ClipperCreek CA Upgrade Program needs site suggestions

The ClipperCreek grant from the California Energy Commission
http://i.autobloggreen.com/2010/08/...-9m-to-upgrade-existing-plug-in-vehicle-char/
still has funds, but the program is winding down.

Edit Updates Feb 6 marked >>>
>>> Thanks for all of your responses. I will collect them and forward to Will Barrett.

If we want to influence where the money is spent, we need to act now.

My email to Clipper Creek generated this response on Jan 19, 2012:

Hello Thomas,

Yes, funding for the Reconnect California grant program is still available. We have installed over 120 stations to date at about 75 sites throughout the state. We are ramping up the installs this month and into February with a goal of completing the install portion of the project in June of this year. Do you have a particular site that you are responsible for that you would like to see upgraded through this grant program?

Will Barrett
Technical Customer Specialist
ClipperCreek Inc.
Phone 530-887-1674 ex.303
Fax 530-887-8527

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I propose that Leafers in CA post in this thread candidate legacy ClipperCreek sites in their area that they would like upgraded. I will collect and pass on to CC the list of sites for Southern CA. Possibly someone else could handle the sites in the northern half of the state.

I understand from the Maintenance Superintendent for the City of Glendora that they were never contacted about the upgrade program for their CC site at Glendora City Hall, so apparently the "sqeeking wheel gets the grease." This is our chance to get some more local public charging.

In a followup message to Will Barrett I asked whether this program will pay for upgrades of EVSEs from other brands (I know it includes EVI, since that was the predecessor company to ClipperCreek). If I get a reply, I will post it.

>>> Yes Clipper Creek updates under this grant apply to other brands of legacy charging. I received this reply from Will Barrett:

For the Reconnect Ca grant program we are updating equipment made by several manufacturers (ClipperCreek actually did not manufacturer any of the units being updated through this program). The one grant requirement we have is that at least 1 SPI (Small Paddle Inductive) style charger remain in place where one is currently functional. The SPI style chargers are used by older RAV4 EVs, their is a substantial population (500+) of legacy RAV4 EVs throughout the state, over 50% of the legacy EV Population concentrated in Southern CA.

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There is a related thread on Costco upgrades that mentions ClipperCreek but it has been dormant for a while.
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=4584

What's the call to action here?

I suppose a quick search on http://www.recargo.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; will show quite a number of old AVCON or equivalent charging locations that can be considered for the upgrade.

Its not clear to me who and what equipment would qualify for the Clippercreek upgrade program?

Thanks for this Tom. I'll lay odds that Mainplace Santa Ana still hasn't done anything about theirs.

County of Orange
445 Civic Center Dr. West
Santa Ana, CA 92701

Two Avcons and one Large Paddle Inductive.

The Block at Orange
http://www.evchargernews.com/regions/92868_1.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

There's an Avcon there as well as a TAL small paddle, and a Magnecharge large paddle.

The Avcon head looks damaged.

Schoolhouse 33 East Green Street Pasadena, California, 91105 1 AVCON, 2 large paddle
One Colorado 10 E. Union St. Pasadena, CA, 91103 1 AVCON
DeLacey Ave Garage 45 South DeLacey Ave Pasadena, CA, SPI & AVCON

San Diego Zoo Safari Park
15500 San Pasqual Valley Rd Escondido, CA 92027

mwalsh said:

Thanks for this Tom. I'll lay odds that Mainplace Santa Ana still hasn't done anything about theirs.

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mwalsh, you'd be pleasantly surprised. I had the fortune of going there last week and Clipper Creek has replaced the old claw with a brand spanking new, no-frills L2.



It really is no-frill. There is a single button to start/stop charging, but in truth as soon as you connect Mr. J1772 it starts charging automagically. There are no LCD screens, no friendly robotic voices, no tickertape. Pure L2. Love it.

My understanding from communicating with Will previously is that they've reached out to all the legacy charger owners they have on record and made this replacement offer available. While some of the legacy units have been replaced under the terms of this project (as pictured above), some of the sites have evidently made a decision not to replace them based on previous usage information, and some of the remaining sites are pursuing solutions that would allow them to charge money for EV charging to help recoup costs.

z0ner said:

mwalsh, you'd be pleasantly surprised. I had the fortune of going there last week and Clipper Creek has replaced the old claw with a brand spanking new, no-frills L2.

It really is no-frill. There is a single button to start/stop charging, but in truth as soon as you connect Mr. J1772 it starts charging automagically. There are no LCD screens, no friendly robotic voices, no tickertape. Pure L2. Love it.

Click to expand...

So cool! And good enough.

