% less energy than I had expected.  I think that this was due to the requisit slow, slow speeds and poor road conditions that prevented the EV-lovers gradual downhill grade perfect for brake regeneration.  I bought some food for the three of us at the local grocery store, but it was time to make time.  I needed to get home to start the barbecue!  Before leaving Darrington, I checked my range (to an outsider this is a ridiculous ritual using multiple apps and data sources).  I considered looking for a 120v outlet in Darrington to plug into for a bit, but with less than five miles of range for every hour plugged in, Level 1 charging is not a fun option.  With a 5 year-old and a sick 2 year-old, I wanted to go for that Level 2 EVSE (240v) in Arlington.  With just 30-45 minutes on the Level 2, I would have enough battery power to make it back home in Lake Stevens.  

The trip into Arlington was not bad as there is a gradual decline in elevation just about the whole trip from Darrington.  Without this decrease in elevation, I wouldn't consider leaving the town of Darrington with only two battery bars to go ~27 miles to the Snohomish County Fleet EVSEs.  

This was a pretty bad feeling.  I just sat in the car for a few moments staring at the barbed wire fence at the Snohomish County Fleet facility in Arlington.  We were already at the Very Low Battery warning, and the device that I was using to gauge the car's state of charge had us with only a few miles of careful driving range left.  The next closest Level 2 charger was located at the Marysville Kohl's 10 miles away.  We were about 13 miles from home, so that wasn't going to happen either.  At this point I was still comfortable in knowing that I would just plug into some random 120v outlet, charge for a couple of hours, and head home.  Tanya could even come and get the kids if need be.  To my dismay, 120v outlets were nowhere to be seen!  For more than a mile, I pulled into hopeful parking lot after hopeful parking lot and the only accessible plug was directly in front of one of the vehicle bays at a fire department.  We eventually drove into the parking lot of a small park with a couple of ball fields.  If we were going to find a power receptacle, it was going to be here or bust.  I kept the kids in the car and walked around the park...and found two 120v outlets!  We pulled the car over to the outlet location, on the side of the bathroom building nonetheless, and I pulled out the emergency Level 1 EVSE and extension cord.  The first outlet was not usable, it literally crumbled apart when the protective flap was opened.  Not to worry, because there was another on the other side of the bathrooms.  It didn't work.  

With two kids with me, I wasn't about to leave the park location to venture out with only a mile or two of range.  I told Sabrina that she could play at the (small) park, put Charlie in the car to nap, texted Tanya the S.O.S. to come and get the kids, and called Nissan Roadside Assistance.  At first, Nissan said that they would send out a DC quick-charge equipped mobile unit to provide me with the charge needed.  However, after an hour, Nissan called to notify me that the mobile charging truck was unavailable and that a flatbed would tow the LEAF to our house.  

So, there it is.  After driving 94.8 miles over a mountain pass with two kids, the memory that will stick with me is the one with us not making it home.

Three Pass Blast!

Ask somebody who owns a Harley what the Three Pass Blast is in the Cascades and you'll be entetertained by stories of motorcycle riding across the three primary mountain passes in Snohomish and King Counties: Stevens Pass, Blewett Pass, and Snoqualmie Pass.

At 4062', 4101', and  3022' respectively, having a blast on "The Blast" while driviving an EV presents a potential challenge not considered by the weekend warrior motorcycling crowd. The West Coast Green Highway has EV charging stations sprouting up from the Puget Sound area to connect both sides of the Cascades with Level 3 Quick Chargers.  With this electric car infrastructure in place, driving from, say, Everett to Leavenworth to Snoqualmie Pass and home again should be possible.

For this trip, I wanted only to charge to 80% at each station to be as time conscious as is realistic on this 265 mile excursion.  At Quick Charging stations, the LEAF default charges to 80% to promote battery longevity.  Sure, it is easy to get a full charge at a Level 3 station, but doing so would take an hour instead of the typical 25 minutes to charge to 80%.

