Phoenix Range Test Sept 15, 2012 planning!

[tbleakne]

+1
Without an accurate measurement of battery voltage fully charged and at turtle independent of the car, it will be impossible to make the claim that there is not an instrumentation issue causing the drop in range. Yes, you will absolutely be able to claim that the range has dropped, but you cannot rule out that the cars are measuring battery voltage incorrectly and therefore undercharging the battery.

+2. I've thought this all along. If the car's computing equipment thinks the battery is empty (or degraded even) then the car will behave like it's empty (or degraded), even if those circumstances aren't really true.

Agreed. Please keep in mind that it's lot harder arguing with voltage figures collected from the CAN bus than with Gids, which is a synthetic value. I'm not sure if we will be instrumented to measure pack voltage directly, but it should be relatively easy for Phil or someone else with a workshop to confirm that the voltage broadcast on the CAN bus matches actual pack voltage. There is not much that can be added or taken away from a simple reading such as temperature or voltage. It either works or it doesn't.

I don't believe this is a realistic concern. Yes, I the Gids are a synthetic calculation, based upon both voltage and coulomb counting, that could be a little off, but the Gid meter can also read the pack voltage values transmitted on the CAN bus, and measuring voltage reliably has been routine for 100+ years. Full charge and empty (Turtle) are defined in terms of voltage, and we should record these values from the bus. If Nissan lawyers try to cast doubt on the validity of their system's own voltage measurements, that would suggest they are really reaching and getting desperate. Hopefully a jury wouldn't buy it.

 

[palmermd]

ok, I have another question. Since every car is going to have a GiD meter, and the GiD meter can display pack voltage, then just put that down as one more data point to log at the beginning and the end of the run. Seems simple. What am I missing?

 

[tbleakne]

You guys are famous now:

Leaf Owners Send Science In To Tackle Wilting Nissan Leafs - GreenCarReports

Great report. With all this organization and planning, I would think we could also get attention from mainline print and TV media if we want it. Perhaps it is the judgement of this team that you don't want to give ammunition to the EV nay-sayers, but I think this project demonstrates how much we care that the EV revolution succeeds.

 

[surfingslovak]

I don't believe this is a realistic concern. Yes, I the Gids are a synthetic calculation, based upon both voltage and coulomb counting, that could be a little off, but the Gid meter can also read the pack voltage values transmitted on the CAN bus, and measuring voltage reliably has been routine for 100+ years. Full charge and empty (Turtle) are defined in terms of voltage, and we should record these values from the bus. If Nissan lawyers try to cast doubt on the validity of their system's own voltage measurements, that would suggest they are really reaching and getting desperate. Hopefully a jury wouldn't buy it.

One of the first questions outsiders reading press reports based on the work done on this forum ask is: what the heck is a Gid and how does that indicate that a battery is losing capacity? And even though we think we know better, I would challenge anyone to describe in detail how exactly Gids are generated and how the instrumentation in the car works with them.

Tony's original test idea is solid: charge a Leaf to full, cover all instruments and drive the car until it stops in a controlled environment. Hard to argue with that test, especially if you just want to confirm the veracity of the capacity gauge display. Most people can understand what voltage is and what it means when a battery is charged and discharged to the same voltage. Yes, the car could be misreading voltage, the same way it could be misreading temperature. However, if that were the case, we have a much bigger problem.

Personally, I believe that the test is good enough to stand on its own, even if no additional data is recorded. However, if an effort is made to write down Gids, I suggest that we extended this and included pack voltage as well.

 

[gbarry42]

ok, I have another question. Since every car is going to have a GiD meter, and the GiD meter can display pack voltage, then just put that down as one more data point to log at the beginning and the end of the run. Seems simple. What am I missing?

You're missing that it's already on the list By the way, Tony, you've got a typo (copy-paste-o ) where you state the ending voltage should be...you used the same number as the starting voltage.

 

[garygid]

Is Toe-Knee-Wheel-Ums San now a swear word in Japan? :lol:

I have 6 GID-Meter for Tony, now I must arrange to get them to him.

The "Map, Map, Map, AV-PWR, AV-PWR, Map" hidden screens have a
GPS screen that appears to show GPS speed in tenths of km per hour,
where 62.5 mph = 1000 indicated. But, not really easy to see.

Splendid job, Tony!!!

 

[TonyWilliams]

Is Toe-Knee-Wheel-Ums San now a swear word in Japan? :lol:

I have 6 GID-Meter for Tony, now I must arrange to get them to him.

The "Map, Map, Map, AV-PWR, AV-PWR, Map" hidden screens have a
GPS screen that appears to show GPS speed in tenths of km per hour,
where 62.5 mph = 1000 indicated. But, not really easy to see.

Splendid job, Tony!!!

