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syntaxerror

Well-known member
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Jan 13, 2011
Messages
75
http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/letters/article_1cabe29a-607d-11e0-b792-001cc4c03286.html

I'm not sure that the home Blinks are working as well as he protrays but he is right on with respect to the public installations.
 
syntaxerror said:
http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/letters/article_1cabe29a-607d-11e0-b792-001cc4c03286.html

I'm not sure that the home Blinks are working as well as he protrays but he is right on with respect to the public installations.
Here's one "negative" article I wouldn't mind seeing get some wide(r)spread publication. I know we've wished reporters would back off giving NIssan a hard time in the public eye, but I think Ecotality needs a wake-up with regard to their lack of providing any public infrastructure. I aware of the argument about not enough cars on the road yet; however $100+M is $100+M and we need to know what we're getting for that and when we're going to get it.

Glenn
 
Great article and asks all the right questions.

The first comment was a bit of a 'Debbie-Downer', though! I posted my reply, so hopefully readers will get a more realistic idea of what the story relates to.
 
I personally witnessed two Blink Level 2 charging stations (physically identical to residential, but using different firmware) installed in the downtown Chattanooga DoubleTree Hotel's parking lot on St. Patrick's Day. So Blink Level 2's are being installed.

My understanding is that charging stations can only be installed after being UL listed. The first two of Blink's level 2 charging stations (Models WE-30C, WE-30K -- W for Wall installation?) only became UL certified on Dec 30, 2011. A third level 2 charging station (Model PE-30K -- P for Pedestal installation?) only became UL certified on Mar 29, 2011.

No Blink level 3 charging station is currently UL certified, so don't expect to see any installed until that happens...
 
If people are so concerned about whether Blink is doing its job and the pace of its roll out for public chargers, why not just call them, instead of posting innuendo on this website?

Even more surprising is why this VOICEOFSANDIEGO website prints this half-baked article on Ecotality and neither the website editorial staff nor the author makes any attempt to quote Ecotality or find out what is happening with their roll out of public stations. Do they just print anything?

Valerie Lecesse, the LA regional chief, is very approachable and answers her own phone. The corporate offices are on the Embarcadero in SF. The phone number is on their website.

My experience with them has been very good. I had an issue with the price of the installation. It was resolved. I had some concerns about the wireless connectivity of the product at my house. The company took steps to fix that.

There are about 200 Leafs in all of California. Maybe the roll out of public stations is less of a priority until more are on the road.
You don't know anything until you ask.
 
MikeD said:
I personally witnessed two Blink Level 2 charging stations (physically identical to residential, but using different firmware) installed in the downtown Chattanooga DoubleTree Hotel's parking lot on St. Patrick's Day. So Blink Level 2's are being installed.
Well that's two down and 13,998 Level 2 and 400 DC Fast Chargers to go! Do ya think they'll make it by summer?

MikeD said:
My understanding is that charging stations can only be installed after being UL listed. The first two of Blink's level 2 charging stations (Models WE-30C, WE-30K -- W for Wall installation?) only became UL certified on Dec 30, 2011. A third level 2 charging station (Model PE-30K -- P for Pedestal installation?) only became UL certified on Mar 29, 2011.
Wait a second. The fact that the Blink took so long to get UL listed is not an excuse but is yet another Ecotality failure. Ecotality screwed up the UL process because they were naive. Prior to the Blink, there were other EVSE's already UL listed. Ecotality weren't blazing any new trails there. Also, Ecotality could have been pulling permits for the circuits, having their contractors stubbing out the circuits, etc all in anticipation of having the Blink EVSE UL listed, but they didn't. So at the end of the day they have two public EVSE's to show for their efforts. It's time to shut the EV Project contract down and rebid it.
 
ENIAC said:
MikeD said:
I personally witnessed two Blink Level 2 charging stations (physically identical to residential, but using different firmware) installed in the downtown Chattanooga DoubleTree Hotel's parking lot on St. Patrick's Day. So Blink Level 2's are being installed.
Well that's two down and 13,998 Level 2 and 400 DC Fast Chargers to go! Do ya think they'll make it by summer?

