BMW, Volkswagen and ChargePoint Announce Initiative...

[websterize]

Airport cell-phone parking lots would be fantastic locations for the roll-out. Lots of turnover, lots of monitoring, lots of state incentives available (hello, BWI airport?) It's all about context.

It’s not all about rapid charging either: in certain situations — at train stations or long-stay parking garages, for example — basic 110-volt or 240-volt outlets are more than enough for most plug-in owners planning to leave their cars for eight hours or more. In those locations, helping management understand the disparity between perceived and actual need is the responsibility of all involved in the planning, consultation and installation process.

— https://transportevolved.com/2015/0...on-land-grab-work-appropriate-infrastructure/

 

[user 1536]

From the press release: "Installations have already begun on the west coast, with the first location in San Diego County. There is a target of nearly 100 DC Fast charging ports in the first phase, available by the end of 2015."

Guess I have a different expectation when it comes to details.

Installations have begun - Implies at least 2. So 2, 3, 10? If so, where beyond SD? Why wouldn't you already have a website promoting those specifics?

target - Ah...so it's a goal, meaning it might not happen. Maybe they have locations selected, maybe not. Maybe they still have to negotiate 90% of the leases for the locations. Big difference.

100 ports - Ok, so likely a LOT less than 100 unique installations.

by the end of 2015 - So we could go another 10m with the current install base, and then they rush to get them done at EOY. I do like the tidbit that it's the first phase, but they don't promise a second phase.

Yes, but some of those are part of this project

Really? Then that's WORSE. They are saying this project will provide nearly 100 charging ports, which I assumed to be new, above and beyond existing/previously announced infrastructure.

California has by far the most electric cars and the greatest need for infrastructure

Can't doubt your info, but in the searches I did I was surprised to find WA listed as the #1 EV state. Must be some funny math those reports used (like looking @ new car sales, or EV's/person). Sorry for sharing inaccurate data.

Is there evidence though that CA lacks infra though? They seem to have a massive amount of it.

The scattered CCS locations currently there don't allow for a cross state drive. That needs to be done in the first phase.

Why? Is that a "checkbox" item, similar to the Tesla cross-country trip?

This isn't about making Tesla worry

http://www.autoguide.com/auto-news/2014/12/bmw-charging-station-blitz-will-target-tesla.html

 

[Blue20]

From the press release: "Installations have already begun on the west coast, with the first location in San Diego County. There is a target of nearly 100 DC Fast charging ports in the first phase, available by the end of 2015."

So it is 100 DC Fast charging ports. Any idea how many location that may be? The pilot location, as shown in the photo, has three chargers. Is that mean there will only be a few as ~33 charging locations.

 

[DR61]

The I5 corridor from I80/SF-Sacramento CA area to Ashland, OR (about 300 miles) has only two Tesla Supercharger locations currently; NO other fast chargers of any kind, according to Plugshare. Ashland/Medford has CHAdeMO. I hope this initiative improves the situation.

 

[TomMoloughney]

From the press release: "Installations have already begun on the west coast, with the first location in San Diego County. There is a target of nearly 100 DC Fast charging ports in the first phase, available by the end of 2015."

So it is 100 DC Fast charging ports. Any idea how many location that may be? The pilot location, as shown in the photo, has three chargers. Is that mean there will only be a few as ~33 charging locations.

The locations along the two express charging corridors will be spaced at less than 50 apart. You can probably figure out about how many locations will be needed to connect San Diego to Portland and Boston to DC by a simply map check. San Diego to Portland is about 1,100 miles and Boston to DC is about 450 miles.

So I'd figure about 25-28 locations on the West Coast and about 10-12 on the East. That's just a guess of course.

 

[stumbledotcom]

Is there evidence though that CA lacks infra though? They seem to have a massive amount of it.

It's all relative. Perhaps the California infrastructure has a head start but we also have a significant number of plug-in vehicles on the road. This is purely anecdotal but I just returned from a short charging session at the Crissy Field public station—significant because it's one of three locations in the city that combines free parking and free charging. The fact it's also partially solar- and wind-powered is just a bonus. Problem is only one L2 outlet works. The second L2 has been out of commission for months. And recently the four L1 outlets were vandalized as well. Still even if all six outlets were working, it wouldn't have met the potential demand. I casually counted at least a dozen plug-ins in the parking lot, in addition to my i3. Four Tesla Model S—two were the newest P85D's, one with the $98K sticker still showing—four Leafs, two Volts, a plug-in Prius, and a 500e. It's getting to the point that I'm seeing other i3's on the road on a daily basis. There are even a handful of i8's running around town.