Very interesting, if we come up short of GPS's. Gary, I can come up to about Oceanside Nissan dealer for a round trip. Can you do that? 9am Thursday?

 

[surfingslovak]

The point is that if all of these LEAFs had perfectly balanced packs with identical capacity, you could still get VERY different ranges if some cars begin the drive with their packs charged to 380V while others start at 400V due to an instrumentation problem the car has with measuring battery voltage. In that case, you would see the range differences (which are still no less real) but any conclusion of differences in battery capacity would be erroneous.

For what it's worth, I observed pack voltages between 392 and 394 Volt across couple of dozen Leafs. If I got it right, this would represent about 1 kWh of capacity or approximately 4 miles range difference when going 60 mph.

 

[TonyWilliams]

ok, I have another question. Since every car is going to have a GiD meter, and the GiD meter can display pack voltage, then just put that down as one more data point to log at the beginning and the end of the run. Seems simple. What am I missing?

You're missing that it's already on the list By the way, Tony, you've got a typo (copy-paste-o ) where you state the ending voltage should be...you used the same number as the starting voltage.

Ok, guys, you need to go through this with a fine tooth comb and think outside the box. I'm in the final throws of planning. I plan to bring:

Suburban tow recovery vehicle with Uhaul tow dolly
The BC2BC LEAF
Air compressor, spare tires, tire pressure gauge, jacks, impact driver, air tank, ballast, 2 GPSs, 6 Gidmeters, 72 bottles of water, cooler, 2-4 EZ-Ups, chairs, tables, I would like to build a J1772 splitter (to charge two LEAFs on one Blink) but I know one of you smart guys in PHX can whip this out (I have the J1772 to NEMA 14-50 adapter, so just need >>14-50P to two L6-20R<<), two modified EVSEupgrade Nissan/Panasonic units, and video equipment (two Canon HD video, two GoPro HD).

I would like somebody else to consider ballast, and somebody (or two) are bringing scales. I don't want to haul 400 pounds of rice bags (or whatever is cheap and easy) from San Diego.

**********************************************************

Administrator of this Nissan LEAF Range Demonstration test:

Tony Williams
858-245-8217
12656 Sabre View Cove
San Diego, CA 92128-4160

TonyWilliams -at- LoveMyLEAF -dot- com
858-245-8217


WHY:

September 4, 2012- Andy Palmer, executive vice president of Nissan dismissed recent reports of battery problems in hot weather for the LEAF. He was reported by an Australian source as saying, "We don't have a battery problem." Palmer says the problem is a faulty battery level display.

September 15, 2012- In response to Andy Palmer's comments, some "hot weather" LEAF's, including Scott Yarosh's LEAF (his car currently has the most displayed battery capacity loss with 4 of 12 missing battery capacity "bars" from the car's dash mounted instrument) will be tested to determine if in fact the cars can physically drive as far now as they did when new with a "faulty battery level display", or if this is merely another attempt by Nissan execs to deflect attention from the serious battery issues in hot ambient temperatures that were predicted by many experts well before Nissan manufactured the car. In 2009, the president of Tesla Motors (electric vehicle manufacturer) called Nissan's then proposed LEAF battery "primitive" and he thought that if those batteries failed (with over 84 reported on the MyNissanLEAF.com forum as of 11 Sept 2012) that it might negatively affect the entire electric vehicle movement.

WHEN:

Friday, Sept 14 - All afternoon / evening - Driving / towing cars to the staging area to be charged. They will charge overnight and have time to balance the cells (up to 4 hours). LEAVE THE KEYS WITH ADMINISTRATOR SO THAT THE CAR CAN BE REPOSITIONED DURING THE NIGHT to the staging area.

Saturday, Sept 15 - 5:30am - Driver meeting at staging area at:
"PDAT"
7755 South Research Drive
Tempe, AZ 85284

Saturday, Sept 15 - 6:00am -First test vehicle launches on course.

Saturday, Sept 15 - 9:00am-ish - Restaurant 3.7 miles west of staging area (opens at 6:30am):

Crackers & Co Cafe
4.0 star rating
98 reviews
1285 W Elliot Rd
Tempe, AZ 85284
(480) 705-7900
http://www.crackerscafe.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

WHO:

Tony Williams - administrator and recovery vehicle driver (Suburban w/Uhaul dolly)
Scott Yarish - recovery vehicle driver (F250 bio-diesel; needs to get a rental dolly)
Scott's spouse - LEAF driver of their car on the test course
TickTock -
leafkabob -
shrink -
spooka -
Many others....

The LEAF's:

Currently, 12 are signed up.


WHERE:

Staging area:
"PDAT"
7755 South Research Drive
Tempe, AZ 85284


COURSE:
From the staging area at 7755 South Research Drive, Tempe, AZ 85284, 101 freeway north for 5.2 miles, then 202 west which becomes 10 west.

