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May 2009
The Las Vegas Electric Vehicle Association (LVEVA) will meet on the third Saturday of each month during 2009. Meetings will be held at the Clark County Library on 1401 E. Flamingo Road from 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM. Members will be displaying their own electric cars and answering questions before and after each meeting.
Calendar
May 16 Monthly Meeting
June 20 Monthly Meeting
July 4 Boulder City Damboree
Summerlin Freedom Parade
July 18 Monthly Meeting
August 15 Monthly Meeting
September 19 Monthly Meeting
October 17 Monthly Meeting
November 21 Monthly Meeting
December 5 Santa’s Electric Night Parade (Boulder City)
December 19 Monthly Meeting
LVEVA Board of Directors:
Richard Furniss, President
Lloyd Reece, Vice President
Bill Kuehl, Secretary/Treasurer
Al Sawyer, Jan Himber, Jon Hallquist, Dan Trujillo
Newsletter Editors and Contributors:
Richard Furniss, Lloyd Reece, Bill Kuehl, Al Sawyer, P.E.,
Jan Himber, Brent Singleton, Kent Singleton, Stan Hanel
WATTS HAPPENING
is published monthly by the
Las Vegas Electric Vehicle Association,
a chapter of the Electric Auto Association
Las Vegas Electric Vehicle Association web site
http://www.lveva.org
Electric Auto Association web site
http://www.eaaev.org
Electric Auto Association
Membership Renewals
323 Los Altos Drive
Aptos, CA 95003-5248
Current EVents contact:
At http://www.eaaev.org/eaaboard.html
Ron Freund
Chairman, CE Publication
Address Correspondence to:
LVEVA
2816 W. El Campo Grande Avenue
No. Las Vegas, NV 89031
Call for Information:
Richard Furniss (702) 453-6196
Jan Himber for Al Sawyer (702) 642-4000
Bill Kuehl (702) 636-0304 Stan Hanel (702) 405-0506
Contents:
-- LVEVA Displays Electric Cars at UNLV Earth Day Exhibition
-- NV Energy Meets Renewable Energy Mandate Quotas in 2008
-- “Spirit of DC” Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle Completes 48-State Tour
-- Automotive Industry Standardizes Charging Station Requirements for Plug-In EVs
-- EV-Charge America Installs Smartlet™ EV Charging Station at Rampart Casino
-- General Electric Invests Another $15 Million in A123Systems To Own 10% of Company
-- Jay Leno Reviews Tesla Roadster, BMW Mini E on YouTube for “Jay Leno’s Garage”
-- LVEVA DVD Reference Library
-- EV Repairs and Service
-- EV Conversion and Fabrication Support
-- EVs and EV Parts for Sale
LVEVA Displays Electric Cars at UNLV Earth Day Exhibition
The University of Nevada-Las Vegas (UNLV) hosted its annual Earth Day Exhibition on Wednesday, April 22nd from 9 AM to 1 PM. School children from surrounding campuses were bused in with their teachers and parent chaperones to tour the event.
Gail Lucas, co-founder and former President of the Las Vegas Electric Auto Association (LVEAA), a predecessor to the Las Vegas Electric Vehicle Association (LVEVA), had once again helped organize a display of electric vehicles as part of the exhibition.
Members of the LVEVA who participated with their time and vehicles for the display included:
Vice-President Lloyd Reece with a 1981 Lectra Motors Centauri
Board of Director member Dan Trujillo with a 1981 Lectra Motors Centauri
Board of Director member Jon Hallquist
Bob MacNamara
Stan Hanel
LVEVA participants enjoyed providing educational information about electric vehicle technology to students of all ages during this EVent. LVEVA members at the Earth Day Exhibition were also interviewed by Kristy Totten, an editor for both the “Drive” weekly supplement to the Las Vegas Review-Journal newspaper and the “Ride” section of Las Vegas CityLife weekly magazine publications.
NV Energy Meets Renewable Energy Mandate Quotas for Nevada in 2008
Owning a “green” electric vehicle for daily transportation often involves two sides of the global warming controversy. The EV does not consume any carbon emissions while driving but, if charged from a local grid, may still use energy generated by an electrical power plant that burns fossil fuels.
The other side of owning an electric vehicle when seeking to reduce a personal carbon footprint involves finding clean sources of energy to recharge the batteries in an electric vehicle. It is one thing to eliminate pollution from the “short tailpipe” of a car that uses an internal combustion engine by substituting an electric motor and electric battery power, but it is also a potential pollution problem if the electrical energy source for these batteries comes from the “long tailpipe” of fossil fuel electrical generation plants that burn coal or natural gas.
In 1997, the state of Nevada passed forward-looking legislation that mandated electric utilities operating within the state to find renewable sources of electrical energy to comprise 20% of their energy generating portfolio by 2015. These requirements would be phased in gradually with increasing benchmark requirements mandated by the state over the 18-year development period.
Until 2008, Sierra Pacific Resources owned the two largest electric utility providers in the state of Nevada, Sierra Pacific Power in the north and Nevada Power in the south, but struggled to meet the increasing mandate requirements as they became increasing more stringent each year. The utility found it difficult to acquire contracts with renewable energy sources that would not require raising consumer costs dramatically to fund long-term energy purchases for distribution to its customers. As a result, both Sierra Pacific Power and Nevada Power continued to fall short of mandated requirements during the first 10 years of this legislation, even with state tax credits, a trust fund and other financial inducements.
The situation began to change during 2007 when two large solar power generation projects came online in southern Nevada—Nevada Solar One near Boulder City generating 64 Megawatts annually and a photovoltaic solar plant at Nellis Air Force Base that could generate 14 Megawatts annually, for a combined total of 78 Megawatts. As a rule of thumb, one Megawatt of annual power generation can provide energy for 750 residential homes, so the output of these two power plants could provide enough power for about 60,000 family households in Southern Nevada. NV Energy currently buys solar generated electric power from eight local plants in southern Nevada, including the two above.
In the northern part of the state, Ormat Technologies has led the way in developing geothermal renewable energy resources that Sierra Pacific Power could tap for its investment portfolio.
During 2008, Sierra Pacific Resources and its CEO, Michael Yackira, began to embrace the possibilities of expanding its renewable energy investment portfolio in Nevada by merging both Sierra Pacific Power and Nevada Power into one statewide utility called NV Energy. Since the two utilities were not directly linked, plans to install a 300-mile interconnecting power transmission line have been going forward over the last five years. Construction connecting the two regional utilities should be completed by 2012 to allow two-way transmission of locally generated renewable energy up and down the state.
A South West Intertie Project (SWIP) is underway at a state regional level with plans to interconnect regional electrical grids in Idaho, Nevada, Utah and Arizona over the next few years. This grid unification would allow Nevada the opportunity to export any excess electrical energy it produces to other states within the region.
NV Energy also locked in its commitment to renewable energy generation during 2008 when it suspended plans to purchase energy from two proposed coal-generating power plants in Eastern Nevada. During 2008, the company was able to successfully meet its annual mandate guideline benchmark by putting together a portfolio of 35 projects that allowed 9% of the company’s electrical generation to come from renewable energy resources. Eight of these projects are in the planning stages and four are under construction at this time.
Future expansion to meet the target mandate of 20% renewable energy resources by 2015 include additional geothermal projects in the northern part of the state, solar power in the south, wind power in the eastern part of the state, hydroelectric power wherever possible and new innovative plans to harness industrial waste heat for electricity generation.
Boulder City’s El Dorado Valley has become a “hot spot” for solar farm development on a large scale, with easy access to the existing grid infrastructure and interstate power transmission lines supported by Boulder Dam and its hydroelectric generation facility. In addition to Nevada Solar One, San Diego-based Sempra Generation installed a 10 Megawatt solar power plant in the area during 2008 that it plans to expand to 58 Megawatts by 2010. The expanded project will be called Copper Mountain Solar. Currently, the electricity generated by the 10 Megawatt facility is being purchased by Pacific Gas & Electric in California, but some of the energy generated by the Copper Mountain Solar project may also be sold to NV Energy. NextLight, a San Francisco-based renewable power company, is undergoing negotiations with Boulder City to lease 1,100 acres of El Dorado Valley land to build a 100 Megawatt plant. The energy generated could provide power to 75,000 homes annually. If approved, Boulder City could reap another $2 million in annual land leases over the next forty years.
