Chattanooga Murphy Express Eaton DCQC Removed!

[TimLee]

Murphy Express Eaton DCFC still working well on 11-26-2012 @ 16:45. I charged from 4/12 bars with 36 miles non-Eco range when I arrived, to 9/12 bars and 81 miles non-Eco range in 31 minutes, 9 seconds with 8.6 kWh of charging.

 

[TimLee]

Murphy Express Eaton DCFC still working well on 11-28-2012 @ 19:00. I charged from 6/12 bars with 41 miles non-Eco no use of heat range when I arrived, to 10/12 bars and 77 miles non-Eco range in 29 minutes, 18 seconds with 6.1 kWh of charging.
Bit slower than previous few uses, as I was running the heater pulling 1.5 kW while charging.
Only difficulty with this installation, is that the last two times I've used it I had to wait for an ICE vehicle to move out of the spot. That is usually less than a 5 minute wait, but this time it was the on duty store manager that was parked in it!
Arggh!! :shock: :evil:

Philip, did you make it to Cleveland?

 

[philipscoggins]

No I didn't with all the Thanksgiving stuff going on we didn't head that far out of town. Most of my family came to Tullahoma this year. I'll get down there at some point during December.

We did drive to Cumberland Caverns on Sunday though & they let me trickle charge while there. Lady in the office told me that Nissan brings LEAFs in to ferry artists in & out of the cave during their monthly bluegrass shows. She said Nissan is a sponsor & that they have told her they are going to install a DCQC station there. She verified they have 3 phase power, so hopefully that will pan out. You should easily be able to drive up from Chattanooga.

Now we just need a couple between Chattanooga & Atlanta.

Philip

 

[nogajim]

Now we just need a couple between Chattanooga & Atlanta.

Amen.

 

[N952JL]

Now we just need a couple between Chattanooga & Atlanta.

Amen.

add a couple between the Atlanta airport and Macon GA.

 

[TimLee]

Murphy Express Eaton DCFC still working well this week.
Charged 8.7 kWh in 26 minutes, 3 seconds on 12-03-2012 @ 15:00 from 4/12 bars to 10/12 bars. 36 miles range up to 83 miles range.
Charged 8.0 kWh in 24 minutes, 2 seconds on 12-04-2012 @ 15:00 from 4/12 bars to 9/12 bars. 35 miles range up to 74 miles range.
Bit strange why the LEAF sometimes stops charging just short of 10/12 bars, and other times continues charging to past 10/12 bars, when starting from the same indicated charge level.
You do get a bit of battery heating with DCFC. Both times had 5 temp bars when started, 6 temp bars when finished. Ambient temperature a very pleasant 67 F, great for early December in Tennessee.

 

[philipscoggins]

Blink map is finally showing East Ridge dcqc back online. Just curious if it really is working...

Philip

 

[BudRaymond]

Bit strange why the LEAF sometimes stops charging just short of 10/12 bars, and other times continues charging to past 10/12 bars, when starting from the same indicated charge level.
You do get a bit of battery heating with DCFC. Both times had 5 temp bars when started, 6 temp bars when finished. Ambient temperature a very pleasant 67 F, great for early December in Tennessee.

The quick charge is supposed to stop at 80% if you start with less than 50% SOC. If you have more than 50% SOC when you start, it will go to 100%.

 

[TimLee]

Bit strange why the LEAF sometimes stops charging just short of 10/12 bars, and other times continues charging to past 10/12 bars, when starting from the same indicated charge level.

The quick charge is supposed to stop at 80% if you start with less than 50% SOC. If you have more than 50% SOC when you start, it will go to 100%.

I know that is what has been reported that it is "supposed to do".
But on one previous DCFC it did not do that. It continued charging till it got to 10/12 bars.
Probably is just a matter of a bit of imprecision in the measurement of the battery status of charge.
On the couple occasions that I restarted the DCFC when it stopped while displaying 9/12 bars, it was very close to having reached 10/12 bars. Usually less than ~0.5 kWH of additional charging, less than 1 1/2 minutes.
The one time it continued till it displayed 10/12 bars was cooler weather. May be similar to the car stopping with 9/12 bars when charging to 80% in hotter weather.