MikeD said:
My understanding is that charging stations can only be installed after being UL listed. The first two of Blink's level 2 charging stations (Models WE-30C, WE-30K -- W for Wall installation?) only became UL certified on Dec 30, 2011. A third level 2 charging station (Model PE-30K -- P for Pedestal installation?) only became UL certified on Mar 29, 2011.
Wait a second. The fact that the Blink took so long to get UL listed is not an excuse but is yet another Ecotality failure. Ecotality screwed up the UL process because they were naive. Prior to the Blink, there were other EVSE's already UL listed. Ecotality weren't blazing any new trails there. Also, Ecotality could have been pulling permits for the circuits, having their contractors stubbing out the circuits, etc all in anticipation of having the Blink EVSE UL listed, but they didn't. So at the end of the day they have two public EVSE's to show for their efforts. It's time to shut the EV Project contract down and rebid it.

ridiculous conclusion lacking any factual support about what happened.
 
thankyouOB said:
If people are so concerned about whether Blink is doing its job and the pace of its roll out for public chargers, why not just call them, instead of posting innuendo on this website?
Innuendo? the EV Project is a DoE contract. It's on the web for crying out loud. http://www.theevproject.com
 
thankyouOB said:
Even more surprising is why this VOICEOFSANDIEGO website prints this half-baked article on Ecotality and neither the website editorial staff nor the author makes any attempt to quote Ecotality or find out what is happening with their roll out of public stations.
Yes - poor "journalism" - if you can call it that.
 
thankyouOB said:
If people are so concerned about whether Blink is doing its job and the pace of its roll out for public chargers, why not just call them, instead of posting innuendo on this website?
I can understand valid reasons for delay, and lack of UL, or no cars would qualify, but you should at least have a plan on where you are going to install, have owner permission, and pulled permits.

But something maybe starting to happen at ECOtality. I had called EV Project to find out what is happening and talked to the Los Angeles Area Rep Robert Dickens in February. Not much info, and no map of planned sites for public charging. When you mentioned Valerie Lecesse, the LA regional chief, I went back to the website and now there is NO Los Angeles rep listed, replace by San Francisco rep Jason Smith. Also, no mention of Valerie Lecesse. Do you have a number? Did she send you a map of planned sites?
 
evnow said:
thankyouOB said:
Even more surprising is why this VOICEOFSANDIEGO website prints this half-baked article on Ecotality and neither the website editorial staff nor the author makes any attempt to quote Ecotality or find out what is happening with their roll out of public stations.
Yes - poor "journalism" - if you can call it that.
If you look at the URL, it's under "letters" so it's not an "article" but rather a "letter to the editor". Would it be typical to quote sources and such in a letter to the editor? Here's the directory it's under. http://www.voiceofsandiego.org/letters
 
evnow said:
thankyouOB said:
Even more surprising is why this VOICEOFSANDIEGO website prints this half-baked article on Ecotality and neither the website editorial staff nor the author makes any attempt to quote Ecotality or find out what is happening with their roll out of public stations.
Yes - poor "journalism" - if you can call it that.
Everything referenced is from the EV Project website. If you compare their map with their promise, it does not support their own statements. And I have also visited the few sites shown in southern California. They are legacy sites that have nothing to do with the EV Project. And if you look at the Initial area proposals you will notice they are substantially the same. And some of the info is from EV proposals from the 1990s (note the EV-1 and early Chrysler EV examples). OK to get the contract back in 2009, but I would expect actual site selection 20 months later, 3 months prior to scheduled completion.

The question stands. What is the EV Project plan for Public Charging? Where is the map?
 
KeiJidosha said:
evnow said:
thankyouOB said:
Even more surprising is why this VOICEOFSANDIEGO website prints this half-baked article on Ecotality and neither the website editorial staff nor the author makes any attempt to quote Ecotality or find out what is happening with their roll out of public stations.
Yes - poor "journalism" - if you can call it that.
Everything referenced is from the EV Project website. If you compare their map with their promise, it does not support their own statements. And I have also visited the few sites shown in southern California. They are legacy sites that have nothing to do with the EV Project. And if you look at the Initial area proposals you will notice they are substantially the same. And some of the info is from EV proposals from the 1990s (note the EV-1 and early Chrysler EV examples). OK to get the contract back in 2009, but I would expect actual site selection 20 months later, 3 months prior to scheduled completion.

The question stands. What is the EV Project plan for Public Charging? Where is the map?

call them up. ask them.
do some work.