There's a whole host of sites from Santa Barbara to Banning that have the old "legacy" EVSEs that need upgrading. So the program is winding down??? How in the hell will EVs become "mainstream" if we can't establish an effective charging infrastructure? You can also consider the EV Project as a big disappointment as well... :ugeek:

University of California Irvine - Mesa Parking Structure
Mesa Rd. and W. Peltason Dr.
Irvine, CA 92697
USA

There are currently 7 EVSEs still installed and 6 with power cords.

Mission Valley Mall in San Diego has two of the old style chargers and it would be great if they could upgrade them. Not sure if Westfield is into it, but it is a great location...

http://www.westfield.com/missionvalley" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

-u

PS, we had the Clipper Creek EVSE before the Blinks were shipped as part of the EV Project. It is a really great charger because it is just so no frills.

I've lost track of the site suggestions I've given them for south O.C. installs ... and yet NOTHING. They can't even keep the pathetic ONE running that they do have at Kohl's (no where near the freeway ... just near a toll road. It's down, more than 2x that it's up. I've lost track of the hours and hours talking to clippercreek peeps, as well as Kohl's peeps. What a barrel of monkey.

I work for a small Town in northern Calififornia and I manage the public works department. We have one of the paddle chargers in our corp yard that was installed by Nissan about eight years ago. We let the public use it for free. I contacted Clipper Creek about the upgrade program and was told that if a facility only has one charger we do not qualify for an upgrade. It must remain as is for the older electric cars. It was bad news for me since I drive a leaf and park next to the charger I can't use.

I also have grant funding for two level 2 chargers in our public parking lot, but have not had a response from Clipper Creek, or Blink but after months of requests I have a Charge Point installer taking a look tomorrow.

Also, a new local business with 480 3 phase power wanted to install a level 3 charger but after months of begging have decided to give up on the idea. It would have been a super easy install but they are paving the lot next week and open the week after. Now it will be difficult in the future. They are installing a 200kw solar system to supplement their energy use.

It seems to difficult a process to get any of these companies to respond to inquiries.

There are 3 locations that have old legacy chargers that I would like to see upgraded.

1. Monterey West Custom House.
http://www.evchargernews.com/regions/93940_1.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

2. Rio Vista
http://www.evchargernews.com/regions/94571_1.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

3. Petaluma Village Premium Outlets
http://www.evchargernews.com/regions/94952_1.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

All or any that get done would be appreciated.

Uccello said:

Mission Valley Mall in San Diego has two of the old style chargers and it would be great if they could upgrade them. Not sure if Westfield is into it, but it is a great location...

http://www.westfield.com/missionvalley" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

-u

PS, we had the Clipper Creek EVSE before the Blinks were shipped as part of the EV Project. It is a really great charger because it is just so no frills.

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Does anybody have a link or contact details for the grant program? I too would like to see the Mission Valley site updated. One would think they'd be receptive since it doesn't cost them anything. I've found that a little hand holding goes a long way to getting something like this accomplished. If I could send them direct link or contact info I think that would help enormously.

New install? We need 100 of them at LAX. BTW can you get them in by the second week of April
Upgrade the old? Still some could be converted at LAX.

Did Costco turn them down?

smkettner said:

Did Costco turn them down?

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The regional manager for Costco in Northern California (San Francisco bay area) not only turned them down but also sent a memo to the stores that had legacy chargers to remove them and cement over them.

tbleakne said:

There is a related thread on Costco upgrades that mentions ClipperCreek but it has been dormant for a while.
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=26&t=4584

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Thank you, Tom, for your wonderful contributions. Yes, as discussed in the other thread, having access to L2 at the San Bernardino, CA Costco would be very, very useful to all of the drivers in our family.

Here's another few "legacy" sites that we would really appreciate being able to charge at on a semi-regular basis:
1299 Galleria at Tyler, Riverside, CA 92503 909-351-3312 One LP Inductive
City of Grand Terrace - City Hall, 22795 Barton Rd, Grand Terrace, CA 92313 2 LP Inductive
Stater Brothers, 22471 Barton Rd, Grand Terrace, CA 92313 One LP Inductive

I don't know if we would make use of this one, but it would be good to see it upgraded nonetheless:
San Bernardino City Hall, 300 North D St, San Bernardino, CA 92401 2 LP Inductive

There are currently no public charging facilities for the LEAF between Redlands and Palm Springs. This site really should be upgraded if possible, especially considering the range-sapping winds that are common in the San Gorgonio Pass area:
Desert Hills Outlet Mall, 48400 Seminole Dr, Cabazon, CA 92230 1 LP Inductive 1 SP Inductive 1 Avcon Conductive

Nice location by Old Temecula, convenient to I-15 between the Inland Empire and San Diego area:
City of Temecula - 6th Street Lot, 28462 Front St, Temecula, CA 92590 1 LP Inductive 1 Avcon Conductive