SF BayLEAFs - e-NV200 Ride & Drives and Showcase May 28

[leafster]

For those of you who don't have the email address for the VW EV Study its [email protected].

 

[gascant]

The SF BayLEAF group had another enthusiastic meeting on Nov. 12 at the HP campus in Cupertino. Many thanks to linkim for taking the notes--a heroic effort. There were 63 attendees and 54 LEAFs present, which is a record for a SF BayLEAFs meeting. There were 10 LEAFs happily charging while the members enjoyed the customary tailgate party out in the parking lot, and during the meeting indoors. We welcomed about 21 new members to their first meeting.

There are several upcoming events of note to EV enthusiasts:

Nov. 19 - SV EV meeting, HP campus, Cupertino
Dec. 3 – SF BayLEAF meeting with Kadota-san and engineering team, Google, Mountain View
Dec. 4 - GG EVA meeting, Luscious Garage, San Francisco
Dec. 10 – Joint Meeting and Holiday Party, SV EVA, SJ EAA and SF BayLEAF group, San Jose

As usual, electric rate schedules and charging locations are subjects of much interest to LEAF owners. The latest news on the E-9 rate change proposed by PG&E is that their request is delayed and under review. The proposed change may end up being more costly to many of those who are already on that rate structure. Another related topic that was briefly discussed is “submetering”, which is a method of tracking of electricity usage inside the regular meter. Undoubtedly, we will hear more of this in the coming months. Please look for an MNL thread on this soon.

A committee to study the L3 charging infrastructure had a brief report. Nissan has developed a sub-$10000 quick charger (QC). A major problem with the rollout of quick chargers is the economic model for private companies who want to install these units. The demand charges that exist in the present rate structures will greatly increase the cost of operation for the QC owner. The committee is still working on identifying potential sites for quick chargers. These include Foothill College (Los Altos Hills), Sandhill Road (Menlo Park), and Premier Nissan (San Jose). The current Vacaville site, according to conversation with a PG&E representative, is trying to obtain UL certification.

Jerry LeBlanc, LEAF owner, announced that the VW Electronics Research Lab (Belmont) is soliciting LEAF owners interested in participating in an EV study. Interested owners can contact [email protected] for more details.

Nearly all the participants had seen the movie “Revenge of the Electric Car.” adrianco mentioned in MNL the following: "One question that came up during the meeting is the release date of revenge of the electric car on DVD and Netflix streaming. The DVD release is Jan 24th 2012 and he will be able to give an update on the streaming release date nearer the time. It could be from the same date as DVD to a few months later (see above)

The rest of the meeting was devoted to preparations for the Dec. 3 meeting with Kaddota-san his team from Japan. Because we anticipate a large attendance with more LEAFs coming a longer distance than usual, drivers needing a charge are requested to add their names to an internet-based sign-up sheet (http://goo.gl/cnDWv" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false for reserving charging time on the Google campus. To facilitate more open discussion, the group decided not to record the meeting by video, and not to invite the press to the meeting. Please look for the agenda in the LEAF Engineering Team Visit thread as it gets closer to the meeting time.

The first draft of the major presentations is complete, and was discussed by members of the SF BayLEAF group. Another iteration of the presentations based on the comments at the meeting. is underway.

The horn clinic was held and one LEAF was upgraded in record time, less than 15 minutes.
Next gathering is the December 3rd Special Meeting with the LEAF Engineering Team.

 

[MayPullLeaf]

I've updated my Bayleaf contributions page a little by adding a link to a LAN Web Server Locator.

Using the locator may make it easier to find the Blink's web interface.

- Greg

 

[MayPullLeaf]

Because we anticipate a large attendance with more LEAFs coming a longer distance than usual, drivers needing a charge are requested to add their names to an internet-based sign-up sheet (http://goo.gl/cnDWv" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false for reserving charging time on the Google campus.

