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!