NV Energy has also signed a memo of understanding (MOU) with the subsidiaries of two global power companies for a proposal to build a 250 Megawatt solar power plant in Nye county that would also include thermal storage capability to allow continued electricity generation at night. The warm summers in Nevada require continuous air conditioning and other power usage throughout the night. The ability to recharge electric cars at night from this type of energy generation facility would also benefit EV owners. Solar Millenium of Berkeley, California and MAN Ferrostaal Inc. of Houston, Texas are the other participants in this MOU.
Nevada now leads the U.S. in solar power energy development per capita. Nationwide, only two California utilities have acquired more solar power energy resources to date—Pacific Gas & Electric as well as Southern California Edison.
NV Energy is also co-developing a 200 Megawatt wind farm power generation plant in the eastern part of the state, with plans to provide power to 150,000 households in that region annually.
In Churchill County, Enel North America dedicated two new geothermal plants during April 2009 located in Stillwater and Salt Wells near Fallon, Nevada. The two plants are the first projects in the state of Nevada by Enel, whose parent company is in Italy. The two plants will generate about 65 Megawatts annually, providing enough power for 40,000 households in the region.
As part of the 1997 renewable energy mandate, NV Energy also receives tax credits and financial compensation for promoting conservation of energy resources throughout the state, a historic “decoupling” of the utility’s primary need to expand just by selling more power to consumers. This part of the Nevada mandate is accomplished by emphasizing a goal of efficient usage by consumers of the electrical power generated statewide to help control consumer costs, making the utility a partner in these efforts by allowing it to earn revenue streams this way.
In 2009, the Nevada mandate goal for NV Energy jumps to a requirement of 12% renewable energy resources for the utility’s investment portfolio. Once again, this target will be difficult to achieve as funding for big development projects is sparse to obtain and sustain given the current economic and financial climate. Federal stimulus funds for infrastructure grid improvement will help with the cost. The utility has also raised its distribution rates to consumers and business clients to fund its recent merger as well as tackle all these ambitious goals at once. Recently, the utility has gone before the state Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to request even more consumer funding against vocal opposition from strapped Nevada households.
The next source of solar power energy generation for Nevada may be in the form of “distributed solar”, where ultimately tens of thousands of rooftops carrying photovoltaic solar panels could interact with the local grid of the utility network. Local generation of solar power by homeowners with rooftop solar systems would offset the energy used from the grid, “turning back the meter” when the home power system generates excess energy that can flow back into the grid for other potential users. Advocates, led by former Public Utilities Commissioner Rose McKinney-James, see this type of distributed power industry as a key to new green job creation for electricians and building contractors. In Las Vegas, the AFL-CIO has set up a training school and apprenticeship program to certify electricians as photovoltaic solar installers. McKinney-James has been a renewable energy advocate over the last decade since her appointment to the PUC under Governor Bob Miller. She is currently a lobbyist for the Solar Alliance, a group of 31 solar developers and installers. VoteSolar is another political advocacy group for this potential solar power industry.
The Solar Generations Program was created by the Nevada state legislature with a law that added a tax to all electricity consumers. The revenue from this tax provides $2 million a year for this program to Nevada residents who would like to participate. A 5-kilowatt array of solar panels would initially cost a homeowner about $45,000 but could be trimmed to $23,000 after rebates and tax credits. The energy generated by this system can pay for itself within 12 years at current electricity rates, or sooner if rates go up. At present, the waiting list is long and the window of time for homeowners to apply is short because of the limited amount of state funds. It can take applicants 18 to 24 months to receive approval for a home solar panel installation that would qualify for the rebate program.
During the recent 2009 state legislative session, the Solar Alliance has been lobbying for a bill to require NV Energy to acquire 2% of its renewable energy from “distributed” small-scale sources, in addition to centrally located large-scale sources. Several other southwestern states set aside money to encourage the growth of a distributed solar industry. The lobbying group is also pressing to continue increasing the percentage requirement for renewable energy acquisition by NV Energy to 30% by 2020 beyond the 20% required by 2015. If these goals are achieved, it is estimated that 160 to 185 Megawatts of electrical power could be generated by 2020 from distributed solar power systems, providing electrical energy to 135,000 homes as well as creating many green collar jobs over the next ten years. Although the initial installation cost of a distributed solar system would be borne by the homeowner, daily infrastructure maintenance, billing and administrative costs would be carried by the utility. These added requirements would be more costly to NV Energy and its consumers than centralized large-scale renewable energy systems.
During the first quarter of 2009, NV Energy’s expansion efforts collided with three major stumbling blocks that caused the utility to report a $22.2 million loss compared to the first quarter of 2008:
1. Higher costs associated with investments in new generating capacity
2. A downturn in revenue from commercial and residential customers
3. The loss of supplemental one-time income that was available during the first quarter of 2008
NV Energy company revenue fell from $805.1 million in the first quarter of 2008 to $755.3 million in the first quarter of 2009. However, by increasing worker productivity, the use of technology, and the merging of the two state regional utilities into one entity, the company is becoming more efficient. NV Energy did improve its gross margin from $276.2 million in the first quarter of 2008 to $283.9 million during the first quarter of 2009.
NV Energy had not yet recouped its expansion costs after higher rates allowed by the Nevada state Public Utility Commission (PUC) starting in July 2008. The company has petitioned the PUC for another 17% rate increase that is meeting intense opposition from Nevada citizens. CEO Michael Yackira and industry analysts feel that this increase will help the utility return to being cash-flow positive during 2010 as the state’s economy starts to rebound.
Sierra Pacific Resources and NV Energy are actively engaged in meeting the increasing state mandate requirements over the next six years. If they are successful in reaching a goal of acquiring 20% renewable electricity generating resources by 2015, this new energy infrastructure will benefit the families of Nevada for generations to come as well as establish the foundation for a statewide electric car infrastructure.
“Spirit of DC” Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle Completes 48-State Tour
On April 3, 2009 at 1:31 PM EST, the Spirit of DC, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) became the first vehicle of its kind to have visited all 48 States of the contiguous United States of America. the "Spirit of DC" became an All American," so acclaims "EV Jerry" Asher, the driver and Electric Vehicle Association of Greater Washington, DC (EVADC) PHEV3A Co-Chair of the effort. This history-making record was set after Asher and the "Spirit of DC" crossed over the Georgia/Alabama Stateline while on US 78. This is the beginning of the end for the Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle All Around America (PHEV3A) Team EVfort -- made up mainly from EVADC members. "It is certainly a milestone," says the EVADC PHEV3A Co-Chair, Joseph Lado.
However, “it isn't over yet”, undescores Joe Lado, noting that Jerry is going to finish his trip right where he started it last year on the National Mall in front of the US Capitol with the EPA 5th National Sustainable Design Expo.
“The ‘Spirit of DC’ was christened at the EPA 4th Annual National Sustainable Design Expo! EPA 5th ... Expo begins on noon on, Saturday, April 18 and goes to 3 pm on Monday, April 20, 2009. That will be the official end of this EVADC PHEV3A Team effort in EVducating America one town at a time that Plug-in cars when coupled with renewable energy make personal transportation sustainable. We are planning a Grand EVMedia moment at the EPA 5th ... Expo, in hopes of focusing attention on sustainable design, that plug-in cars, whether like the PHEV "Spirit of DC" or pure electrics, will recharge America."
To catch all the coverage that the EVADC PHEV3A EVducational Tour has generated, please Google: Spirit Plug-in Jerry Asher. Amazingly, you will find video news reports, blogs, newspaper articles, and much more. You can also visit www.SpiritofDC.com in order to read blogs and view pictures taken from the road. There is an interactive map that shows the Spirit of DC's location.
After the 5th Annual National Sustainable Design Expo. more EVducational Tour plans are in the making for another sustainable transportation venture. This venture is called the Fun Run in the Sun (www.FunRunintheSun.org) and will be piloted by EVA/DC Veep, Charlie Garlow. This isn't going to be another PHEV going all around America, but rather Charlie will be piloting a specially modified three-wheeled electric motorcycle, called the Xtreme BugEV, which will be tracking along a trailer of solar panels from DC to LA. The solar panels will provide the three Xtreme BugEV with additional green electricity for Garlow to make his Historic journey. The "Fun Run in the Sun" Team includes Jo Reyes, the Xtreme BugEV builder/technical advisor (and a former racing mechanic), EVJerry Asher, lead vehicle driver, Joe Lado, public outreach outreach coordinator, Jonthan Shapero, media liaison, and Chip Gribben, the Xtreme BugEV Team's webmaster.