For the Dec. 3 meeting, perhaps some nearby BayLEAFs could offer carpool and charging services. I am in San Jose, near Campbell, and would be willing to offer long-trippers a ride to the meeting and recharging. I have the following facilities for recharging:

• 1 of Blink EVSE
  1 of 240V receptacle, NEMA6-50R
  2 of 120V receptacle, NEMA5-20R

Please contact me by PM to make arrangements (up to 3 preferred, but we could squeeze in a 4th if in a crunch).

I was surprised to see so many people with 80 mile round-trips signing up for the Google chargers. Are people getting low mi/kWh?

BTW, what is the time schedule for the Dec. 3 meeting?

- Greg

 

[astrorob]

I was surprised to see so many people with 80 mile round-trips signing up for the Google chargers. Are people getting low mi/kWh?

BTW, what is the time schedule for the Dec. 3 meeting?

- Greg

i don't regularly do such long freeway trips in the leaf. when i brought the car back from redwood shores to oakland, i started with a 100% charge, showing 100 miles in D. it was a 41 mile trip. when i got home, the car showed 38 miles of range. so i'm assuming that it's going to be very close making a round trip to google from here. the main clench factor is that on the way home, from the 580/880 interchange it's all uphill, and there's a lot of gratuitous elevation changes which will eat battery even more.

i suppose things might be different if i drove in eco mode, but i didn't have the presence of mind to change to eco mode on that first day.

i'm just gonna feel a whole lot better if i can charge an hour or two @ google.

 

[TonyWilliams]

i suppose things might be different if i drove in eco mode, but i didn't have the presence of mind to change to eco mode on that first day.

i'm just gonna feel a whole lot better if i can charge an hour or two @ google.

Driving an 80 mile trip at 60mph steady speed down the freeway, with the climate control off, will not be any different in ECO or D.

Either are foolish to attempt at 60mph in anything but ideal conditions with the expectation that it will be very close at the end.

If you can drive at 50-55mph, it's probably doable.

 

[tbleakne]

To facilitate more open discussion, the group decided not to record the meeting by video, and not to invite the press to the meeting. Please look for the agenda in the LEAF Engineering Team Visit thread as it gets closer to the meeting time.

Since there will not be any internet broadcast of the Dec 3 event, I am considering flying into San Jose, taking VTA shuttle to Santa Clara Caltrain Station, and taking Caltrain to San Antonio station in Mountain View. It is 3 miles from this station to Google campus. On weekends there is a train that arrives at San Antonio at 12:23. Would someone be willing to pick me up at the station? Please understand I have NOT yet definitely decided to do this.

 

[astrorob]

i suppose things might be different if i drove in eco mode, but i didn't have the presence of mind to change to eco mode on that first day.

i'm just gonna feel a whole lot better if i can charge an hour or two @ google.

Driving an 80 mile trip at 60mph steady speed down the freeway, with the climate control off, will not be any different in ECO or D.

Either are foolish to attempt at 60mph in anything but ideal conditions with the expectation that it will be very close at the end.

If you can drive at 50-55mph, it's probably doable.

i think my regen might have been a little better when i hit the hilly parts if i were in eco mode. not a whole lot, but a bit. i mean, that's one of the characteristics of eco mode, right? that and slower acceleration.

i really don't want to be a road brick... carpool or not i'm gonna want to charge (if only a bit) at google.

 

[cwerdna]

To facilitate more open discussion, the group decided not to record the meeting by video, and not to invite the press to the meeting. Please look for the agenda in the LEAF Engineering Team Visit thread as it gets closer to the meeting time.

Since there will not be any internet broadcast of the Dec 3 event, I am considering flying into San Jose, taking VTA shuttle to Santa Clara Caltrain Station, and taking Caltrain to San Antonio station in Mountain View. It is 3 miles from this station to Google campus. On weekends there is a train that arrives at San Antonio at 12:23. Would someone be willing to pick me up at the station? Please understand I have NOT yet definitely decided to do this.

I live in south San Jose and can take a route that's a whopping 0.1 miles longer than the optimal one but passes right by SJC airport (via highway 87). I could pick you up from the airport (in my Prius). However, I can't guarantee a ride to wherever you need to be after the event's over there.

That's easier for me than mucking around w/that Caltrain station.