Then, starting at the staging area and ending at the E. Elliot Rd, Tempe, AZ freeway overpass at highway 101 the following round trip distances apply to these exits on highway 10, where course reversal will take place:

52.3 miles - Exit 136, N. 75th Ave
54.3 miles - Exit 135, N. 83rd Ave
56.3 miles - Exit 134, N. 91st Ave
58.3 miles - Exit 133a, N. 99th Ave
62.3 miles - Exit 131, N. 115th Ave / Avondale Blvd
66.3 miles - Exit 129, N. Dysart Rd
68.3 miles - Exit 128, N. Litchfield Rd
72.3 miles - Exit 126, N. Pebble Beach Pkwy / N. Estrella Pkwy
76.3 miles - Exit 124, N. Cotton Ln / highway 303
82.3 miles - Exit 121, N. 195th Ave / N. Jackrabbit Trail
85.1 miles - Exit 120, N. Airport Rd / N. Verado Way

Program a destination in the NAV to one of the above appropriate exits, and then edit the route to add a new destination as the staging area.

If your car has not hit turtle mode by E. Elliot Rd, keep driving right past that exit. DO NOT EXIT THE FREEWAY AT E. Elliot Rd UNLESS YOUR CAR IS IN TURTLE MODE!! We'll see you go right by and get you when you do hit turtle.

ALTERNATE COURSES:

The backup routes, in case of freeway closure, crashes, etc, is:

PADT charging station is 0.3 miles from the freeway, then:

40.4 miles - RIGHT LOOP - 101 North, 60 East, 202 South, West, then 101 North

21.8 miles - LEFT LOOP - 101 North, 60 WEST, 10 South, 202 East, 101 North

*********

Dropping off the car Friday night at a charger at the staging area: Verify registration, insurance, and Blink Card is in car. LEAVE THE KEYS WITH ADMINISTRATOR SO THAT THE CAR CAN BE REPOSITIONED DURING THE NIGHT.

The range test is simple, but detailed. We need to do the test very early in the morning, and the batteries need to been at uniform, stable temperatures. Tests need to be conducted with the A/C off.

DO NOT DRIVE THE LEAF SATURDAY MORNING UNTIL THE ACTUAL TEST!!!! The cars will get towed from wherever they are charging on Friday night to the staging point (this may happen well before the 5:30 am driver meeting in the middle of the night).

YOUR CAR IS _____________________ (LEAF color with the last 3 digits of serial number, example "White123")

Safety Check and Pre-Departure Checklist
1. Verify required public highway documents; registration, insurance, etc
2. Blink card is in car
3. Insert tow hook in front bumper
2. Check all external lights and verify car is in "as delivered when new" condition
3. Reset all trip odometers, miles/kWh, average speed, timer, etc
4. Set "Show Freeway Exits" MAP> MapMenu soft key> MapView> Map Settings
4. Gidmeter installed
5. Mount GPS to measure distance and maintain speed at 62mph
6. The last three digits of the LEAF's serial number to be affixed on the right top front of the windshield and left rear top of the rear window. Also affix VEHICLE TEST IN PROGRESS to rear window. Cover the upper speedometer panel and clock
7. Affix vehicle identification (e.g., White123) above Battery Capacity meter on dash
8. Driver weight noted (need scale) and ballast added to match heaviest driver
Driver weight ____________
Ballast added ____________
9. Driver cell phone (you MUST have a phone) linked to Bluetooth with the administrator's phone programmed in car for hands free operation. Test to make sure it works. Bluetooth setup for driver's phone, press "MENU", then "Settings", the "Bluetooth Connections", then "Connect Bluetooth", then "Yes".
Make sure the cell phone is now "discoverable"
10. Front windows closed, or up to 2 inches open. Do not open rear windows
11. Headlights ON manually (not Auto)
13. CLIMATE CONTROL OFF
14. Water for driver
15. Visually inspect for extraneous weight in car that needs to be removed (child car seats ok)
16. Every car must have stock Bridgestone Ecopia tires, VERIFY 36 psi per tire
17. Have the course map, all checkpoints, and pertainent contact information in car
18. Program the staging area into car's Navigation to be used to determine distance from staging area
19. We will launch cars and assign the course reversal point based on the Gid %. Record assigned Course by circling the assigned course reversal point:

Gid% - Course length
62% - 52.3 miles - Exit 136, N. 75th Ave
64% - 54.3 miles - Exit 135, N. 83rd Ave
67% - 56.3 miles - Exit 134, N. 91st Ave
69% - 58.3 miles - Exit 133a, N. 99th Ave
74% - 62.3 miles - Exit 131, N. 115th Ave / Avondale Blvd
79% - 66.3 miles - Exit 129, N. Dysart Rd
81% - 68.3 miles - Exit 128, N. Litchfield Rd
85% - 72.3 miles - Exit 126, N. Pebble Beach Pkwy / N. Estrella Pkwy
91% - 76.3 miles - Exit 124, N. Cotton Ln / highway 303
98% - 82.3 miles - Exit 121, N. 195th Ave / N. Jackrabbit Trail
101%- 85.1 miles - Exit 120, N. Airport Rd / N. Verado Way