For the Press Conference at the opening of the EPA 5th National Sustainable Design EXPO, which includes the "All American Spirit of DC" Sun Belt Grand Finale, please contact:
Mary Wigginton
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
1200 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20046
Phone: 202-343-9861
E-mail: wigginton.mary@epa.gov
To contact EVJerry Asher, call (202) 486-5450. To connect to Joe Lado, email me at: JoeLado@yahoo.com
EVADC EVer,
Joe Lado
PHEV3A Co-Chair and EVADC Exhibit EPA 5th...Expo Chair
Automotive Industry Standardizes Charging Station Requirements for Plug-In EVs
by Stan Hanel and Richard Furniss
Infrastructure standards for electric automotive recharging stations are governed by three separate industry regulators:
The National Electrical Code (NEC) governs building and construction standards within U.S. borders for building recharging stations on residential and public sites. NEC 625 and 626 are two parts of the code that certified electricians, general contractors and builders will need to adopt to meet the uniform code requirements for constructing public charging stations within U.S. borders.
On the automotive side, the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) determines the standards for onboard automotive electrical systems and interface connections from the recharging station infrastructure to the automotive electrical system and battery pack. SAE J1772 designates a reference number for a working group composed of volunteer professional members of the SAE who will determine the onboard recharging infrastructure standard requirements for the automotive industry to follow within U.S. borders.
The National Electric Manufacturers Association (NEMA) sets standards for connector and electrical interface component specifications used in a wide variety of applications, manufactured for the electrical and electronics industries within U.S. borders. Electrical and electronic components manufacturers selling these components in the U.S. must meet these standards for their products to be certified in compliance with the NEMA standards in order to satisfy the needs of safety conscious Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM), including the automotive industry.
In November 2008, Idaho National Laboratories released a 40-page document (INL/EXT-08-15058) for the Department of Energy Vehicle Technologies Program- Advanced Vehicle Testing Activity. It outlines a proposed Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure and suggests standards for constructing nationwide public recharging stations for electric vehicles:
http://avt.inl.gov/pdf/phev/phevInfrastructureReport08.pdf
INL/EXT-08-15058
U.S. Department of Energy Vehicle Technologies Program – Advanced Vehicle Testing Activity
Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure Review
Authors:
Kevin Morrow, Electric Transportation Engineering Corporation
Donald Karner, Electric Transportation Applications
James Francfort, Idaho National Laboratory
November 2008
Final Report
Battelle Energy Alliance
Contract No. 58517
Prepared for the U.S. Department of Energy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy Under DOE Idaho Operations Office
Contract DE-AC07-05ID14517
The Recharging Station Infrastructure proposals as well as estimated costs for this review were outlined in pages 16 through 32 of the report based on standards established by the Infrastructure Working Council that was formed at the request of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) in 1991.
Members of the Infrastructure Working Council included representatives from the automotive industry, electric power companies, component suppliers, equipment manufacturers, as well as standards and national testing organizations. Recommendations from the Infrastructure Working Council led the EPRI to define three levels of EV charging that were codified in the NEC code:
Level 1
The Level 1 method uses a standard 120 VAC, 15 amp (12 amp useable) or 20 amp (16 amp useable) branch circuit that is the lowest common voltage level found in both residential and commercial buildings in the United States. Because Level 1 only provides a small amount of power (maximum of 1.44 kW) and can result in prolonged charge times, it was only intended to be an entry level voltage during the introduction of battery electric vehicles and not the ultimate charging solution. The ability tocharge at Level 1 was seen as important due to the availability of 120 VAC outlets in an emergency situation, even if it meant waiting several hours to obtain a charge.
When using Level 1 charging, a new, dedicated circuit is recommended because existing 120 VAC branch circuits typically include multiple outlets served by a single circuit breaker that provides overloadprotection. This can result in other appliances or more than one electric vehicle using the same branch circuit, often resulting in the circuit breaker tripping from an overload condition.
Level 1 charging equipment is typically installed on the vehicle and the 120 VAC is brought to the
vehicle through a plug and cord set. An example of an onboard charger is shown in Figure 5-1. Current PHEV conversions typically mount the charger in the back of the vehicle near the battery pack .
The Level 1 plug-in method for current conversion PHEVs typically consists of a standard National Electrical Manufacturers Association 5-15 configuration. The NEC calls for a
connector and cord built and listed “for the purpose,” including a ground fault circuit interrupter integrated into the cord set. Therefore, production PHEVs will not be able to use the standard National Electrical Manufacturers Association 5-15 vehicle connector. The Society of Automotive Engineers has formed a standards committee (i.e., J1772) to develop a standard for the "listed" PHEV coupling.
Level 2
Level 2 is typically described as the “primary” and “preferred” method for a battery electric vehicle
charger for both private and public facilities and specifies a 240-VAC, single-phase, 40-Amp branch circuit. The Level 2 method employs special equipment to provide a higher level of safety required by the NEC. Historically, there have been two types of Level 2 equipment: “Conductive” and “Inductive.” Conductive equipment uses “butt-type” or “pin and sleeve” type connection and is typically referred to as the electric vehicle supply equipment (EVSE) or power control station.
Level 2 “Conductive”-type electric vehicle service equipment often use Avcon connectors.
The inductive system has no metal-to-metal contact and inductively transfers energy (Figure 5-6) to the vehicle. Each type of equipment requires a dedicated branch circuit for installation. In practice, some EVSE only required 30-Amp branch circuits because vehicle manufacturers had used smaller onboard charge systems. It is not expected that inductive charging will be used for PHEV charging. Additionally, due to the small battery size (typically less than 10 kWh), Level 2 charging in many instances will be limited to 15 Amp, providing a maximum charge power of 3.3 kW.
Level 3
The Level 3 method or “Fast Charging” is for commercial and public applications and is intended to perform similar to a commercial gasoline service station. Level 3 typically uses an offboard charge system serviced by a 480-VAC, three-phase circuit. In practice, equipment sizes varied from 60 to 150 kW, and if battery electric vehicles achieved a 50% charge in 10 to 15 minutes, this was considered to meet the intent of Level 3 charging. The Chrysler EPIC wah the only United States production vehicle that was compatible with fast charge equipment direct from the factory. The fast charger for the EPIC was rated at 90 kW and used a conductive-type connector manufactured by ODU.
These charge levels can be applied in residential or commercial charge environments. However, the practicality of implementing high power, Level 3 charging in a residential environment is dubious.
Additionally, the need for power beyond Level 2 for PHEVs (charge time of 1 to 2 hours for a 10 kWh battery pack) is marginal. Therefore, Level 3 charging for PHEVs is not considered requisite for the establishment of a rich charging infrastructure.
5.2 National Electrical Code
Standards for installation and functionality requirements of electric vehicle infrastructure are provided in the NEC Article 625, published by the National Fire Protection Association. The NEC is provided as purely advisory to regulatory bodies in the interest of life and property protection. The National Fire Protection Association revises and publishes a new NEC handbook every 3 years. Adoption of the NEC into law is carried out by local jurisdictions and adoption of new NEC versions that may follow several years from the most recent National Fire Protection Association publication.
The NEC requires the “listing” of all components and assemblies for the use specified. Listing can be performed by any of the Nationally Recognized Laboratories (e.g., Underwriter's Laboratories or TUV Rheinland). Vehicle standards are developed through the Society of Automotive Engineers, Inc and may influence the requirements of the NEC and visa versa.
The 2005 NEC publication provides the latest updates to Article 625. The 2005 version of Article 625 has two major changes: one, it now incorporates “Neighborhood Electric Vehicles” (NEC 625.2) into the definition of electric vehicles, and two, it adds a section termed “Interactive Systems” (NEC 625.26), which allows for the EVSE and vehicle-related systems to be bidirectional (when listed for this purpose) when connected to the electrical power supply, to serve as an optional standby system or an electric power production source.
Key requirements of Article 625 include the following:
Wiring methods, including electric vehicle coupler design, construction, and functionality
EVSE coupler requirements, including polarization, non-interchangeability, construction and
installation, unintentional disconnection, and grounding pole requirements
EVSE construction requirements, including rating, markings, means of coupling, cable, interlock, and automatic deenergization of the charge cable
EVSE control and protection, including overcurrent protection, personnel protection, disconnecting means, loss of primary source, and interactive systems
EVSE location requirements, including hazardous (Classified) locations, indoor sites and ventilation requirements for indoor installations (where applicable), and outdoor site requirements.