Since I've seen at least 4 or 5 Leafs in/around the area where I live, I suspect there will be a few others Leafers who might be able to help as well (and where taking 87 to pick someone up from SJC isn't out of the way).

 

[surfingslovak]

To facilitate more open discussion, the group decided not to record the meeting by video, and not to invite the press to the meeting. Please look for the agenda in the LEAF Engineering Team Visit thread as it gets closer to the meeting time.

Since there will not be any internet broadcast of the Dec 3 event, I am considering flying into San Jose, taking VTA shuttle to Santa Clara Caltrain Station, and taking Caltrain to San Antonio station in Mountain View. It is 3 miles from this station to Google campus. On weekends there is a train that arrives at San Antonio at 12:23. Would someone be willing to pick me up at the station? Please understand I have NOT yet definitely decided to do this.

We live 5 minutes from the airport. It wouldn't be a problem at all to pick up folks from the SJC or from the train station in Santa Clara. There are coffee shops in walking distance from the train station in Mountain View and in Santa Clara in case you needed a place to wait. My suggestion to you would to start another spreadsheet on Google Docs outlining arrival and departure flights. Ideally, it would allow locals to put down their contact information if they volunteered to help.

 

[cwerdna]

The only issue I could see w/picking up folks from an airport is the possibility for flight delays. I think those flying in should make contingency plans (just in case) as some folks might not be willing to wait so long that they'd miss the December 3rd meeting themselves.

 

[gascant]

To facilitate more open discussion, the group decided not to record the meeting by video, and not to invite the press to the meeting. Please look for the agenda in the LEAF Engineering Team Visit thread as it gets closer to the meeting time.

Since there will not be any internet broadcast of the Dec 3 event, I am considering flying into San Jose, taking VTA shuttle to Santa Clara Caltrain Station, and taking Caltrain to San Antonio station in Mountain View. It is 3 miles from this station to Google campus. On weekends there is a train that arrives at San Antonio at 12:23. Would someone be willing to pick me up at the station? Please understand I have NOT yet definitely decided to do this.

If you PM me with your flight details, I can send out a blast on our BayLEAFs private list server. We'll get someone to pick you up. I agree, no need to mess with VTA--the surface part of the trip will take longer than the flight.

I'll experiment this weekend with getting a spreadsheet up on google docs (or similar).

 

[csriram45]

I live fairly close to SJC airport. So far I plan to go to the meet but if my history is an example, i have failed to attend even a single BayLeaf meeting after having been quiet certain I can make it to three. I will know closer to the week of the meet to be certain, so would definitely suggest a backup.

 

[TonyWilliams]

Driving an 80 mile trip at 60mph steady speed down the freeway, with the climate control off, will not be any different in ECO or D.

i think my regen might have been a little better when i hit the hilly parts if i were in eco mode. not a whole lot, but a bit. i mean, that's one of the characteristics of eco mode, right? that and slower acceleration.

Better than what? On a level road, you'll get slightly over 80 miles range at 60mph. On a hilly road, it will be less, regen or not.

The car uses more power to go up the hill, and regen doesn't bring the power back at anything close to 100% of that used. There's no free lunch !!

So, as I said, I'd recommend 50-55mph for your trip. Good luck.

 

[gascant]

Next Saturday, we will have a joint meeting and holiday party with two local chapters of the Electric Auto Association, i.e., SJEAA (San Jose) and EAASV (Silicon Valley). The agenda is attached. We are starting to have some good interactions with these chapters, and the organizers of all three are happy for same. If you can take time from your busy holiday schedule to attend, I can tell you with certainty that presentations will be both interesting and informative.

