DC Fast Chargers are Back on the BlinkMap

[Levenkay]

Hello,
The reality is the DCQC starts out at 50kW input to the car but within just a few minutes the battery temp begins to rise and the leaf actually commands the DCQC to slow down. At the ten minute mark it's only putting in ~20kW. The AV reads output in W/sec. It starts out at 13 ~14 W/sec, ends up at 1 = L2 = (60*60=3.6 kW/h). When I charged to 100% in Eugene it was charging at ~.6 W/sec when it was finishing. So it is a sliding scale, ever decreasing over time based on SOC and temp.

If you're going to focus on units, please get them right. W/sec would be a rate of power increase, and somewhat nonsensical for the EVSE to display. I'm not in front of an AV DCQC at the moment, but from memory, I recall their display showing the number of KWH dispensed, and updating about once per second. So if you compute the difference between successive readings (which will be some small fraction of a KWH), you'll have a "KWH/sec" figure, which has dimensions of KiloWatts. Multiply by 3600 sec/hour and you'll have the average power level in KW during that second.

 

[JPVLeaf]

The latest Blink DC quick charger on that map is the one now located at the
SCAQMD in Diamond Bar, CA.

The number of QC's in Southern California has just increased by ... 50%?
(LA and Mitsubishi HQ, Cypress. Not sure if the Eaton in S.B. counts ...
i.e., is it running at full (max) 48kw?)

For those that have not used this Blink unit, or the Yakazi connector,
these are two good primer videos:

Blink DC QC:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBoE7utFy1s[/youtube]

How to use the Yakazi Chademo connector:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=317VrBDkBjg[/youtube]

carstations.com/1037 (currently waiting for update by moderators)

 

[camasleaf]

How to use the Yakazi Chademo connector:

You can practice in Portland area a lot . Same as in the video the Blink QCs are mostly down. Last weekend both Wood Village Walmart and Burgerville were down. I still got home 3 miles after LBW, without using L2.

 

[mxp]

I used the Blink QC up at VW ERL site (San Mateo SF Bay Area) on the weekend and I wasn't sure if this is normal operation. I had probably 1 bar before I plugged in.

I requested a 100% charge and here are my observations on the Blink QC:

" Your charge has completed. Pls return the plug to the charger to avoid extra charges.
End Battery charge: 89%
Charge Ended: 1 minute ago
Total Elapsed charge time: 00:30
Battery charge start: 12%
Battery charge target: 100%
"

On my Leaf dash:
I had only 9 bars (ie. 3 bars left to go to 100%)


What I am I missing here? It seems like there is a hard timer on the QC to stop charging at 30 mins.

If I needed 100% should I have just unplug and repeat the process?

Any info is most appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Blink]

How to use the Yakazi Chademo connector:

You can practice in Portland area a lot . Same as in the video the Blink QCs are mostly down. Last weekend both Wood Village Walmart and Burgerville were down. I still got home 3 miles after LBW, without using L2.

Hi -

We just wanted to update you and let you know that Burgerville and Wood Village are in the process of being fixed and techinicians will be out at the units today to evaluate the issue further.

 

[grommet]

What I am I missing here? It seems like there is a hard timer on the QC to stop charging at 30 mins.

If I needed 100% should I have just unplug and repeat the process?

Any info is most appreciated. Thanks.

It's been covered in other threads multiple times. The LEAF will attempt to protect the battery by stopping the charge at 80% (if you start the charge below 50%). It's not a time limit. If you happen to start at over 50%, it'll get closer to 100% -- but being closer to full, energy will be delivered at a slower pace.

Also, the SOC shown by the Fast Charger itself will be wrong... the LEAF gives the unit 'different' info than your dash. 90% as seen on the charger is a tad lower than 80% in your LEAF.

You are free to "double charge", but Nissan obviously doesn't recommend this behavior... or they wouldn't have this logic at all. Topping off at a nearby L2 may be a better story, if you really need 100%.