5.3 Electric Utility Interface
Electric utilities that have been active in promoting the use of electric vehicles may have established utility interface requirements specific to electric vehicles. These can include “electric vehicles” or “PHEV”-specific electricity rates to promote off-peak charging by providing significant discounts in the evening hours or charging a significant premium for electric energy (kWh) and demand (kW) during peak hours. This approach typically requires the addition of a second meter that monitors the energy use of an electric vehicle or PHEV separately from the household load. Some electric utilities that offer time-of-use rates for the entire household load may not offer specific rates for PHEVs or electric vehicles. Where vehicle-to-grid (V2G) operation is desired, most, if not all, electric utilities have interface requirements that relate to generating electricity back onto their electrical grid for other equipment (e.g., solar photovoltaic systems or other co-generation equipment). These same requirements would likely apply to PHEV V2G operation. Utility interface requirements will likely not be a requirement for early adoption of PHEVs, due to the low power and energy requirements for PHEVs. Therefore, no impact on PHEV infrastructure costs is expected.
5.4 Commercial Charging Infrastructure
Charging infrastructure deployed in commercial environments must conform to codes and practices not applicable to residential infrastructure. These requirements add to the cost of charging infrastructure and will be considered in this analysis.
5.4.1
Americans with Disabilities Act Requirements
On April 30, 1997, the California Division of State Architect issued, “Interim Disabled Access
Guidelines for Electrical Vehicle Charging Stations.” These guidelines were revised on June 5, 1997, (Policy #97-03). This California policy states, “In state-funded projects with electrical vehicles, charging stations must be accessible.” Complete details of this requirement are provided in Policy #97-03, but generally, one accessible charging station is required for every 25 charging stations provided at a site. The accessible parking spot is not reserved exclusively for the use of persons with disabilities. However, there are specific accessibility requirements for the disabled charger parking space. Signage requirements require an information sign be posted that displays “Parking for Electric Vehicle Charging Only; This Space Designed for Disabled Access; Use Last”. Ground striping must allow for additional Americans with Disabilities Act access space requirements.
5.4.2
Lighting and Shelter
For commercial and multifamily charging stations, adequate lighting is recommended for safety and convenience. Shelter is not typically required when outdoor Underwriters Laboratories-approved charging equipment is used (i.e., personnel protection is built into the equipment). For geographic locations that have significant rainfall or snow, providing shelter over the charging equipment may provide added incentive to potential PHEV buyers.
5.4.3
Access Control and Customer Support
Public and commercial charging stations may include an access control system, which not only
restricts access to previously approved PHEV or electric vehicle owners, but also tracks data related to who, when, and where people are using these public stations. Figures 5-10 and 5-11 present examples ofpublic stations that have incorporated an access control feature (using a radio frequency identification -RFID technology), and a customer support line through a speaker phone that automatically calls a 24-hour service line for assistance. These features were requested by the electric utility funding these stations.
5.4.4
Signage
For public and commercial access charging stations, information signage is recommended, including “Parking for Electric Vehicle or PHEV Charging Only,” or if it is an accessible station, signage should be as described in Section 5.4.1. An ad hoc symbol was developed to represent electric vehicle parking, but was not always adopted. Where there is support by the local jurisdiction or facility, stronger language can impose penalties or threat of towing.
5.5 SITING REQUIREMENTS
Costs for residential garage, apartment complex, and commercial charge stations are significantly
driven by the siting requirements for each environment.
5.5.1
Residential Garage
When siting an EVSE for a residential garage, regardless of whether Level 1 or 2 charging is
employed, issues to consider include where does the vehicle typically park, where is the charge inlet located on the vehicle, and what is the length of electric vehicle’s charge cord. The EVSE location should balance safety, by minimizing the tripping hazard from the charge cord, with convenience and location relative to the AC power supply to minimize cost. If there are ventilation requirements per NEC Article 625, the EVSE will be required to energize a properly sized ventilation system.
5.5.2
Apartment Complex
For an apartment complex, the most likely siting location is a parking location in close proximity to
where the main apartment distribution points reside. Typically, when each apartment is metered
separately, this location also is where all of the meters are located. Either way, there typically is a
distribution point at each building complex where it is then distributed to the individual apartments
(Figure 5-15). Installations are complicated by the need to install a circuit protection device (e.g., fused disconnect) to protect the charging circuit. As the breaker panel for each apartment is typically in the apartment, this panel cannot be used to source a new branch circuit as is possible in residential installations.
5.5.3
Commercial Facility
Commercial facilities will typically have a single utility service entrance, with power distributed to
several subpanels throughout the building. The simplest installation occurs when the charger location (parking lot) is adjacent to the main distribution panel or a subdistribution panel.
An alternative approach is to establish a new meter service and account with the power company.
The disadvantage of this approach is that the local utility will require the customer to contribute to the cost of connecting the new meter and to pay a separate bill for the additional meter and account fees.
5.6 OTHER USES
Commercial charging stations can incorporate advertising or general information that is useful to
users of the charger. For example, the charging station shown in Figure 5-18 (owned by an electric power company) used the panel space to communicate to their customers information about the utility environmental programs and provided a map of the network of public stations installed by this electric utility.
5.7 INFRASTRUCTURE SCENARIOS
From analysis of driving data (see Section 3 of this report), it was concluded that commercial
charging infrastructure and residential charging infrastructure should be examined due to the reduction in PHEV battery capacity that is potentially available if a rich charging infrastructure is available outside of where the vehicle is parked at night. From analysis of battery charging parameters (see Section 4 of this report), it was concluded that Level 2 charging infrastructure should be examined in addition to Level 1 because of the significantly shorter charge times associated with Level 2 charging. As a result of these analyses, three different infrastructure scenarios were analyzed to determine the physical configuration and cost drivers. These scenarios include the following:
1. Residential garage charging (Levels 1 and 2)
2. Apartment complex charging (Levels 1 and 2)
3. Commercial facility charging (Level 2).
Only Levels 1 and 2 chargers are analyzed. Level 3 is not considered requisite for PHEV charging. For both the home and apartment scenarios, it is assumed that a majority of the charging will be performed at night. For the commercial facilities, it is assumed that charging is primarily performed during normal business hours.
5.7.1
Residential Garage Charging
Installation of the electric vehicle charging supply in a residential garage typically consists of
installing a dedicated branch circuit from an existing house distribution panel to either a convenience outlet (operating at 120 VAC, 15A) in the case of Level 1 charging or an EVSE (operating at 120 VAC, 40A) for Level 2 charging as depicted in Figure 5-19.
5.7.2
Apartment Complex Charging
Installation of the electric vehicle charging supply in an apartment complex typically consists of
installing new dedicated branch circuits from the central meter distribution panel to either a convenience outlet (operating at 120 VAC, 15A) in the case of Level 1 charging or an EVSE (operating at 120 VAC, 40A) for Level 2 charging.
5.7.3
Commercial Facility Charging
Installation of the electric vehicle charging supply in a commercial facility typically consists of
installing new dedicated branch circuits from the central meter distribution panel to an EVSE (operating at 120 VAC, 40A) for Level 2 charging.
State Enhancements to NEC Code:
Each individual state within the U.S. must meet the NEC code as minimal standards for EV Supply Equipment (EVSE) construction but each state can also add additional requirements that its regulators deem necessary. The following are excerpts from the 1999 California Electrical Code (CEC) that are based on the 1999 version of the National Electrical Code (NEC):
California Electric Code, Chapter 6, Special Equipment-Article 625 is based on Article 625 of National Electric Code (NEC):
http://osfm.fire.ca.gov/pdf/CodeAdoption/Californiaelectricalcode.pdf
NEC Charging Levels:
Level 1- Trickle Charging by plugging the EV into a typical grounded 120-volt AC receptacle (NEMA 5-15R or 5-20R).
Level 2- Faster Charging at 208 or 240 VAC using a specially designed home connecting device (HCD) with a special EV connector.
Level 3- …developing a new standard for PPDs rated up to 1000 volts. PPDs used in Level 2 charging systems are expected to trip at 20 milliamperes (ma) grounded leakage current; PPD tripping thresholds for high voltage Level 3 systems have not yet been finalized.
625.29(E) For applications listed in section 89.7.8 regulated by the Office of the State Fire Marshal, where the electric vehicle supply equipment listed or labeled as suitable for charging electric vehicles that require ventilation for indoor charging and marked in accordance with Section 625C, mechanical ventilation, such as a fan, shall be provided as specified in the California Building Code.
California Building Code, Section 1202:
Non-commercial chargers require either a dedicated 40A-240V ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) for a 3-to-8 hour charge; or a 15A-120V GFCI for a 10-15 hour charge.