At each stop, I collected some basic data to share with fellow LEAF drivers.  Let me just say that it is almost an embarrassment to post the number of battery bars used to travel in a LEAF, as the car's display is truly a guess-only affair.  Without a proper GID meter, though, this ballpark reading may serve some bit of usefulness to other LEAF owners.

Some points from the chart need clarity.  I had the AC blowing the entire trip.  Yes, running the AC in warm weather is massively more efficient than having the heater on in the winter.  I had a close eye on the energy consumption of the climate control and it ranged from 0 kWh to 1.5 kWh, with the average probably about 1.0 kWh for the day.  Second, the Low Battery warning (~12 miles of range remaining), was only hit once--pulling into Suncadia Lodge.  Third, the trip from Cle Elum to the top of Snoqualmie was a horrific experience!  As you can see in the chart, the battery was getting warm.  There were actually eight temperature bars when we pulled out of the Suncadia Lodge parking lot.  I drove at 55 m.p.h. on I-90 from Cle Elum to the Summit at Snoqualmie Pass which helped to get the battery to cool, but I truly was public enemy number one to the folks driving home over the pass after a nice weekend east of the mountains.  I had so many trucks road raging because of my snail's pacing that I was having flashes of Steven Spielberg's Duel haunting me.

How to get 100 Miles of Range?  Drive Downhill.

This ties in with my final thoughts on the average speed.  For most of the trip, I went the speed limit.  The only other times that the speed limit was not maintained was on the stretch from Skykomish to Stevens Pass (55 m.p.h.) and the final 10-ish miles leading up to top of Blewett Pass from Leavenworth.  On the way down from the Passes, I frequently shifted the car into neutral and coasted at the speed limit, shifting into "gear" only to activate the regenerative brakes.

Beyond going geek today, I was a dad!  My five year old daughter, Sabrina, joined me for this trip.  As for being a fun experience for the two of us to enjoy, today was a resounding success!  Needing to stop every hour, or so, has some great benefits...it slows you down.  For those who know me professionally, having a full day to be present with my daughter is a real blessing.  Slowing down is not my usual modus operandi.  

We Actually Built a (Small) Sand Castle

While charging in Skykomish, we played along the Snohomish River.  Who ever takes even 15 minutes to pull over in Skykomish to walk the town?  It was awesome.

Today, I fell in love with Leavenworth all over again.  When bombing across the Pass and stopping in Leavenworth for food, we typically stop at Heidleburger Drive-In.  Sure, the grub is good, but we stop there nearly every time because it's the first food stop in the town when traveling from the west.  Today, we ate at the Leavenworth Sausage Garten.  It is every bit as fast-food as the Drive-In, but it was a change.  A change that wouldn't have happened unless we had to charge!

On Your Mark.  Get Set.  Go!

While looking for a park for Sabrina to play at in Leavenworth, we stumbled upon an Easter egg hunt...at the Suncadia Lodge, we went on a "bear hunt" (a.k.a. hiking trail) and enjoyed stunning panoramas of the Yakima River...at the Summit at Snoqualmie, Sabrina and I had some care-free moments in the snow.  Before owning an electric vehicle, we never took the time to enjoy these places like this.  Today was casual.  There was no worry about hitting the tourist spots like what happens when these places are the destination.  Instead, our stops today gifted us with the time to recharge.  It was perfect.

It's St. Patrick's Day. We're Going Green!

Driving an electric car for the purpose of being "green" was about 17th on the list of considerations for me when we decided to buy our LEAF.  However, after more than 10,000 miles of gas-free driving, there became a realization that being gas-free is not just good for the pocketbook, but it's also pretty good for the environment.