 

[TimLee]

Blink map is finally showing East Ridge dcqc back online. Just curious if it really is working...

Philip

I used the East Ridge Cracker Barrel Blink DCFC today, 12-10-12, @ 16:11. I used the station on the right facing the unit, the one on the west side.
Worked well.
Charged from 5/12 bars to an automatic stop with 9/12 bars with 100% charging selected in 27 minutes. DTE without HVAC of 42 miles at the start and 83 miles when charging automatically stopped.
Unit doesn't provide any information on kWh provided, and I checked the on line Blink network, and it doesn't provide this information either.
Has for the home unit, but not the commercial units.
Does show the account transactions, and time used, but not kWh.
But the DCFC is still free of charge at this point. No information on the website at this point in time.
If on line status is believable, I might finally attempt driving the LEAF to Knoxville.
Just need lots of contingency time built in. Just in case.

 

[philipscoggins]

The Blink map seems to be 100% accurate when it lists a charging station as not working. And it's mostly right on when they are working, as of last week it looked like Blink got the 2 trouble stations in TN back online (Chattanooga & Harriman) and there looks like Oak Ridge National Lab just opened up a Blink DCQC cool! That's 13 Blink DCQC & 2 Nissan DCQC & 1 Eaton in TN, not too shabby for a buncha hillbillies huh?

I'm planning on a trip to Pigeon Forge, but think I'll wait until Spring as I don't know if I could make it from the last DCQC in Farragut to Pigeon Forge with heater cranking in the winter. Although it says it's only 51 miles, but it does get a little "hilly" around there :?

Philip

 

[TimLee]

Murphy Express Eaton DCFC still working well on 01-07-2013 @ 15:10 EST. I charged from 3/12 bars to 9/12 bars in 36 minutes, 14 seconds with 9.1 kWh of charging. Still working well but the connector was a little balky about releasing and inserting. With cooler temperatures, started with 5 temperature bars and still had 5 temperature bars after the DCFC.

 

[kentuckyleaf]

I'd love to have a I-75 corridor of quick chargers every 50 miles, from one end to the other. As a working person, I might only have time for a Richmond, KY to Pigeon Forge or Knoxville TN on a weekend, but that would get us out of Kentucky without gasoline. We could also make Cincinnati a day trip, which would be pretty awesome. I think Nissan should require QC stations at all the dealerships, and we should have 24/7 access to them. Rest areas could have QC stations. I don't think we are to the point of driving coast to coast in an EV unless we are retired, but a working couple should be able to get to the next state over a weekend getaway. How do we go about getting QC stations installed? I'm a little concerned about the SAE - ChaDeMo standard thing, but I figure that everyone will use SAE before our lease is up, and we pick out our new EV.

 

[N952JL]

I agree, I would like to see QC's at every rest stop/welcome center on every interstate in the US.

 

[TimLee]

Murphy Express Eaton DCFC still working well on 01-14-2013 @ 15:45 EST. I charged from 6/12 bars ~45 miles DTE in Eco with no heat on to 10/12 bars 78 miles DTE in Eco with no heat on in 31 minutes, 6 seconds with 8.5 kWh of charging. Did this in pouring rain with no problems. DCFC connector was relatively dry as it stores inside metal closed compartment, and the LEAF DCFC port was also relatively dry. Ran heat while the DCFC occurred.

Recent announcements from Nissan indicate that they will be installing a lot of DCFC stations, ~600, at dealerships with the plan for these to have 24/7 access.
See the topics on the January 8th town hall meeting in Scottsdale, AZ.
But that doesn't do much for extending DCFC along all the interstates as is needed.
But even if the interstates and major highway corridors all had reliable DCFC available every 30 miles or so, I still think that would primarily enable making 200 to 250 mile trips possible in the LEAF.
Fundamentally the LEAF battery capacity makes it primarily a 150 to 200 mile range vehicle even with DCFC located every 30 miles.
Even with DCFC, the overall best average speed that can be obtained in a LEAF even if there were lots of DCFC stations at 30 mile intervals on all interstates and major highway corridors is around 45 miles per hour.
A very few people may use the LEAF for long trips.
And even though I love the LEAF, it will never be used very much by very many people for long distance travel.
Not with a 45 mile per hour average speed.
Will be more practical to drive a CNG vehicle, or diesel Passat, or if you have too, a regular ICE for a long distance trip.