Charger and Lighting Electrical Panels should be located as close as possible to anticipated charging stations for lowest cabling costs. Install conduit for future cables. Anticipated charging stations should also have sufficient space for a charger, its base, and protective wheel stops. Chargers in garages require interlocked ventilation to reduce explosion hazards during charging.
Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) J1772 Standards Committee Proposals:
On the automotive industry manufacturing side of the EV charging infrastructure, auto manufacturers often cooperate to determine non-competitive interoperable standards that can benefit the growth of the entire industry.
Automotive engineers, who helped established the standards set by the EPRI Infrastructure Working Council, used these agreements as a basis for automotive industry equipment and connector design.
For example, the Level 1 plug-in method for current conversion Plug-In Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) typically consists of a standard National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) 5-15 configuration, that is a standard 120 VAC inlet/outlet pair. The NEC calls for a connector and cord built and listed “for the purpose,” including a ground fault circuit interrupter integrated into the cord set. Therefore, production PHEVs will not be able to use the standard National Electrical Manufacturers Association 5-15 vehicle connector. The Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) has formed a standards committee (i.e., J1772) to develop a standard for the "listed" PHEV coupling. The committee is proposing the use of a NEMA standard 14-50 connector for Plug-In Electric Drive Vehicle (PEDV) and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) systems.
Once the SAE has chosen a standard connector or component that will be used in millions of production cars, electrical component manufacturers under the National Electrical Manufacturing Association (NEMA) also cooperate with the SAE by certifying company component production standards so that many third-party manufacturers can participate in producing enough volume to satisfy the needs of the automotive industry while competing to achieve lowest cost with highest quality for the same standard part. This helps grow the size of the electrical components manufacturing industry, as well.
Electric Auto Association (EAA) Advocacy for Public Charging Stations:
For years, the national Electric Auto Association (EAA) has been an active advocate for the continued growth of publicly accessible EV charging stations. Tom Dowling is currently the director of this effort under the EAA umbrella and continues to moderate the EVCharger News forum at: http://www.evchargernews.com
This group maintains an interactive map of all know publicly accessible EV charging stations in the country. An active user forum sends in email feedback of sites that forum subscribers have visited to: evchargernews@evchargernews.com
Their comments are included on the interactive map. If a site has been disabled by a local municipal government or service facility, and its EV charging components are being dismantled, the group also advocates for the donation or purchase of the equipment for installation at other sites within the network.
From Tom Dowling:
Here's the easiest and fastest way to submit an "I Was There" report:
1) Go to http://www.evchargernews.com
and click on "Charging station lists by region”.
2) Click on "All sites" for the region you want to update.
3) Scroll down, and click on the name of the charging station you want to update.
(Or use Ctrl-f to find the listing by name or city.)
4) Click on the "below" link at the top of the charging station listing.
5) Click on the "I Was There" link at the top of the screen.
6) Click on the "Add Comment..." button on the right side of the map screen.
7) Fill in the Comment box (give as much detail as you can), and click “Submit”.
It's easier and quicker than it sounds. We're working on ways to make it even easier.
If you're planning a trip, be sure to check the comments, using steps 1 through 5. The comments will have the latest information available.”
One member of the forum, Darell of EVNut.com, has put together a comprehensive picture portfolio survey of EVs plugged into public charging stations at: http://evnut.com/charger_public.htm
He also shows pictures of damaged or vandalized public charging stations, highlighting areas that EV owners should inspect before plugging their EVs into these charging stations, at: http://evnut.com/charger_broken.htm
The following are some excerpts regarding feedback experiences from one member of the forum with a response from Tom Dowling. To help translate the shorthand jargon used in these exchanges, the EV Charger News Forum has provided notes as follows:
In the Charging station types column:
- · SPI indicates small-paddle inductive.
- · LPI indicates large-paddle inductive.
- AVC indicates "Avcon"-type conductive. (SAE J1772.) (EVI brand unless AVCA, which indicates Avcon brand, or AVCS, which indicates SCI brand.)
- · YAZC indicates Yazaki conductive (for early RAV4 EVs).
- · TT30C indicates "Travel trailer" conductive receptacle (120V)
- · 1450C indicates NEMA 14-50 conductive receptacle (208/240V).
- · 520C indicates NEMA 5-20 conductive receptacle (120V) with GFI.
- · 515C indicates NEMA 5-15 conductive receptacle (120V) with GFI.
- NEMA plug and receptacle configurations.
- For 208-240V EV charger use:
2-nn not useable -- no ground;
5-nn not useable -- 125V only;
7-nn not useable -- 277V;
11-nn not useable -- no ground;
15-nn and 18-nn useable but not commonly found -- three phase.
Use extreme caution when using a three-phase receptacle, type 15 or 18!
Use a voltmeter to verify that the two legs being used are both approximately 120V to ground.
- · Be sure the type of connector your car needs is listed at the site you intend to use!
- · 208V or 240V indicate the nominal service voltage at this location. In most circumstances, 240V means faster charging than 208V.
- Glossary:
The LVEVA is also providing this companion alphabetical glossary that defines some of the terminology, acronyms and jargon used in the EV charging industry during conversations within the EVCharger News forum:
--Adapter cables with different combinations of connectors are needed because of the proliferation of EV charging stations without defined automotive standards over the past 120 years. To make use of all “opportunity charging” sites available to an EV driver to extend driving range, most EV drivers have learned to carry an assortment of interconnect cables that can translate the power carrying wires from one form of connector to another.
--Avcon conductive charging station connector. Conversion EVs should seriously consider using the Avcon conductive connector. It's quite robust, a standard that is shared with production EVs and there are numerous charging stations in CA and AZ. It complies with current electrical code, specifically NEC Article 625. It costs a bit more than a NEMA 14-50 but the difference is not significant for a public charging station installation. It's a bit more significant though reasonable for a home self installation. If you're paying for someone to install, you should go with the Avcon. The NEMA 14-50 violates National Electrical Code when used for larger scale Electric Vehicle recharging. There are Avcon-to-NEMA 14-50 S adapter cables available for conversion EVs to use that are provided by approved Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM).
--Better Place (originally Project Better Place) is an industry/government initiative to provide electric vehicles and related recharging infrastructure to consumers within large population regions. Member clients include the countries of Israel, Denmark, Australia, as well as largely populated regions in the U.S. that include the state of Hawaii and the metropolitan region surrounding the San Francisco Bay Area in California (5 million people).
--Clipper Creek, Inc. is a provider of intelligent electric automotive recharging stations and administrative systems. Based in Auburn, California, the company states that it has over 40 years experience in the design and manufacture of EVSE equipment. “Our design team set the standard for UL listing of Electric Vehicle safety equipment. Previous projects have ranged from the in-cord overnight chargers for the Ford Th!nk Commuter Car to the Level 3 DC charger for Chrysler’s electric EPIC Minivans”. Contact Dave Packard for more information about the company’s product line at: http://www.clippercreek.net
Email: dave@clippercreek.net Tel: (912) 882-0702 Fax: (912) 576-6665
--Coulomb Technologies is a provider of intelligent electric automotive recharging stations and administrative systems. Each charging station houses a NEMA 5-15 connector that provides 120 VAC at 12 Amps (1.4 kW) inline with a 15 Amp circuit breaker. The cover of the charger is opened by using an RFID key fob and then latched in place over the EV cable connector once it is plugged into the AC outlet. Only then does the AC power flow become activated at the charging station.
The local distributor for Coulomb Technologies Smartlet™ Charging Stations and ChargePoint™ Network System is EV-Charge America, headquartered in Las Vegas with a sales region that includes Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Nevada, Utah and Colorado. Contact information for the company is:
EV-Charge America, 9030 W. Sahara Ave., Suite 125, Las Vegas, NV 89117
Contact: Bob Rosinski, CEO Email: bob@ev-chargeamerica.com Tel: 702-696-1600 Web site: http://www.EV-ChargeAmerica.com
(See following article and press release on first installation at Rampart Casino/Resort).
-- Conductive charging station connector makes direct contact with mating connector pins and wire cables inside the mating connector of an electric vehicle to route the charging station current directly to the battery pack and control electronics.
--Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) is the general category reference used in the National Electrical Code (NEC) that includes standalone EV recharging stations. The NEC refers to this term when defining how an electrician and general contractor should locate, build, connect and provide a safe peripheral environment for this piece of high voltage electrical equipment.
