And that's a problem. It's one thing to not know about a future install, but when a dealer has had it up and running for a month, and we have to find it by chance or searching, something is wrong. The dealers could simply post it on PlugShare themselves, but they have no clue. Nissan could simply give us a list of participating dealers, regardless of where they are in the process, and let us watch them and do the postings, filling in pertinent details on terms of use, etc.
So why dont't they? I've recently exchanged a few emails with Brian Brockman, asking him for just a list of names and locations, and he says:
"Thanks for your note and your offer to post the info on the DCQC network. I do drive a LEAF on a daily basis, so I understand the value to public charging. I don't require it on a frequently, but have used it enough around Nashville to get the confidence that it could provide, particularly for someone who has had the car for a longer period of time.
We haven't posted that list for a couple of reasons, mainly due to concerns on keeping it accurate, and becuase of the variation in terms (hours, access, etc.) could create expectations that wouldn't be met. Once on PlugShare, Recargo, etc., the info is spelled out clearly, and I am told Recargo gets updated pretty quickly when one of the QCs comes online.
That said, we've seen the discussions here on MNL, and the infrastructure team has been developing something that we can either post or link to on the forum. This is something that we should be able to provide, and have likely just been overthinking it. It's a challenge to be forward looking with this info, since permitting, installation and other factors can really create unexpected lead times in getting a station operational. BUt, we should be able to get you all something, especially given the amount of effort being put in on this end.
Again, thanks for your note and support with LEAF. If you ever want to reach out. Feel free to do so here, or to be at
[email protected].
Brian"
I followed up with:
"
Thank you for the quick response. I'm impressed that you drive a LEAF, it puts us on the same page. It's a new way of relating to driving, and you really need to experience it to understand the subtle differences.
If I may, you and the infrastructure team are definitely over thinking this. Just like Mr. Ghosn overruled his engineers to get the car to market, you need to just put the list out there. Please don't worry about it being inaccurate, it will be. We don't care. Or rather, we will visit the dealers listed, discover the accurate information, and disseminate the information as appropriate, making corrections as needed. It will be better than what we're doing now, discovering them by talking to dealers on the phone, many of whom are confused as to what a QC is, or finding them by random chance.
This is a unique opportunity for you to tap into the voice of the customer, and create a collaborative relationship with enthusiastic end users.
What your being told about PlugShare and Recargo is wrong. They merged months ago, and were supposed to combine the databases into one, under the PlugShare name, but it has yet to happen. Technical difficulties I imagine. But the main point is that the vast majority of EV drivers only use PlugShare. Being crowd sourced databases, we don't want to be constantly duplicating entries, especially when the two entities are supposed to merge.
Crowd sourcing gives us the the ability to correct inaccuracies with amazing speed. For example: Clay Nissan in Norwood MA told us over the phone that they had not one, but two CHAdeMO, and we updated their PlugShare page. The very next day, a LEAF driver who had seen the update visited the dealer and "checked-in" on PlugShare to say there was no QC, only L2, and we updated the page again, correcting the inaccuracy immediately. No other drivers will be inconvenienced.
But it's the installations that we don't know about that are the real problem. Dealers have installed them, and no one knows. Dealers will be installing them, and we understand about install delays, but prior knowledge of the upcoming event will allow us to monitor them like hawks and update PlugShare the moment the CHAdeMO is usable. We'll discover and post the accurate terms of use, because we need to know this information to plan our trips.
Brian, if you'll trust us as customers, you'll earn a lot of goodwill, and we'll do some of the team's job for them. The very items you guys are worrying over, are what we are best suited to handle. We will take the list, and make the information accurate, because it is in our vested interests to do so."
To which he replies:
"Completely respect your point of view, and you're likely 100 percent correct. We'll work on that, as the discussion we had earlier today falls almost right in line with your points below. We're probably not getting the credit for what we are doing, and creating frustration for you all in the process. Now, on to actually getting the data out there..."
Then me:
"Quick follow up. Re-read your messages in case I overlooked anything, and sounds like your team has been trying to recreate what PlugShare does in some way, and the details worry and frustrate them. Therein lies the problem, it's counterproductive to try to re-create what already works. To do it right, you would need "tires on the ground" an army of drivers visiting dealers, updating details, posting photos, and that's what you already have. So, again, the best way forward is the simplest, just post a list of names and locations, whether installed or planned, and you'll find a grassroots army of drivers eager to get the correct info posted to PlugShare."
And Brian's final reply:
"Definitely not trying to recreate the wheel. It was more a debate of how much info would be needed, how it gets updated, where it is posted, etc."
And that's where it stands. That was a week ago, a short time in the corporate world perhaps, but a game changer if you're trying to plan a long Christmas trip and there are installed QCs out there that you could use, if you could only find them.
So, c'mon Brian and team! You can still do whatever it is you're going to do eventually, but in the mean time, throw us a bone and just give us the names. We NEED to know. If you choose not to, we'll still search them out, because we need them, but we'll like Nissan a little better if you do.
Can we assign this to the LAB? Anyone have a straw for the camel?