 

[philipscoggins]

Hey Tim, have you gotten a chance to test the new Blink at Hamilton Place Sears yet?

What's with all the infrastructure building in Chattanooga?

Philip

 

[kentuckyleaf]

Fundamentally the LEAF battery capacity makes it primarily a 150 to 200 mile range vehicle even with DCFC located every 30 miles.

Exactly. 200 miles will get us from Richmond KY to Louisville, Cincinnati, Knoxville, Oak Ridge, Pigeon Forge, lots of places we like to go. Right now a 100 mile round trip is difficult, and doesn't get us out of the Bluegrass. I have friends in London KY, 60 miles away, and we take the ice if we go. London KY has a Nissan dealership, but just L2 and maybe it's powered. An L3 there would be awesome, and it's well on our way to TN. We live near exit 97, London is at exit 41.

On a weekend trip leaving Friday evening, we charge in London, drive to Jellico, spend the night and charge with an L2 EVSE, get up early Saturday, hit an L3 in Knoxville while eating breakfast, head to Pigeon Forge for the day, charge during the day on an L2, head to Knoxville Saturday night, charge overnight on an L2, and hit the L3 in Jellico and London KY on the way back home Sunday. Just a little infrastructure would make this doable in our current Leaf. Since there is a Nissan dealer in London KY, and in Knoxville, and Cracker Barrels in London KY, Corbin KY, and Lake City TN, it seems like we are close to having some infrastructure that will make this trip a reality!

As far as Cincinnati and Louisville go, they are both about 100 miles from us. This could even be a day trip with L3 infrastructure.

 

[cracovian]

ATL checking in... I made it with my family to Chattanooga late last year and with the crackers ICEd, vandalized, and non-working, Murphy L3 was god-sent... I'm very curious and hopeful about that newly-added Sears location too. You have to give us credit for being brave (the wife and three little kidoes in tow!) as you have to crawl on secondary roads with pissed off truckers on the bumper just to make it to the only L2 location in between (Nissan dealer in Dalton, GA) to make it across the border later...

The good news is that things are starting to move on the L3 front in GA and we may get our first one soon. Here's he announcement that mentions Circle K (or Chevron) stations having more of them later along I-75, I-85, and I-20. It's been very slow going for us but there's hope:

http://buckhead.patch.com/announcements/buckhead-coalition-facilitates-million-dollar-national-electrical-vehicle-quick-charging-project" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[TimLee]

Hey Tim, have you gotten a chance to test the new Blink at Hamilton Place Sears yet?

What's with all the infrastructure building in Chattanooga?

Philip

First I've heard about new Blink at Hamilton Place Sears. I'll check it out the next time I'm over there.
Chattanooga has been fortunate, most of what was built was by the eV Project funding.
But Murphy Express was their own effort which at the opening cermony they indicated was paid for by Nissan.
Also have new installation at Theater Center that I think they did on their own. It has Eaton L2 units instead of Blink. No charge other than paying for the parking.
Not sure how Blink at Hamilton Place Sears was funded.

Anyone have recent update on Blink DCFC units status between Chattanooga and Knoxville?
I'd like to go to the Thursday East Tennessee Clean Fuels Coalition meeting in Knoxville in the LEAF, but I have yet to be confident enough in the Blink DCFC units to drive the LEAF to Knoxville.

 

[philipscoggins]

Tim, the website is "usually" right on stations being on

https://www.blinknetwork.com/blinkMap.html

But if you want to be sure just call 'em. They've always been friendly & fairly helpful when I've called. One time the Murfreesboro QC wouldn't scan my card & they issued me a temporary number so I could just type it in & charge.

1.888.998.BLINK (2546)

Also, they don't know a charging station is having problems unless people call and report them, so if you have problems, please give Blink a call so they can flag the station on the app & website.

Philip