-- Inductive charging station connectors do not make direct contact with the charging circuit inside the electric vehicle but “induces” AC voltage and current into a pickup coil on the other side of the insulated gap of the inductive connector coil. This works in the same way that the primary of a transformer coil induces AC current into the secondary of a transformer coil through an air gap. The early Chevrolet EV-1 pioneered this technology for EV charging stations, using an insulated paddle with the primary coil housed inside the paddle packaging, with a cable connecting back to the charger. The paddle plugged into a slot on the front of the EV-1 that housed the secondary coil of the transformer that was induced with the AC voltage and current from the primary coil paddle. This combination standard paddle and receptacle became know as the Large Paddle interface (LPI) and was adopted by many public stations for the EV-1 that were implemented throughout California and nearby states during the 1990s. These public charging stations were placed at local parking garages and shopping centers, particularly the Costco chain of wholesale retail outlets (See Conductive Charging Station Connector and Large Paddle Interface LPI Inductive Chargers). Later EV charger technology developments shrunk the size of the electronics as well as the size of the inductive paddle to create the Small Paddle Interface (SPI) that is being retrofitted for use at existing public charging stations and has been adopted by Tesla motors for its Tesla Roadster fast-speed charging station.
-- Inlet connector is the conductive or inductive connector mounted on the electric vehicle that receives the mating plug-in connector from the charging station.
--Large Paddle Interface (LPI) inductive charging station connector was adopted by the early Chevrolet EV-1 that pioneered this technology for EV charging stations, using an insulated paddle with the primary coil housed inside the paddle packaging, with a cable connecting back to the charger. The paddle plugged into a slot on the front of the EV-1 that housed the secondary coil of the transformer that was induced with the AC voltage and current from the primary coil paddle. This combination standard paddle and receptacle became know as the Large Paddle interface (LPI) and was adopted by many public stations for the EV-1 that were implemented throughout California and nearby states during the 1990s. These public charging stations were placed at local parking garages and shopping centers, particularly the Costco chain of wholesale retail outlets. (See Small Paddle Interface SPI)
--National Electrical Code (NEC) governs building and construction standards within U.S. borders for building recharging stations on residential and public sites. NEC 625 and 626 are two parts of the code that certified electricians, general contractors and builders will need to adopt to meet the uniform code requirements for constructing public charging stations within U.S. borders.
--National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) governs the electrical and electronic standards for manufactured connector and interface components used within U.S. electrical and electronic industries, including the U.S. automotive industry.
-- NEMA standard 5-15P is 120 VAC standard inlet connector for existing Plug-In Hybrid Vehicle conversions using the CalCars model.
-- NEMA standard 14-50 connector is the new proposed standard for Plug-In Electric Drive Vehicle (PEDV) and Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) recharging systems.
-- Offboard EV Chargers or Standalone EV Charging Stations house the electronic circuitry that conditions the AC signal available from the power grid so that it can be applied to charging the electric vehicle battery pack. This signal conditioning usually involves some kind of AC-to-DC conversion, often resulting in a modified pulsing DC signal with varying duty cycles that are applied to the DC battery pack. Removing the charger electronics and transformer circuitry in the past was seen as a way to conserve vehicle weight by being able to apply heavier duty transformer and electronics technology for faster charging cycles (See Onboard EV Charger).
-- Onboard EV chargers house all the electronics for conditioning an AC signal to charge the vehicle’s DC battery pack on the vehicle itself, usually adding extra weight to the vehicle. However, carrying the AC-to-DC signal conditioning electronics onboard gives the EV driver many more “opportunity charging” options when on the road with a limited range, being able to use any standard 110 VAC or 240 VAC outlets available (See Offboard EV Charger).
-- Outlet connector is the connector that an EV with an onboard charger needs to plug into in order to receive AC power from a charging station location.
-- Paddle inductive charging station connectors do not make direct contact with the charging circuit inside the electric vehicle but “induces” AC voltage and current into a pickup coil on the other side of the insulated gap of the inductive connector coil. This works in the same way that the primary of a transformer coil induces AC current into the secondary of a transformer coil through an air gap. The early Chevrolet EV-1 pioneered this technology for EV charging stations, using an insulated paddle with the primary coil housed inside the paddle packaging, with a cable connecting back to the charger. The paddle plugged into a slot on the front of the EV-1 that housed the secondary coil of the transformer that was induced with the AC voltage and current from the primary coil paddle. Many public stations for the EV-1 were implemented throughout California during the 1990s and nearby states at local parking garages and shopping centers, particularly the Costco chain of wholesale retail outlets (See Inductive Charging Station Connectors as compared to Conductive Charging Station Connectors).
--Plug-in Electric Drive Vehicle (PEDV) denotes all classes of electric vehicle power train systems that can be recharged from an AC outlet or offboard EV recharging station. This terminology and acronym has been adopted by the Department of Energy and other federal law-making institutions to define rechargeable electric vehicle platforms. It includes all-electric battery-powered or fuel cell vehicles as well as hybrid electric vehicles that use other power plants to supplement the work of the electric vehicle motor. These supplemental systems can include a gasoline engine, fuel cell, or biodiesel power plant.
--Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEV) are a subset of Plug-in Electric Drive Vehicles (PEDV) that contain both an electric drive motor and a gasoline or other power plant. These vehicles can be configured in either parallel or series hybrid modes. For example, a parallel hybrid gasoline-electric configuration like the Toyota Prius™ Synergy™ Drive System can drive the wheels of the car from either the electric motor or the gasoline engine or both. A series hybrid gasoline-electric configuration like the proposed Chevrolet Volt™ Voltec™ Drive System drives the wheels of the car directly from the electric motor only and uses the gasoline engine just to recharge the electric motor batteries as the battery pack charge drops to a certain low threshold level, conserving even more gasoline usage.
-- SAE J1772 standards committee for determining conductive EV charging station specifications
-- Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) determines the standards for onboard automotive electrical systems and interface connections from the recharging station infrastructure to the automotive electrical system and battery pack. SAE J1772 designates a reference number for a working group composed of volunteer professional members of the SAE who will determine the onboard recharging infrastructure standard requirements for the automotive industry to follow within U.S. borders.
-- Small Paddle Interface (SPI) inductive charging station connectors were developed in conjunction with advances in electronic power supply component technology that allowed the size of the charging station to shrink. The Small Paddle Interface (SPI) was developed for these smaller sized charging stations and portable charging systems. Many public charging stations are now being retrofitted with this more efficient technology.
-- State of Charge (SoC) measures the most current level of battery pack voltage (volts), current capacity (amps), power capacity (watts), and energy capacity (watt-hours).
-- Tesla Motors TS-70 Charging Station for fast charging of the Tesla Roadster electric car. The charger provides 70 Amps of charging current on a 90-amp circuit. The conductive charger uses an ACE 70 Amp High Power connector set.
EV Charger News Forum Correspondence:
Here are examples of correspondence between members of the EV Charger News Forum led by EAA volunteer director and forum administrator Tom Dowling:
Subject: Re: Fullerton area chargers
This past week I needed to take a friend to the hospital for a visit. We were at the Kaiser hospital in Fontana, which has had chargers for about 10 years.2 large paddle inductive, 2 avcon. I'm not sure if I've ever used it, but this time I was under 20% SOC (State of Charge) and 20 miles from home, so wanted at least a little charge.
I parked and connected, but all the chargers were powered off. After checking my friend in the waiting line, I went to find building maintenance people. It took several calls and people, but eventually I got the right guy---apparently he was around when the chargers were originally installed, and when a doctor working there actually had an EV1. But since then, there's been little use of the chargers. A month ago, he powered them off, and was planning to remove all four units because he thought the electric car programs were all defunct.
Alas, unless you have an Avcon inlet or LPI vehicle, those stations aren't going to be very useful in the future. If they had been NEMA14-50 from the start, the stations would have been future-ready without a retrofit, and they would have cost less.
But getting back to the point, I keep an Avcon and Manzanita charger in my RAV4 and I'm ready to charge if there is power available... so the engineer was glad to see someone wanting to use the EV chargers, and was happy to flip the power on. I let him know that more electric cars are hitting the roads this year, and that the two LPI chargers are totally obsolete.
He said they would revisit the situation---as in keeping the EV chargers online.
From: "Thomas W. Dowling" <twd@twdowling.com>
Subject: Re: [EVChargerNews] [RAV4-EV] Fullerton area chargers
Even the LPI chargers are useful, in that the 40A circuit and wiring, which in many cases is the expensive part, can be used to supply new SAE J1772 conductive charging stations when they become available --soon, we hope. Also, there are still some S10Es (electric trucks) out there that can use the LPI chargers. We get reports from S10E drivers using LPI chargers regularly.