Missing capacity bars should equal:

Gid% - Capacity bars remaining
60% - 7 bars
66% - 8 bars
73% - 9 bars
79% - 10 bars
85% - 11 bars
100%- 12 bars

Proposed departure time _____________
Estimated time at Turtle at one minute per mile ______________

Taxi Checklist
1. Record starting position GPS coordinates
Lat/Long - N_________________W_________________ GPS position is found at: Press "MENU", then "Info", then "GPS Position" -or- "Where am I?"
2. Prior to launch on the course, record start time using center NAV display time only
Time _____________
3. Power up LEAF in "Ready" - record starting Gidmeter voltage (should be about 393.5) and record Gid %
Voltage ___________
Gid % ___________
4. Fuel bars observed (should be 12) ______________
Battery capacity bars ___________________________
Battery temperature bars (should be six) ________
DTE / GuessOmeter while in ECO _______________

Cleared for Takeoff
5. Select "ECO" mode
6. Drive course safely at 62 mph as measured with the mounted GPS with cruise control engaged. Adjust speed with one "click" up or down per one mph.
7. Stay mostly in furthest right lane
8. Do NOT draft any vehicle. If following a vehicle, safely change lanes when able; only slow down for safety
9. If you must slow for any reason, mentally note slowest speed and duration. Do not, under any circumstance, increase speed over 62 mph
10. When car reaches 8.6% or 24 on the Gidmeter, or the audible alarm is heard indicating Very Low Battery (this should be the second alarm), call the range test administrator. Using "handsfree" methods, report your position relative to Freeway, direction, crossing street ( for example, "White123, 4 miles from staging area, 101 Freeway southbound, crossing E. Broadway") where your car is a white LEAF with the last 3 digits of serial number of 123. Using MENU>INFO>"Where am I?" helps
11. When car reaches "turtle" mode (audible warning and/or slowing speed), turn off cruise control and get safely off the highway, in a position to be safely connected to a tow vehicle
12. Use memory items at Turtle:
Cruise control OFF
Four way blinkers ON
TIME <<< really important


After Landing Checklist
1. Once safely WELL off the highway and stopped, cruise control OFF, four way warning blinkers ON, record stop time using center NAV display time only
Time __________________
2. Enter final resting location GPS coordinates
Lat/Long - N_________________W_________________ GPS position is found at: Press "MENU", then "Info", then "GPS Position" -or- "Where am I?"
3. Uncover instrument panel, record trip length, and miles/kWh from dash
Odometer Trip miles _________________________
Miles/kWh from dash _________________________
Fuel bars observed (should be zero) _____________
Battery capacity bars _________________________
Battery temperature bars (should be six) _________
4. Record ending Gidmeter voltage and record Gid %
Voltage ___________
Gid % ___________
5. Turn car off, make arrangements for tow back to a charging station
6. Return this completed list to administrator at "PDAT", 7755 South Research Drive, Tempe, AZ
7. Charge car for 10 minutes at DC charger
8. Eat breakfast with the gang at 9am-ish
9. Make appointment with Nissan dealer for battery check

************************************************
Nearby charging from staging point:

4 miles west, near breakfast spot, 4 Blinks
IKEA - Tempe
2110 W. Ikea Way
Tempe, AZ 85284

3 miles south, two Blinks
AAA - Chandler
4040 W. Ray Road
Chandler, AZ 85226

4 miles east, 6 Blinks
JMIP Antique Mall
1509 N. Arizona Ave
Chandler, AZ 85225

3 miles north, 2 Blinks
Rio Salado - Southern
3320 S Price Road
Tempe, AZ 85282

FOR RECOVERY VEHICLE DRIVERS

Recovery zone on highway 202 eastbound and 101 southbound:

N. Scottsdale Road (In-N-Out Burger)
E. Broadway Road
E. Southern Road (must exit 101 northbound at Baseline)
E. Baseline Road
E. Guadalupe Road
E. Elliot Road
E. Warner Road
W. Ray Road
W. Chandler Blvd

When the LEAF driver reports they are safely off the freeway, they will give you the distance from the staging area. If that is north of E. Elliot Road, then the simple answer is to drive that distance from the staging area, get off at the exit ramp past that point (where you should see the LEAF on your left, off the highway in the opposite direction), then turn around and recover the LEAF.

If the LEAF passes E. Elliot Road southbound, just simply follow it in the southbound lane for recovery. Return all LEAFs to the staging area.