 

[planet4ever]

What grommet says is true, but it does seem quite possible and reasonable that a particular QC unit might also have a 30 minute limit. Stopping at exactly 00:30:00 would appear to be highly unlikely if that was not in effect. Is it not true that some units are being set up so you must pay a flat rate for up to 30 minutes of charging? The limit could be already built into the unit even if the current billing rate was $0.00.

Ray

 

[grommet]

LBW/1 bar to 80% is almost exactly 30 minutes, just like the LEAF marketing. It's been 29-32 minutes for me in these scenarios, so hitting 30 minutes isn't an oddity.

350Green (R.I.P. soon) were the ones charging a flat fee for quick charging... $7 for up to 30 minutes, which I find annoying since I'm a big fan of short 15 minutes partial charges... and being able to get a "full" charge when I really do want to, without blowing $14.

 

[Carlos]

Question on Blink QC charging process when two vehicles are attempting to charge at the same time.

Have you experienced Blink QC units charging two vehicles at once and now only allow charging for one at a time?

Here in Phoenix we have a few Blink QC units around town. I use them occasionally since my commutes are not as long as others. However, with loss of a couple bars and battery capacity I've needed to utilize these chargers more often. Back in April of 2012 I was able to hook into the Blink QC unit at the Ecotality office south of downtown Phoenix and charged simultaneously alongside another charging LEAF. The Blink QC units have two connectors and two separate access screens.

Now as of my last two visits to different QC I've found that this is no longer the practice. An Ecotality employee who was accessing the QC at his office explained that they now charge one at a time. Today I called the Blink service line and they are looking into why the Blink QC units may have worked simultaneously but now are sequential.
It just seems inconvenient to have access for two vehicles but limit the charging to one at a time. This wasn't a problem when I had full battery capacity.

My guess......(Non Technical - WAG) Inadequate original technology which continued to break down operating as a simultaneous QC charging station. The simple fix was to change the QC charging protocol to sequential charging. Waiting for a callback from Blink......

 

[grommet]

Carlos, the two sides never worked at the same time out here. (2 units originally, now 3.) To my knowledge, it was never designed to do that. All it ever did is start the charge immediately after the "other" car is done. This is how it was explained to me by Ecotality well before we even had a unit installed... it eliminates the time wasted between cars waiting, as well as offering a 'backup' in case a CHAdeMO connector is damaged.

From 2010:
"The Blink DC Fast Charger is outfitted with two CHAdeMO compliant electric vehicle charging connectors, which are used on fast-charge-capable electric vehicles worldwide. The connectors prevent accidental disconnection, and include intuitive connector docking for protection and storage. Safe in wet or dry use, the cables and connectors can withstand being driven over by a vehicle. Utilizing ECOtality’s patented sequential charging technique, the Blink DC Fast Charger’s dual port design allows two cars to plug in at the same time. When one EV completes charging, or finishes a programmed charge, charging will automatically begin on the other."

Since this was at Ecotality, maybe they had a revised prototype of the gear? But I somewhat doubt it...

 

[LEAFfan]

Question on Blink QC charging process when two vehicles are attempting to charge at the same time.
Have you experienced Blink QC units charging two vehicles at once and now only allow charging for one at a time?
Here in Phoenix we have a few Blink QC units around town. I use them occasionally since my commutes are not as long as others. However, with loss of a couple bars and battery capacity I've needed to utilize these chargers more often. Back in April of 2012 I was able to hook into the Blink QC unit at the Ecotality office south of downtown Phoenix and charged simultaneously alongside another charging LEAF. The Blink QC units have two connectors and two separate access screens.
Now as of my last two visits to different QC I've found that this is no longer the practice. An Ecotality employee who was accessing the QC at his office explained that they now charge one at a time. Today I called the Blink service line and they are looking into why the Blink QC units may have worked simultaneously but now are sequential.
It just seems inconvenient to have access for two vehicles but limit the charging to one at a time. This wasn't a problem when I had full battery capacity.
My guess......(Non Technical - WAG) Inadequate original technology which continued to break down operating as a simultaneous QC charging station. The simple fix was to change the QC charging protocol to sequential charging. Waiting for a callback from Blink......