Grand Coulee:  The World's 5th Largest Hydroelectric Dam

Upper-Most Section of the Youngs Creek Falls

I've read that EV ownership in the Pacific Northwest is particularly environmentally friendly because the electricity that is generated for consumption in the region comes from sources that can harvest electrical energy with minimal impact.  In Snohomish County, our electricity is provided by the Snohomish County PUD.  The power supplies for PUD come from several different sources:  hydroelectric, biomass, wind, and landfill gas--with other methods in development.  Hydroelectric generation accounts for more than 80% of the utilities' power.  When I think of hydroelectric power, the concrete monstrosity that is Grand Coulee Dam comes to mind.  However, the PUD is increasingly incorporating small scale hydroelectric operations.  Today, we set out to visit one of these locations:  The Youngs Creek Project.  The power generation at the Youngs Creek Falls is only 7.5 megawatts.  Compared to Grand Coulee's 6000 megawatts peak capacity, this seems like a pitiful joke by the PUD.  There are benefits to downscaling power generation, though, mainly being a much lower impact on the local environment and fish habitats.







Not every region in the U.S. is able to produce electricity as "clean" as the West.  Want your EV to be green?  You better go coastal.  Multiple studies show that regions where electricity can be generated from wind and water benefit the most from maximizing the use of that clean energy.  Electric vehicles happen to be an ideal application of the use of this clean electricity because an EV purchase is likely to replace a gas-powered vehicle on the road.

Want your EV to be green?  You better go coastal.

So, that brings me back to today's trip.  I cannot imagine taking my kids to visit BP's Cherry Point oil refinery in Anacortes, WA for a fun adventure.  Rather, a family outing to Cherry Point serves as a cautionary tale.  On this St. Patrick's Day, "going green" was also a lesson on what is right in going gas-free.

An EV Enthusiast?

Many folks say that America's obsession with their cars is waning.  Are internet-enabled, app-sprouting cell phones going to take over as our most beloved inanimate possessions?  CNN, among others, believe so:  Why Young Americans Ditch Their Cars.

When I was a young buck, spending five or six hours on a Saturday washing and waxing my car was not just pleasure, it was duty.  I was supposed to do it.  I was supposed to buff my car with a diaper.  I was supposed to cruise the town with my pals, or by myself for goodness sakes.  After all, that car was the embodiment of my character, however delusional that likely was.  

Fast forward a couple of decades...who has the time to spend loving on a car when there are so many things competing for my time, sweat, and money.  My obsession with cars was not just on hiatus, it was dead.  That is until I saw a quirky movie called Who Killed the Electric Car?.  It was the beginning of The Great Recession, and now electric cars seemed to be the future of practicality...of saving money.  I became obsessed with these cars called EVs.  When we bought our LEAF in August of 2012, I had developed a one-track mind for no-gas.  Money saving led to an infatuation with the LEAF...the love affair with the automobile was back!  

Standing Around Talking About ( Electric) Cars

This weekend, a group of EV enthusiasts got together at a little coffee house to share our passion for the Nissan LEAF and EVs.  Sure, there weren't any burn-outs, and it was a little weird to pop the hood on an electric car to chat kilowatts.  But is sure was fun.  There is something about being with like-minded people to share stories and excitement for something.  At one point during the day, I thought about popping the LEAF's charging port door to show the world the car's two, read:  TWO!, charging inlets.  This sucker can take on 100 amps with the best of them.  

Kidding aside, electric vehicles are surely going to play a big part in rekindling America's love for the automobile.  They are practical, fun, and, dare I say, "hip."  Once the cost of batteries comes down, EVs will be accessible to young drivers, too.  I've even seen a poster at the mall of an electric fantasy car.  After all, iPhones are sooo 2007.

The Pleasure & Pain...

The title of this blog is Are We There Yet? The Pleasure & Pain of EV Ownership.  Sometimes the "pain" is more evident than the pleasures.  

The two pictures below show where we do most of our driving.  We work, shop, play, and visit friends and family mostly in this area, from Everett to Seattle.  The first picture shows all of the gas stations (red dots) while the second depicts the EV charging opportunities (green/orange blimps) in our region.  When comparing the two, it is easy to think that the electric vehicle folks are trying to install electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE or "chargers") in roughly the same locations and in similar numbers as what the petroleum folks have done with gas stations.  Why, then, do we ever worry about running out of electricity in the LEAF?  