 

[jasonphos]

The world will be watching.

 

[TickTock]

Maybe, but doesn't appear, at least, to be a static offset in the voltage measurment (degraded pack compared to new) - see thread:

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=30&t=8802&start=2336

+1
Without an accurate measurement of battery voltage fully charged and at turtle independent of the car, it will be impossible to make the claim that there is not an instrumentation issue causing the drop in range. Yes, you will absolutely be able to claim that the range has dropped, but you cannot rule out that the cars are measuring battery voltage incorrectly and therefore undercharging the battery.

+2. I've thought this all along. If the car's computing equipment thinks the battery is empty (or degraded even) then the car will behave like it's empty (or degraded), even if those circumstances aren't really true.

 

[garygid]

Record turn-around exit actually used, and the time?

See you at 9 AM Thursday at Oceanside Nissan.

 

[JimSouCal]

The world will be watching.

So far, very impressive. Very impressive.

 

[TickTock]

Looks good.

Are each of the drivers to make and tape their own signage for the windows?

Friday night still isn't clear. Do we start at PADT, and if all spots are taken find somewhere else and then get a ride back to PADT to leave the keys?

Perhaps instead of one person bringing a lot of ballast, have everyone bring enough to total say 200lbs for themselves - however they manage it (rice, tractor weights, bags of concrete, etc).

ok, I have another question. Since every car is going to have a GiD meter, and the GiD meter can display pack voltage, then just put that down as one more data point to log at the beginning and the end of the run. Seems simple. What am I missing?

You're missing that it's already on the list By the way, Tony, you've got a typo (copy-paste-o ) where you state the ending voltage should be...you used the same number as the starting voltage.

Ok, guys, you need to go through this with a fine tooth comb and think outside the box. I'm in the final throws of planning. I plan to bring:

Suburban tow recovery vehicle with Uhaul tow dolly
The BC2BC LEAF
Air compressor, spare tires, tire pressure gauge, jacks, impact driver, air tank, ballast, 2 GPSs, 6 Gidmeters, 72 bottles of water, cooler, 2-4 EZ-Ups, chairs, tables, I would like to build a J1772 splitter (to charge two LEAFs on one Blink) but I know one of you smart guys in PHX can whip this out (I have the J1772 to NEMA 14-50 adapter, so just need >>14-50P to two L6-20R<<), two modified EVSEupgrade Nissan/Panasonic units, and video equipment (two Canon HD video, two GoPro HD).

I would like somebody else to consider ballast, and somebody (or two) are bringing scales. I don't want to haul 400 pounds of rice bags (or whatever is cheap and easy) from San Diego.

**********************************************************

Administrator of this Nissan LEAF Range Demonstration test:

Tony Williams
858-245-8217
12656 Sabre View Cove
San Diego, CA 92128-4160

TonyWilliams -at- LoveMyLEAF -dot- com
858-245-8217


WHY:

September 4, 2012- Andy Palmer, executive vice president of Nissan dismissed recent reports of battery problems in hot weather for the LEAF. He was reported by an Australian source as saying, "We don't have a battery problem." Palmer says the problem is a faulty battery level display.

September 15, 2012- In response to Andy Palmer's comments, some "hot weather" LEAF's, including Scott Yarosh's LEAF (his car currently has the most displayed battery capacity loss with 4 of 12 missing battery capacity "bars" from the car's dash mounted instrument) will be tested to determine if in fact the cars can physically drive as far now as they did when new with a "faulty battery level display", or if this is merely another attempt by Nissan execs to deflect attention from the serious battery issues in hot ambient temperatures that were predicted by many experts well before Nissan manufactured the car. In 2009, the president of Tesla Motors (electric vehicle manufacturer) called Nissan's then proposed LEAF battery "primitive" and he thought that if those batteries failed (with over 84 reported on the MyNissanLEAF.com forum as of 11 Sept 2012) that it might negatively affect the entire electric vehicle movement.

WHEN:

Friday, Sept 14 - All afternoon / evening - Driving / towing cars to the staging area to be charged. They will charge overnight and have time to balance the cells (up to 4 hours). LEAVE THE KEYS WITH ADMINISTRATOR SO THAT THE CAR CAN BE REPOSITIONED DURING THE NIGHT to the staging area.

Saturday, Sept 15 - 5:30am - Driver meeting at staging area at:
"PDAT"
7755 South Research Drive
Tempe, AZ 85284

Saturday, Sept 15 - 6:00am -First test vehicle launches on course.