Tom Dowling
Date: Fri, 17 Apr 2009 21:11:26 -0700
From: "Tom Dowling"
Subject: [EVChargerNews] New charging location in Woodland.....
The first public Tesla charging station is open for business!
It's in Woodland, CA (off I-5 near Sacramento, just north of Sacramento Airport) at Woodland Gateway Shopping Center, by I-5 and Road 102 (south of the freeway) the chargers are closest to the 'In-N-Out' Burger location at that plaza (almost south-west location within the giant parking space). There's going to be an opening party there at 10:00 am on Saturday, 25 April, at 10:00 am.
The charging station was provided by the real estate developer of the strip mall so it would be great if as many people as possible could come to show our support for their support for this new phase of public EV charging.
I was there this afternoon. There are four EV parking spots at this location. In addition to the Tesla TS-70 charging station (70A charging on a 90-amp circuit), there is a TAL SPI charger, and two Avcon charging stations --- one new Clipper Creek unit, and one used EVI ICS-200B; and there are two 5-20 GFCI receptacles. I will publish photos soon, and there will be a listing at:
www.evchargernews.com
This is a 208V location, so charging will be a little slower than home charging at 208V. Tesla advertises 56 miles of range per hour of charging at 240V, about 50 miles or range per hour of charging at 208V. (Editor’s Note: The Tesla Charging Station uses the Tesla ACE 70 Amp High Power Connector).
I ran the self test on the Tesla unit today, and it passed with flying colors. We expect to have a Roadster there to charge within a week. I charged my RAV4 EV while I was there today.
There are a few punch-list items to complete -- notably signage, striping, etc., but all charging stations are powered up, accessible, and operational.
This location has a Costco, a Target, a Best Buy, Michaels, Famous Footwear, Subway, Verizon Wireless, In-N-Out Burger, and several other shops.
See http://www.dailydemocrat.com/ci_12166840
And
http://www.petrovichdevelopment.com/assets/Woodland-Gateway-brochure.pdf
This I-5 location is not ideal for trips to the Sacramento area or Tahoe/Reno from the Bay Area. It is close to the route for those headed further north up I-5, however.
The Electric Auto Association was very active in securing this location, and donated the small-paddle charger and the used Avcon charging station, as well as signage.
The plan is to convert the Clipper Creek unit that now has an Avcon cable to the new J1772 32A cable as soon as that cable is available.
Tom Dowling
------------------------------
From: Stefano
Subject: Re: First Public Tesla charging station!
“…If enough Tesla Charge stations go in and we still have proliferation of EV connector standards I'll need a Tesla charge station-to- NEMA14-50R adaptor/connector cables just like I have an AVCON adapter (thanks Ron for shipping mine this week). Wonder who will be the first to build this.”
-Stefano
-----Original Message-----
From: EVChargerMaps [mailto:admin@evchargermaps.com]
Sent: Monday, April 20, 2009 10:21 PM
To: EVCM Admin
Subject: EVCM: Comment for 95616_4, sacDavisCA - UC Davis Parking
Garage
-- Comment for 95616_4, sacDavisCA - UC Davis Parking Garage
tom reports: I have determined that these chargers will be moved
within the garage, not removed from the garage. Additionally, we
expect to replace the LPI with an SPI at the time of the move.
http://www.evchargermaps.com/?SiteID=95616_4
EV-Charge America Installs Coulomb Smartlet™ EV Charging Station at Rampart Casino
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRLog (Press Release) – Apr 20, 2009 – With local news media and dignitaries looking on, EV-Charge America featured the installation and ribbon cutting of the first-ever EV charging station in the Valet Parking area of an exclusive Las Vegas area casino today.
The Rampart Casino / Resort is the first resort in Las Vegas to embrace high-tech electric vehicle infrastructure technology as a forward thinking, environmentally responsible corporate citizen.
The EV system commissioning was scheduled to coincide with Earth Day activities being planned in Las Vegas, with a featured television report on this historic and ground-breaking event that will be aired on Earth Day as a featured electric vehicle project implementation presentation.
The Rampart Casino and Resort Team, in conjunction with EV-Charge America are demonstrating true environmental responsibility through this innovative initiative. They are providing a low-cost, alternative fueling source to Resort customers with electric plug-in vehicles and hybrid plug-in vehicles. Customers that are now able to refuel their vehicles unattended while they are in the Casino / Resort for any period of time.
EV-Charge America, headquartered in Las Vegas, NV, offers a complete family of energy related products and services that provide a plug-in vehicle charging infrastructure including Networked EV Charging Stations, new 100% pure electric vehicles, conversions of gasoline vehicles to electric plug-in technology, and solar-powered, alternative energy charging systems for off-grid, pollution free energy supply.
Contact Information
EV-Charge America
Bob Rosinski
(888) 469-5326
info@ev-chargeamerica.com
Editor’s Notes: The Smartlet™ charging station houses a NEMA 5-15 connector that supplies 120 VAC at 12 Amps (1.4 kW) inline with a 15 Amp circuit breaker. The Valet service at the Rampart Casino can supply an RFID key fob to its guests for gaining access to the secured outlet if the guest does not already subscribe to the ChargePoint™ Network service. The guest can be billed for electricity usage by the casino as part of its final checkout statement.
Reporter Amanda Hernandez and Photo Journalist Kash Cashell of KLAS-TV, Channel 8, profiled EV-Charge America technology in the following video with a related text article at: http://www.lasvegasnow.com/global/story.asp?S=9976634
Also featured in the video and article is a Zap Xebra electric car driven by Mary Katherine Fintan of Summerlin.
General Electric Invests Another $15 Million in A123Systems To Own 10% of Company
Car-battery maker A123 Systems Inc. is set to announce today that it has netted $69 million in capital after one of its biggest patrons, General Electric Co., provided another $15 million in financing.
In exchange for its support, GE, which now holds a 10 percent ownership stake, will get a seat on the company's board.
The latest infusion of capital will help the Watertown, Mass., company scale up its successful line of lithium-ion batteries, packs and modules by building new factories in Michigan. The announcement follows news that A123 would be providing battery parts to Chrysler LLC's potential future line of electric vehicles by 2013, provided the company does not go into bankruptcy.
The latest surge in funding is evidence that there is still private-sector capital available for alternative energy technologies, despite the grim economic times, said A123 CEO Dave Vieau. Successful scale-ups of its manufacturing operations could lower the cost of batteries and bring down the cost of hybrid-electric vehicles, Vieau said.
The company's planned production facilities would be able to provide batteries for five million hybrid electric vehicles or a half-million plug-in hybrid vehicles per year by 2013.
Jay Leno Drives Tesla Roadster, BMW Mini E and Baker Electric for “Jay Leno’s Garage”
Jay Leno profiled and test drove the Tesla Roadster with the help of Tesla CEO Elon Musk for a November 2008 presentation of his self-produced “Jay Leno’s Garage” television segment, now available on YouTube as an 8-minute production at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=losARumf2Us&feature=related
While driving the Tesla Roadster, Jay remarked on its sports car look, its ability to provide tremendous torque at any speed, environmental friendliness, the eerie feeling of driving with a quiet electric motor (may need to pop in a CD with “Bugati” noises to get used to it), and the thrill of watching the tachometer go to 13,000 rpm.
To summarize his experience, he noted that “there are a lot of bad jokes that we can make—‘shocking how good it is’, ‘getting a charge out of driving it’, and ‘you can feel the electricity in the air’, but I’m not going to do those. I just want to say it is a real sports car, it handles good, its fast, and, hey, if this is the future, I’m not that worried. See you next week. Watch me take off!”
He also had a chance to profile and test drive a BMW Mini E with an electric power drive train developed by AC Propulsion in Pasadena, California and profiled it through the “Jay Leno’s Garage” web site with the help of BMW Chief Engineer Dr. Anton Lesnicar and BMW sales coordinator Nadine Jambor at:
http://www.jaylenosgarage.com/video/video_player.shtml?vid=1052621
The range of the BMW Mini E is about 100 to 120 miles per charge depending on usage of its Lithium-Ion battery pack consisting of 5088 battery cells. The car will be available on a limited basis in the near future to 500 U.S. customers for a one-year lease at a rate of $850 per month. This rental price includes a separate 240-volt home charger that mounts in the owner’s garage and allows the battery pack to be recharged within 2.5 hours.