Over the weekend, we'll be documenting the destinations that we travel to in the LEAF.  If there is a chance to plug-in, we'll do it.  Afterwards, maybe we'll have some clarity on the whole "range anxiety" phenomena.

King/Snohomish County Gas Stations (Google Maps)

King/Snohomish County Plug-Ins (PlugShare)

Library:  No Plug-In

Costco:  No Plug-In

Alderwood Mall:  Level 1 (120v)=Slow Charging!

Target:  No Plug-In

Local High School:  No Plug-In

After a couple of days of public charging consciousness, a few things are apparent.  One, the public EVSE infrastructure has some ways to go to help make charging on-the-go an afterthought.  Two, having a Level 2 (240 volt) EVSE installed at home is currently a must-have.  Lastly, not once were we anxious or stressed due to the lack of EVSEs.

With the range of most of the electric vehicles available today, daily driving an EV to work or around town on errands is easily accomplished.  If drivers want to use an EV for those 100+ mile outings, that, too, is possible with some planning...and the pain of inconvenience.

EV "Sunday Drive": Better Than 18¢ a Gallon

When I wa kid, my father once took our family on a ridiculous ride:  My parents, sister, and I piled into his dream machine (a Corvette that he "gifted" to my mom for their anniversary--a cautionary tale for a different day) and headed out, destination not known.

Mom's Dad's Corvette

I know what my dad wanted.  He wanted to experience the open road in the classic American sense, just like his father did with the family mid-20th Century.  He took us on a Sunday Drive.

There were some obvious hiccups.  One, us kids were clearly not buckled up.  Two, gas was not 18¢/gallon like it was when Grandpa Coram took his family on those leisurely drives forever ago.  Needless to say, I don't have the fondest memories of the Sunday Drive.  

Fast forward...I'm a father now.  I am always looking for experience opportunities for our family.  What better than to head out on a Sunday Drive!  The mistakes of my father shall not be perpetuated this generation.  Sabrina and Charlie will be buckled safely in a backseat and I will not have to pay for gas!

We're going to head north to Bellingham.  Tanya and I love the town, and I would like to try and force that appreciation onto our kids.  When I was a 20-something, driving Chuckanut Drive up to Bellingham was the closest I felt to experiencing driving nirvana:  a curvy road with the beautiful backdrop of Samish Bay and the San Juan Islands.

In planning an EV Sunday Drive, the prudent geek in me wants to take into consideration some variables that are going to have an effect on the range of our Nissan LEAF.  One being distance, another elevation gain/loss.

Equal Parts Uphill/Downhill = Good!

In reality, there will be plenty of charging opportunities.  This is not a range test, so if we need to charge, we'll plug in. Easy!

We'll update the blog along the drive...check back!

The drive from Arlington to Mt. Vernon via Hwy. 9 is awesome! Lot's of fun to be had on this twisty road. Tanya and Charlie didn't join Sabrina and me on today's Sunday Drive, so spirited driving became a priority for fun. Here we are charging briefly in Burlington.

Cold Weather EV Range Test

We are now into our sixth month of owning an electric vehicle...a 2012 Nissan LEAF.  It was understandable that the switch from a gas car (Ford Focus) to an electric vehicle was going to require a change in driving habits.  What we never anticipated, though, was how fun EV ownership can be!

With that being said, making the LEAF our primary family-hauler does require some effort.  The '12 LEAF is rated at 73 miles of range by the E.P.A.  What we've realized, though, is that an EV's range is not an absolute number.  Many factors affect the range, and this is what led to a blog to share the stories.  There are endless opportunities to learn something about the car and its range capabilities, and it's always fun to share the pain and pleasure of these excursions.

For today's adventure, Sabrina and I are setting out to find out what the range of the LEAF currently is...from full charge to the Very Low Battery warning.  You can see that we're bundled up; we will not be using the heater on this trip.  Yes, it's only 42 degrees outside.  And yes, the heater zaps a lot of energy.  So, let's bundle up!