Meeting : South Bay EV Holiday Gathering
(SJEAA, EAASV, BayLEAFs and everyone interested)
Meeting Date: December 10th
Time: 10am-12pm meeting
Location: 911 Capitol Expressway Auto Mall, San Jose 95136, Del Grande Dealer Group
Charging: L1 access (limited to several plugs around the various DGDG dealership buildings)
240V plugs (limited to only one plug that will be operating from portable generator)
J1772 (limited to only 1x that is located at the Chevy dealership)
Agenda:
9:30-45 am Arrival - EV parking in display area (parking layout to be sent later)
10 am Meeting starts - pick up Sandwiches and Drinks as you arrive - complements DGDG
5 min - Welcome & Introduction to EV groups & the DGEV team - Don Gillis
SJEAA, EAASV, BayLEAFs
Social Media Director - Tiki Tsakiris
EV Director - John Stringer
5 min - Overview of DGEV - Don
15 min - Summary of the CAFE electric flight - Jerry Pohorsky
20 min - Report Dec 3rd meeting with the Chief Leaf Engineer - Howard
remaining time - open forum for attendee to discuss topics of general interest (charge infrastructure, projects, issues....)
Noon - adjourn to parking lot for Horn clinic (Gary)
We need to have a count for the food and charging. This is the form to report your attending.
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/embeddedform?formkey=dEwyanFlRzBLc0t6OGVzSVgxbEVYTVE6MQ" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[Deleted member 3147]

I live a few miles from the meeting location (same zip code even) and I'd like to volunteer my L2 charger for someone coming a long distance. I will be happy to let someone hook up and then ride with me over and back.

Please PM if interested. First PM from someone coming a significant distance is in.

/Ted

 

[gascant]

I live a few miles from the meeting location (same zip code even) and I'd like to volunteer my L2 charger for someone coming a long distance. I will be happy to let someone hook up and then ride with me over and back.

Please PM if interested. First PM from someone coming a significant distance is in.

/Ted

Ditto that !! (well, except for the zip code thing)
If you are thinking of attending, don't let charging be an obstacle. There are several of us that live nearby that can offer charge. Premier Nissan is nearby, too.

 

[Albuerne]

San Francisco Leaf Owners -

If you live in or own a multifamily building (3+ units) in San Francisco, and are interested in finding out about options for installing an EV charger in your building, San Francisco Department of the Environment will be hosting two workshops on the topic next week. Representatives of Coulomb Technologies, PG&E, and SF Environment will discuss a grant program for installing chargers in qualified buildings, as well as issues surrounding charging in multifamily settings. From the announcement:


Learn about EV chargers and how you can apply for free chargers for your building

For a limited time – December and January only – apartment buildings, condos and co-ops in San Francisco can apply for free electric vehicle chargers, including some or all of the costs of installation. To find out how to apply and learn more about how to successfully bring EV charging to your multifamily building, attend one of our free workshops.

Please view the full invitation and RSVP at: http://chargepointca.eventbrite.com/

Hope you can make it.

 

[gascant]

Gathering #11 is scheduled for January 14th, 2012. Normally, we would go to Redwood City or somewhere on the Peninsula. However, our "usual" locations are either booked or otherwise unavailable. Through some dedicated work by members, we have instead a choice of three potential locations that are listed below. A brief summary (pluses and minuses) follow each and I've posted a form for you to vote. Please help us out by selecting the location you think best. Just click on the link and answer the questions:
:
1. Belmont Library: Very nice, spacious meeting room with adjacent kitchen; facility rental fee $135; limited parking on site; large parking lot at shopping center across the street; no charging facilities; Central location; Starbucks nearby
:
2. Los Altos Hills Town Council Chambers: Large meeting space (seats 120); decent parking situation (50 spaces plus street parking); 1 L2 charging station and many L1 outlets on site; no fees; Southern location convenient to I-280
:
3. Newark Public Library: Small meeting space (35-50); good parking; central East Bay location; no refreshments in room; no on-site charging; convenient to I-880 (Note: we had our May, 2011 Gathering here)

To vote for your favorite, and enter your selection for bagel, please visit this link:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?hl=en_US&formkey=dGljWGNqZlBvbm1qVXJEWUJEUG45U3c6MQ#gid=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Voting will close on December 31st (or sooner if one location has an insurmountable lead). We will shoot for having our February gathering in Redwood City or the East Bay, followed by March up in San Francisco.

 

[derivers]

Re: Gathering #11
Will there be a horn upgrade clinic IF the gathering is in Newark?