The problem with chat forums and what passes for news websites in our evolving world of communication is that to many people posting think giving his or her opinion is just like reporting on something. It is not. It is just an opinion, very similar to what passes for news on cable "news." It is not journalism, and often it is not even factual. It often use facts, but that is not the same thing as being factual and fair.

What sites like this are unsurpassed at is aggregating information from a broad array of people. It works particularly well with a group who are interested in the same product and want to share information, data, fixes, etc.

It doesn't work as reporting.
 
thankyouOB said:
call them up. ask them.
do some work.

The problem with chat forums and what passes for news websites is that everybody on them thinks giving his or her opinion is just like reporting on something. It is not. It is just an opinion, very similar to what passes for news on cable "news."
Then why are you here, adding to the opinions? I can tell reporting from opinion, and informed opinion from speculation...sorry that you can't.
 
thankyouOB said:
KeiJidosha said:
Everything referenced is from the EV Project website. If you compare their map with their promise, it does not support their own statements. And I have also visited the few sites shown in southern California. They are legacy sites that have nothing to do with the EV Project. And if you look at the Initial area proposals you will notice they are substantially the same. And some of the info is from EV proposals from the 1990s (note the EV-1 and early Chrysler EV examples). OK to get the contract back in 2009, but I would expect actual site selection 20 months later, 3 months prior to scheduled completion.

The question stands. What is the EV Project plan for Public Charging? Where is the map?

call them up. ask them.
do some work.
BS, the EV Project it's a public works project with a website. They should do some work. Get the public infrastructure built and get the website updated. That is what the DoE is paying them to do, period. And by the way, the contact doesn't stipulate if there is even a single LEAF on the road. They have been contracted to build it. Also, Ecotality shouldn't have to deal with a bunch of calls for us. But I've actually done some leg work. I was at a supposed EV Project (at least according to their map) location this weekend, the San Diego Safari Park, and there was no EVSE as their map showed.

So, let me throw it back to you. What information are you going on that there are presently more than two public chargers which Ecotality have installed in the last 18 months?
 
thankyouOB said:
If people are so concerned about whether Blink is doing its job and the pace of its roll out for public chargers, why not just call them, instead of posting innuendo on this website?
I have multiple times. The San Diego local contact knows me and has heard from me recently. It sounds like its more of an Ecotality management issue and not a local contact issue. We need a local charging network for the EV to succeed. Like Jimmydreams say, I too can travel to other places around San Diego county if the charging network existed.

Right now, ecotality needs now is some press to shine some light on them. With some exposure I think they will be pressured to act to install the public EVSEs.

ThankyouOB-I'm not sure if know this but Ecotality promised the San Diego community in a presentation 1,450 public L2 EVSEs in October 2010. October isn't that long ago. The following in a key slide they presented then.
ecotalitysandiego.jpg
 
thankyouOB said:
The problem with chat forums and what passes for news websites in our evolving world of communication is that to many people posting think giving his or her opinion is just like reporting on something. It is not. It is just an opinion, very similar to what passes for news on cable "news." It is not journalism, and often it is not even factual. It often use facts, but that is not the same thing as being factual and fair.
I think we've figured out that a) the article was really a letter to the editor, i.e. opinion, b) the EV Project website conveys the information cited in the letter to the editor, and c) I have personal empirical information which confirms the allegations in the letter to the editor. So what is it exactly that are you finding isn't factual?
 
syntaxerror said:
thankyouOB said:
If people are so concerned about whether Blink is doing its job and the pace of its roll out for public chargers, why not just call them, instead of posting innuendo on this website?
I have multiple times. The San Diego local contact knows me and has heard from me recently. It sounds like its more of an Ecotality management issue and not a local contact issue. We need a local charging network for the EV to succeed. Like Jimmydreams say, I too can travel to other places around San Diego county if the charging network existed.

Right now, ecotality needs now is some press to shine some light on them. With some exposure I think they will be pressured to act to install the public EVSEs.

ThankyouOB-I'm not sure if know this but Ecotality promised the San Diego community in a presentation 1,450 public L2 EVSEs in October 2010. October isn't that long ago. The following in a key slide they presented then.
ecotalitysandiego.jpg

thank you for the reporting. Now, that is information.
I sent them the URL.
 
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