Anybody in Portland, OR ever use AAA for emergency charge

[gmikol]

Hey all--

Thinking about getting a leaf soon. I've heard that AAA has vehicles equipped to provide emergency L2 and DC charging in the Portland metro area? Anybody know how many there are (and what the response time would be like?) Anybody ever need to use the service? Is AAA's press releases, I've seen ~15 miles range as being the capability they offer (via DC/chademo). Is that about right? Just wondering if it's a viable option for range emergencies.

Thanks--

--G

 

[Epi117]

Not me, pretty sure the road side assistance, covers the emergency charge, its included with purchase.


download plugshare to smart phone there are a ton of places to charge in portland.

Having charging station at home, makes life much easier http://www.amazon.com/AeroVironment-EV-Charger-Plug-In-SHIPPING/dp/B00AHG8XVA/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1386737897&sr=8-6&keywords=nissan+leaf+charger" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[gmikol]

I can't find anything on the 'net that says that Nissan Roadside Assistance provides anything other than a tow to the nearest Nissan dealer. If you have some concrete info that says otherwise, please send me a link.

That being said, I realize that there is tons of charging in the Portland metro area, and I plan on installing an L2 at home, but emergencies are just that...they can't be planned for. Whether its weather sapping some range, or an unexpected trip, or a blocked EVSE where I need one. And for a relatively small cost of AAA membership, knowing that I can get a reasonable amount of charge put back in my vehicle is useful to me.

So back to my original question...has anyone used the AAA charge service, and how much charge do they, in fact, provide?

--G

 

[srl99]

I spoke to the AAA "emergency charge" truck rep at Green Car Expo this year. Their plan is to charge you for about 15 minutes (from their on-board diesel generator), and they hope that's enough to get you to a real charging station. I suppose if you are further afield than that, they can tow you (aka Diesel Range Extender).

 

[DarkStar]

I spoke to the AAA "emergency charge" truck rep at Green Car Expo this year. Their plan is to charge you for about 15 minutes (from their on-board diesel generator), and they hope that's enough to get you to a real charging station. I suppose if you are further afield than that, they can tow you (aka Diesel Range Extender).

To clarify, in Portland they have a truck with a DC Quick Charger and generator. They say that they'll provide about 15 miles of range within 15 minutes.

 

[gmikol]

Right...I know what they say. It's the same as I've seen in the press releases when they originally launched it.

But even assuming you get 4 mi / kWh. To get you, say 16 miles of range, that's 4 kWh. To do that in 15 minutes, that's a 16 kW generator (not accounting for losses). That's one hell of a generator. That's why I wish they would specify the charging output in terms of kW. Of course, fewer people would be likely to understand what that means...

--G