The BMW Mini E compares favorably to the standard gasoline Mini with even greater acceleration from 0 to 60 mph. Regenerative braking capability kicks in about 40 mph to assist with braking and recuperation of energy to extend battery range. “The thing that impresses most is the smoothness and how quiet it is… I can’t tell it from a gas car on the freeway, doesn’t seem slow at all…OK, so it can’t do a burnout, but its not the end of the world (as he squeals the tires on a fast turn stop)… You know, its faster than a gas car and it doesn’t use any fuel. The disadvantage, of course, a little bit heavier, little bit of torque steer, but not bad…I don’t think you can tell the difference [between the BMW Mini E and the standard gasoline Mini]…And with fuel prices being the way they are, a pretty smart way to go. See you next week with something that explodes and makes noise.”
Besides hosting the “Tonight” show and performing stand-up comedy around the world, Jay has indulged his passion for car collecting. What is notable about his collection is that, in addition to an extensive array of classic internal combustion engine vehicles, he also has an appreciation for early electric and steam cars from the turn of the last century, as well as the potential of the new electric-powered drive train changes coming to the automotive industry. He profiles a Ford Model T, a 1902 steam car engine and a Stanley Steamer Vanderbilt Cup race car exceeding 100 mph with enough torque to spin the wheel within the tire in this 10-minute segment at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6g1fBt1e-tI&feature=related
He has owned a 1909 Baker Electric for over 10 years that has been very reliable during that time. He actively drives it using lead-acid golf cart batteries with a modern charging system, although he has working versions of the original Edison batteries and Baker charger. It is his wife’s favorite car and they use it together to view Christmas lights at night during the winter. It is so quiet that deer often come up to the car and look in the window at the passengers. The 1909 Baker Electric has a top speed of 25 mph and is “sort of like driving a phone booth”, actually increasing speed by about 1.5 mph when lowering the “railroad-style” windows into the door frames. He has profiled the car for Jay Leno’s Garage in this six-minute segment at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9vC3S8MJPY&feature=related
The Baker Electric has a range of 110 miles with lead-acid batteries on a single charge as compared to the new Tesla Roadster with a 220-mile range and the BMW Mini E with a 120-mile range that also both now have much greater speed and acceleration.
Jay Leno also owns a Zero X electric motorcycle and a Vectrix electric motorscooter.
LVEVA DVD Reference Library
The LVEVA maintains a growing library of DVD reference videos that are available to its members that can be borrowed for one month at a time. Bill Kuehl, LVEVA Secretary/Treasurer is also the LVEVA video librarian. He can be contacted to pick up and return these videos at each monthly chapter meeting. The current list of videos that are available for a one month rental are:
1. “Who Killed the Elecric Car” Documentary
2. Plug in Partners National Campaign (2006)
3. EAA Silicon Valley CalCars PHEV Technology Overview (2005)
4. Boulder City Christmas Parade Highlights (2006)
5. Convert Your Pickup to Electric (DIY Video by GrassrootsEV)
Note: This video can be copied to viewer’s hard disk to keep!
6. Tom Gage of AC Propulsion speaks at EAA Silicon Valley (2005)
7. Monster Garage EV conversion (Jesse James)
and John Wayland White Zombie Videos (2006)
8. Electric Avenue by George Gladic Fox Valley EAA Chapter 2006.
9. Bruce Katz of Polyplus Battery Company speaks at EAASV (2005)
EV Repairs and Service
Western Petroleum Station
2051 E. Sahara (corner of Eastern Avenue and Sahara)
Las Vegas, NV 89104
Contact: Jim Johnson
Telephone: (702) 457-2675
Web site: http://storefront.dexonline.com/jims-texaco
EV Conversion and Fabrication Support
The Hybrid Company
5225 S. Valley View Blvd., Suite 16
Las Vegas, NV 89118
Web site: http://www.thehybridcompany.com
Tel: (702) 539-2337
Fax: (702) 255-2710
Contact: John DeVillier
Precision EV Components Machining Support
Real Products, LLC
3433 Neeham Road #2
North Las Vegas, NV 89030
Contact: Eric Tschabold
Tel: (702) 644-1165
Email: energyz@cox.net
EV Parts and Kits for Sale:
GrassrootsEV.com
Las Vegas Office
“Electric Vehicles and Everything For Them”
Contact: Jon Hallquist
Tel: (702) 277-7544
Email: jon@grassrootsev.com
Web site: http://www.grassrootsev.com
OKA NEV ZEV Parts and Kits for Sale
OKA NEV ZEV KIT cars in stock now for immediate delivery prices start at $5,000 FOB Las Vegas. We also have 4844 ALLTRAX Controllers(48V 400 A DC for Series motor) in stock (more than we need) $550 list, $375.00 NET.
Contact: Miro Kefurt
OKA Auto USA: http://www.okaauto.com
Distributor: MIROX Corporation
5015 W. Sahara Ave. #125-130
Las Vegas, Nevada 89146
USA
Tel: (702) 683-8292
E-mail: okaauto@aol.com
The Free Energy Store
300 West Utah, Suite 101
Las Vegas, NV 89102
Tel: (702) 320-0770
Fax: (702) 320-0270
Web site: http://www.freeenergystore.com
Contact: Russ Lord
Email: russ@freeenergystore.com
EV-Charge America
Sales and Installation of Coulomb Technologies Smartlet™ EV Charging Stations
9030 W. Sahara, Suite 125
Las Vegas, NV. 89117
Contact: Bob Rosinski
Tel: (702) 696-1600
Tel: (702) 278-8005
Fax: (866) 941-6819
Bob Rosinski Email: bob@ev-chargeamerica.com
For Sale: Chrome "Electric" Emblems for EV's
Mike Chancey - Posted 06/25/00
Location: Kansas City, Missouri
Checked: 07/13/03
Chrome "Electric" car emblems, just like the OEM factory lettering. Okay, so you own a beautiful electric vehicle, but does the world know? Show them with these profession quality "ELECTRIC" emblems. Fabricated from weather resistant thermoplastic, these signs feature a bright chrome like finish on the letter faces with a subtle matte black background. They mount easily with the self adhesive HighTack backing. Simply peel off the protective cover, and press the sign into place. Each sign is approximately 1.25" in height and 7" in length. Only $6.00 each or four for $20.00, plus $1.75 shipping and handling per order. Discounts for larger orders available. Send check or money order to:
Mike Chancey, 1700 East 80th Street, Kansas City, MO 64131, or order online.
EVs For Sale:
ElecTrans 3-wheel Futurista ETV
Range of 55 miles
Top Speed of 45 mph.
Department of Transportation (DOT) approval to license this vehicle through the DMV
List price is $14,995
Contact: Bob McNamara
ElecTrans
Address: 4240 North Lamb, North Las Vegas, NV 89115
Tel: (702) 927-8838
Web site: www.windsolarsupersite.com
For Sale: Electric 1985 Pontiac “Fiero” --Record-Holding Race Car
This 1985 Pontiac “Fiero” Conversion currently holds four National Electric Drag Racing Association (NEDRA) Class Records.
1. Class MC/F (Modified Conversion 97-120 volts)
2. Class MC/E (Modified Conversion 121-144 volts)
3. Class MC/D (Modified Conversion 145-168 volts)
4. Class MC/C (Modified Conversion 169-192 volts)
The 1985 Pontiac Fiero has been converted with:
1. A new Netgain Warp-9 Electric DC Motor coupled to a 5-speed manual transmission.
2. A DCP T-REX 1000 Water-cooled Controller with an Input Voltage Range of 96 to 336 Volts
and Motor Current Rating at 1000 Amps.
3. The Battery System is at 192 Volts. The battery pack consists of sixteen 12-volt sealed ODYSSEY PC-680 batteries with the capability of increasing battery pack capacity and voltages to compete in the NEDRA MC/B Class (Modified Conversion 193-240 volts) or to a maximum capacity of 336-volts to compete in the MC/A Class (Modified Conversion 241 volts and higher).
4. Tires are B.F. Goodrich G-Force T/A Drag Radials P215/60 R14 that connect the Electric Motor torque to the road for “no slip” acceleration.
5. Battery Charger is a 120- to 240-volt Variable Transformer with a heavy-duty full bridge rectifier. Additional cables and connectors are installed for Dump Charging from a DC battery pack.
Asking Price: $10,000 or Best Offer.
Contact: William Kuehl
Address: 4504 W. Alexander Road, North Las Vegas, Nevada 89032
Telephone: 702-636-0304
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