My two-cents is that plug-in market here is taking off. But if the public infrastructure doesn't get ahead of the adaption curve, that growth will hit a wall.

 

[jadnashuanh]

Which brings things back to my premise...the i3 is a city car and not really well suited to long-distance travel. Commuting with it either where you can charge at home, or at work, or both is going to determine your viable range. The REx gives you more flexibility, if required. Except at home and MAYBE at work, at least for now, relying on public EVSEs may be problematic, either because they don't work, or you're x-person in line waiting, even if that is a line of 1, and the person on the thing has gone to lunch or a movie. When they get as plentiful as gas pumps, I'll revise my thoughts. Until then, you are at risk of being stranded, especially if in a BEV, but still possibly in a REx, if you turned it on to maintain charge, then couldn't get on the EVSE...no gas left to search for a gas station.

BMW will eventually join TEsla and others with bigger batteries, and other technology, and then, longer trips will become more of a no brainer option...until then, you're at the mercy of an infant recharging network.

CCS units are NOT cheap to buy, or to install. It takes a pretty significant electrical service to support not only one of these, but multiples. One reason why BMW partnered with a company for the 25K units, they're cheaper to buy and cheaper to wire up, but, you lose some in speed. As opposed to level 2 which is essentially a fancy ac power switch, a CCS unit has monstrous DC power supplies - these things are not particularly cheap at the current required, generate a lot of heat, and don't like to get their internals wet. Maybe some day, the battery tech will support rapid discharge from something like a huge capacitor...take literally seconds to refill the battery then. It's going to be awhile. In the meantime, enjoy the torque and lack of noise as you cruise along.

 

[stumbledotcom]

Completely agree with jadnashuanh. Here in the Bay Area, NRG has a nascent network ringing SF. As an experiment a few weeks ago, I took the i3 north to pick up a club shipment from a particular winery. Used the CCS in Petaluma, 40 miles from my house, going up. Then topped off at San Rafael, 20 miles from home, on the way back. It worked out fine in part because I knew both the winery and our lunch spot were not far from the Hwy 101 corridor.

Last weekend, we headed north again. This time with another couple in tow. Because there would be four adults along and our agenda was less defined, I decided to take the E90. Its back seat is more comfortable for an all-day outing plus I didn't want to be restricted from wandering down back roads if the mood struck. (I strongly prefer the E90's feel at highway speeds but that was a secondary factor.) Given how our day unfolded, it was entirely the right decision. And yes, for the record, I understand and appreciate how lucky I am to be part a two-car household so I can have these specialized tools at my disposal.

Even if the proposed west coast CCS network gets built out, I don't see myself opting for the i3 on the road trip we make to LA once or twice a year. Sure the fact that it could do it is nice but stopping 20 to 30 minutes every hour or so isn't for me. In the same way that you could drive coast to coast in a Miata, and I'm sure plenty of hardy folk have, it's just not something I'm interested in at this point in life. I don't believe BMW expects many people to use today's i3 like that either. The entire BMW i. initiative is about taking innovations to market so the company can evaluate which to incorporate into its main brands. Those innovations aren't just hardware either. ChargeNow, DriveNow, etc. are just as much BMW i. products as the i3 and i8 are.

So while it might be tempting to think of this charging network build out being for us current i3 drivers, the truth is BMW probably has its 2020 model year customers more in mind.

 

[scottlawrencelawson]

The concept of putting DCFC in shopping centers or near resturants, etc. is a good one and I can relate my personal experience. Every month or so, I have to drive the CA freeways to my employer's main office 130 miles away from my house/home office. Often I have to do the round trip in a single day. So I have been using the EVgo / Chargenow stations on the way there and back. There are two stations about 10 miles apart almost in the exact center of my one way trip. One is in a mall (The Oaks in Thousand Oaks) and the other in an office building complex that has 6 informal restaurants next to it. These are perfect, less than a half mile from the freeway, and my only worry is they will be iced or in use. I can eat, get tea, rest, etc. while I am there.

So, this is a success story and the perfect situation (lucky me!), but as this new network of chargers gets rolled out, there will be a lot more choice for this kind of trip. If there was another near my office, I could charge there at the end of my meetings and not have to worry about finding an L2 nearby and getting a lift (no chargers at the office, sadly). More chargers more places can only be good for the EV adoption rate . . . bring 'em on BMW/VW, Tesla, Nissan, utilities, and whomever else!