Saturday, Sept 15 - 9:00am-ish - Restaurant 3.7 miles west of staging area (opens at 6:30am):

Crackers & Co Cafe
4.0 star rating
98 reviews
1285 W Elliot Rd
Tempe, AZ 85284
(480) 705-7900
http://www.crackerscafe.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

WHO:

Tony Williams - administrator and recovery vehicle driver (Suburban w/Uhaul dolly)
Scott Yarish - recovery vehicle driver (F250 bio-diesel; needs to get a rental dolly)
Scott's spouse - LEAF driver of their car on the test course
TickTock -
leafkabob -
shrink -
spooka -
Many others....

The LEAF's:

Currently, 12 are signed up.


WHERE:

Staging area:
"PDAT"
7755 South Research Drive
Tempe, AZ 85284


COURSE:
From the staging area at 7755 South Research Drive, Tempe, AZ 85284, 101 freeway north for 5.2 miles, then 202 west which becomes 10 west.

Then, starting at the staging area and ending at the E. Elliot Rd, Tempe, AZ freeway overpass at highway 101 the following round trip distances apply to these exits on highway 10, where course reversal will take place:

52.3 miles - Exit 136, N. 75th Ave
54.3 miles - Exit 135, N. 83rd Ave
56.3 miles - Exit 134, N. 91st Ave
58.3 miles - Exit 133a, N. 99th Ave
62.3 miles - Exit 131, N. 115th Ave / Avondale Blvd
66.3 miles - Exit 129, N. Dysart Rd
68.3 miles - Exit 128, N. Litchfield Rd
72.3 miles - Exit 126, N. Pebble Beach Pkwy / N. Estrella Pkwy
76.3 miles - Exit 124, N. Cotton Ln / highway 303
82.3 miles - Exit 121, N. 195th Ave / N. Jackrabbit Trail
85.1 miles - Exit 120, N. Airport Rd / N. Verado Way

Program a destination in the NAV to one of the above appropriate exits, and then edit the route to add a new destination as the staging area.

If your car has not hit turtle mode by E. Elliot Rd, keep driving right past that exit. DO NOT EXIT THE FREEWAY AT E. Elliot Rd UNLESS YOUR CAR IS IN TURTLE MODE!! We'll see you go right by and get you when you do hit turtle.

ALTERNATE COURSES:

The backup routes, in case of freeway closure, crashes, etc, is:

PADT charging station is 0.3 miles from the freeway, then:

40.4 miles - RIGHT LOOP - 101 North, 60 East, 202 South, West, then 101 North

21.8 miles - LEFT LOOP - 101 North, 60 WEST, 10 South, 202 East, 101 North

*********

Dropping off the car Friday night at a charger at the staging area: Verify registration, insurance, and Blink Card is in car. LEAVE THE KEYS WITH ADMINISTRATOR SO THAT THE CAR CAN BE REPOSITIONED DURING THE NIGHT.

The range test is simple, but detailed. We need to do the test very early in the morning, and the batteries need to been at uniform, stable temperatures. Tests need to be conducted with the A/C off.

DO NOT DRIVE THE LEAF SATURDAY MORNING UNTIL THE ACTUAL TEST!!!! The cars will get towed from wherever they are charging on Friday night to the staging point (this may happen well before the 5:30 am driver meeting in the middle of the night).

YOUR CAR IS _____________________ (LEAF color with the last 3 digits of serial number, example "White123")

Safety Check and Pre-Departure Checklist
1. Verify required public highway documents; registration, insurance, etc
2. Blink card is in car
3. Insert tow hook in front bumper
2. Check all external lights and verify car is in "as delivered when new" condition
3. Reset all trip odometers, miles/kWh, average speed, timer, etc
4. Set "Show Freeway Exits" MAP> MapMenu soft key> MapView> Map Settings
4. Gidmeter installed
5. Mount GPS to measure distance and maintain speed at 62mph
6. The last three digits of the LEAF's serial number to be affixed on the right top front of the windshield and left rear top of the rear window. Also affix VEHICLE TEST IN PROGRESS to rear window. Cover the upper speedometer panel and clock
7. Affix vehicle identification (e.g., White123) above Battery Capacity meter on dash
8. Driver weight noted (need scale) and ballast added to match heaviest driver
Driver weight ____________
Ballast added ____________
9. Driver cell phone (you MUST have a phone) linked to Bluetooth with the administrator's phone programmed in car for hands free operation. Test to make sure it works. Bluetooth setup for driver's phone, press "MENU", then "Settings", the "Bluetooth Connections", then "Connect Bluetooth", then "Yes".
Make sure the cell phone is now "discoverable"
10. Front windows closed, or up to 2 inches open. Do not open rear windows
11. Headlights ON manually (not Auto)
13. CLIMATE CONTROL OFF
14. Water for driver
15. Visually inspect for extraneous weight in car that needs to be removed (child car seats ok)
16. Every car must have stock Bridgestone Ecopia tires, VERIFY 36 psi per tire
17. Have the course map, all checkpoints, and pertainent contact information in car
18. Program the staging area into car's Navigation to be used to determine distance from staging area
19. We will launch cars and assign the course reversal point based on the Gid %. Record assigned Course by circling the assigned course reversal point:

Gid% - Course length
62% - 52.3 miles - Exit 136, N. 75th Ave
64% - 54.3 miles - Exit 135, N. 83rd Ave
67% - 56.3 miles - Exit 134, N. 91st Ave
69% - 58.3 miles - Exit 133a, N. 99th Ave
74% - 62.3 miles - Exit 131, N. 115th Ave / Avondale Blvd
79% - 66.3 miles - Exit 129, N. Dysart Rd
81% - 68.3 miles - Exit 128, N. Litchfield Rd
85% - 72.3 miles - Exit 126, N. Pebble Beach Pkwy / N. Estrella Pkwy
91% - 76.3 miles - Exit 124, N. Cotton Ln / highway 303
98% - 82.3 miles - Exit 121, N. 195th Ave / N. Jackrabbit Trail
101%- 85.1 miles - Exit 120, N. Airport Rd / N. Verado Way

Missing capacity bars should equal:

Gid% - Capacity bars remaining
60% - 7 bars
66% - 8 bars
73% - 9 bars
79% - 10 bars
85% - 11 bars
100%- 12 bars

Proposed departure time _____________
Estimated time at Turtle at one minute per mile ______________

Taxi Checklist
1. Record starting position GPS coordinates
Lat/Long - N_________________W_________________ GPS position is found at: Press "MENU", then "Info", then "GPS Position" -or- "Where am I?"
2. Prior to launch on the course, record start time using center NAV display time only
Time _____________
3. Power up LEAF in "Ready" - record starting Gidmeter voltage (should be about 393.5) and record Gid %
Voltage ___________
Gid % ___________
4. Fuel bars observed (should be 12) ______________
Battery capacity bars ___________________________
Battery temperature bars (should be six) ________
DTE / GuessOmeter while in ECO _______________

Cleared for Takeoff
5. Select "ECO" mode
6. Drive course safely at 62 mph as measured with the mounted GPS with cruise control engaged. Adjust speed with one "click" up or down per one mph.
7. Stay mostly in furthest right lane
8. Do NOT draft any vehicle. If following a vehicle, safely change lanes when able; only slow down for safety
9. If you must slow for any reason, mentally note slowest speed and duration. Do not, under any circumstance, increase speed over 62 mph
10. When car reaches 8.6% or 24 on the Gidmeter, or the audible alarm is heard indicating Very Low Battery (this should be the second alarm), call the range test administrator. Using "handsfree" methods, report your position relative to Freeway, direction, crossing street ( for example, "White123, 4 miles from staging area, 101 Freeway southbound, crossing E. Broadway") where your car is a white LEAF with the last 3 digits of serial number of 123. Using MENU>INFO>"Where am I?" helps
11. When car reaches "turtle" mode (audible warning and/or slowing speed), turn off cruise control and get safely off the highway, in a position to be safely connected to a tow vehicle
12. Use memory items at Turtle:
Cruise control OFF
Four way blinkers ON
TIME <<< really important


After Landing Checklist
1. Once safely WELL off the highway and stopped, cruise control OFF, four way warning blinkers ON, record stop time using center NAV display time only
Time __________________
2. Enter final resting location GPS coordinates
Lat/Long - N_________________W_________________ GPS position is found at: Press "MENU", then "Info", then "GPS Position" -or- "Where am I?"
3. Uncover instrument panel, record trip length, and miles/kWh from dash
Odometer Trip miles _________________________
Miles/kWh from dash _________________________
Fuel bars observed (should be zero) _____________
Battery capacity bars _________________________
Battery temperature bars (should be six) _________
4. Record ending Gidmeter voltage and record Gid %
Voltage ___________
Gid % ___________
5. Turn car off, make arrangements for tow back to a charging station
6. Return this completed list to administrator at "PDAT", 7755 South Research Drive, Tempe, AZ
7. Charge car for 10 minutes at DC charger
8. Eat breakfast with the gang at 9am-ish
9. Make appointment with Nissan dealer for battery check

************************************************
Nearby charging from staging point:

4 miles west, near breakfast spot, 4 Blinks
IKEA - Tempe
2110 W. Ikea Way
Tempe, AZ 85284

3 miles south, two Blinks
AAA - Chandler
4040 W. Ray Road
Chandler, AZ 85226

4 miles east, 6 Blinks
JMIP Antique Mall
1509 N. Arizona Ave
Chandler, AZ 85225

3 miles north, 2 Blinks
Rio Salado - Southern
3320 S Price Road
Tempe, AZ 85282

FOR RECOVERY VEHICLE DRIVERS

Recovery zone on highway 202 eastbound and 101 southbound:

N. Scottsdale Road (In-N-Out Burger)
E. Broadway Road
E. Southern Road (must exit 101 northbound at Baseline)
E. Baseline Road
E. Guadalupe Road
E. Elliot Road
E. Warner Road
W. Ray Road
W. Chandler Blvd

When the LEAF driver reports they are safely off the freeway, they will give you the distance from the staging area. If that is north of E. Elliot Road, then the simple answer is to drive that distance from the staging area, get off at the exit ramp past that point (where you should see the LEAF on your left, off the highway in the opposite direction), then turn around and recover the LEAF.