I've used the QC at the ECOtality building many times, starting in Nov. They have never been simultaneous. You can plug in your car while one is charging, but they've never charged at the same time. Once the other car charging stops, the other one is supposed to begin. Lately, I've noticed that the second car has to redo it now if someone is already using the other one, but that's just a minor glitch. I have never seen a Blink QC charge two cars at the same time. Maybe some other brands can do it, but not Blink.

 

[philipscoggins]

My experience at the Blink quick charging stations in Tennessee is that even though they have two connectors only one will charge at a time. The two connectors are in place so that you're not "EVicing"? the station since they charge so quickly.

I wish I'd watched the video on this thread before I took a LEAF on an extended test drive. Man, those CHAdeMO connectors are tough to stumble your way through the first couple times...

Philip

 

[TEG]

Have you experienced Blink QC units charging two vehicles at once and now only allow charging for one at a time?

My understanding is that it has always been "one at a time".
I think there is only one charger mechanism but two "nozzles" and it can direct the electron flow at one or the other. If you pulled up and the other guy was already done then you could start immediately. If the other car is already charging, then you get a message that your session will wait until the other session is done.

 

[TEG]

It seems we have consensus that they all work that way...

 

[TonyWilliams]

I wish I'd watched the video on this thread before I took a LEAF on an extended test drive. Man, those CHAdeMO connectors are tough to stumble your way through the first couple times...

Philip

It's not a Chademo requirement for the Yazaki connector to be difficult. Yazaki accomplished that all by themselves. Check out the other choices (I will now get a Dyden connector on my DC charger):

http://chademo.com/03_CHAdeMO_connectors.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[philipscoggins]

Cool, I never knew there were other connectors. I hope the Yazaki was designed by someone who imagined there would be an instructional diagram next to it. :?

We're mostly Blinks in TN, but I've seen 2 other brands of Quick Chargers, an EATON in Chattanooga & Nissan's at the Smyrna plant. But I only drove by to eyeball them and make sure they were real as I plan my travels once I secure my LEAF.

Philip

 

[DaveEV]

Any one experience any problems with the queuing feature of the DC QC?

With the launch of the first San Diego County public QC, we found that trying to queue up a 2nd car while the other was charging would either result in jumping back to the start screen after briefly flashing the charging options screen, or displaying a message that says something like "problem communicating with the car - please check your owners manual".

Other than that, the QC worked great, though many had problems with releasing the plug since it takes 2 button presses to fully release it.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

Any one experience any problems with the queuing feature of the DC QC?

With the launch of the first San Diego County public QC, we found that trying to queue up a 2nd car while the other was charging would either result in jumping back to the start screen after briefly flashing the charging options screen, or displaying a message that says something like "problem communicating with the car - please check your owners manual".

Other than that, the QC worked great, though many had problems with releasing the plug since it takes 2 button presses to fully release it.

up until very recently, the AV chargers have worked very well, but in less than a week, 3 reports on 3 different chargers of the locking mechanism not working.

normally you push plug into the LEAF socket until you feel it click into place. they are not locking into place. now, you can still charge but I had to pull it out and reinsert a few times before the connection mated up well enough for the car to be recognized. ok for me but someone older, weaker, etc. could easily have issues with this.

as far as queuing AV only has the single head but they do have display lights at the top of the charger that tells you the progress of the charge so you can see from a distance when the current car is nearing the end.

 

[TEG]

With the Blink DC QCs, I have had mostly good luck with the queuing switching to a waiting car when the first is done.

But, one caveat... It seems that the waiting car can't be "on". I have seen people get in and turn on their car to get radio or AC and then when the charger switches to their car it doesn't start charging.

It seems the Blink will allow you to turn on your car while charging is in progress, but if your car is already on it may not start until you turn it off first (and make a new charge request on the blink touchscreen.)

Anyone else notice this?

 

[kevini]

Yes, I noticed it with my leaf. If the car is in accessory mode the blink will not start charging it.