If the LEAF passes E. Elliot Road southbound, just simply follow it in the southbound lane for recovery. Return all LEAFs to the staging area.

 

[palmermd]

Has anyone called to warn the Cafe that they will be very busy that morning as the news reporters arrive and wait to ambush the drivers for comments on the event as they walk in the door? Reservations for 30?

 

[shrink]

Friday night still isn't clear. Do we start at PADT, and if all spots are taken find somewhere else and then get a ride back to PADT to leave the keys?

Good question. My understanding was that we just find an nearby L2 (e.g., Ikea), get the keys to Tony somehow Friday night, and then his towing crew would move it to position overnight. Is that accurate?

I actually think we should leave the PADT L2 open for Tony's BC2BC LEAF. Maybe meet Tony at PADT Friday evening, give him the spare key, and drive our LEAF to a nearby L2 leaving it for overnight charging and round-up?

A few other things:

1) Bring sunglasses. Sunrise is at 6:12 am on Saturday. Phoenix is wide open desert and on eastbound on the way back, the desert sun will gloriously be in our eyes - as any good West valley downtown commuter knows all too well.

2) While I acknowledge opposum's concerns about overly obsessive details, how about for consistency and comfort we all lower the front windows a set amount using the same spacer? Something like one of those Lowe's paint stirrers maybe?

 

[TonyWilliams]

Headlights low beam only

2 inches open on the window is three fingers.

I would prefer all cars meet me at PADT, except those few being towed in that morning. I do not wish to try moving cars early in the morning. If all the cars are driven to the PADT site with as much juice you can put in the car, then the combination of DC charge and top off with L2 will work for each one. I, and whoever shows up to help Friday, will juggle the car.

Again, if I told you different, now I prefer the cars be at PADT

 

[opossum]

I like the idea of having each driver bring ballast. I'll bring all the free weights I have and other random heavy things (cinder blocks, cats, etc.). That should help.

Tony, if you end up needing to make important changes after you print everything, just email me and we can fire up our printer Friday night. Or if you're staying here, even easier.

 

[surfingslovak]

Maybe, but doesn't appear, at least, to be a static offset in the voltage measurment (degraded pack compared to new)

Great data, I remember that plot. Please correct me if I'm wrong, but the pack voltage was about 394V after the charge has completed in both cases? This would be indicative of a full charge then, which is all we care about. The different plots could be simply representative of the same charger behavior resulting in different outcomes as the battery degrades.

Perhaps Phil would know this, but doesn't the onboard charger use constant current at first and switch to constant voltage later? The higher potential at the knee could be representative of a higher voltage and higher SOC after the charger completed the first portion of its charging protocol. This might be expected if the charger delivered the same amount of energy in approximately the same time interval, but the battery capacity was lower due to degradation, which then resulted in a higher SOC?

Without wanting to theorize or argue, as long as a battery reads 393 to 394 Volt on a full charge and 307 to 308 Volt in turtle mode, that's all the confirmation of battery health I would care about. While it would be great to measure cell voltages individually and perhaps even disassemble the pack to have physical access to the cells, it would be difficult or impossible to implement given our resources and the warranty implications. I would put my faith into Nichicon and its charger and Nissan and its cell balancing process instead.

 

[shrink]

I would prefer all cars meet me at PADT, except those few being towed in that morning. I do not wish to try moving cars early in the morning. If all the cars are driven to the PADT site with as much juice you can put in the car, then the combination of DC charge and top off with L2 will work for each one. I, and whoever shows up to help Friday, will juggle the car.

Again, if I told you different, now I prefer the cars be at PADT

Oh, okay. I thought we were trying to avoid the pretest QC due to battery temperature concerns, and have all the cars end an L2 100% charge around 4am; but yes towing 10 cars in the middle of the night would be awful.

The Blink app lists 2 QC charge ports at PADT, which is really just one QC since you can't charge two cars simultaneously, and only one L2.

However, I think there are actually two L2's at PADT. Do any locals know for sure how many L2's are there?

If you have a couple of those splitters, I think four LEAF's can charge on the Blinks. I can also bring my two upgraded EVSE's in case the building has some extra outlets, too.

What time on Friday? I have some dinner plans around 6pm that I can't miss.

Oh, we should have some clipboards to record checklist items and data. I have four from work I can bring.