DC Fast Charging Station Installed on I-5 in San Joaquin Valley

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paulgipe

Well-known member
Joined
Aug 2, 2014
Messages
428
Location
Bakersfield, CA 93305
I started to write “New DC Fast Charging Station” but caught myself. While the station at the Best Western Andersen’s Inn in Santa Nella, California is certainly new—it is, however, the only one for electric vehicles (EVs) other than Teslas!

This is the first of—we hope—a series of DC Fast Charging stations to be installed this month under US Green Vehicle Council’s contract with the California Energy Commission.

For those outside California, the Santa Nella complex is a major stopover at a junction of on one of California’s two major north-south routes, Interstate 5, and a major east-west route, Highway 152. The area is also known to Californian’s as Los Banos, which is a nearby interchange.

RTEmagicC_DCFastChargingI5Corridor2016.jpg.jpg


Outside Teslas’ Supercharger network, this is the first fast charger on the entire length of I-5 from the San Francisco Bay Area to the Los Angeles area. In contrast to the limited or non-existent fast charger network for mass-market EVs, Tesla has three Supercharger stations on this route—each with multiple bays. And Teslas have at least twice the range of mass-market EVs, such as the Nissan Leaf or BMW i3.

Those outside California may wonder why one of the richest states in the US, and presumably one of the most tech-savvy, has a dearth of fast charge stations on such an important corridor. California’s themselves wonder why the San Joaquin Valley is so underserved. One denizen of Plugshare.com often closes his sign-ins with a plea for a fast charge station in Bakersfield. (There is only one currently.)

The official explanation is that a decision was made to concentrate fast charging stations in the major metropolitan areas: San Francisco Bay, Los Angeles, and San Diego. However, this decision has severely limited the use of today’s mass-market EVs, making it prohibitively difficult to use EVs in intercity travel.

In contrast to California, Oregon and Washington State built a network of fast charge stations along major—and even some minor—corridors.

The long-awaited completion of the US Green Vehicle Council’s stations along the I-5 route is a first step toward alleviating the state’s absence of fast charge stations on a heavily traveled north-south corridor.

This article also appear on my web site at http://www.wind-works.org/cms/index.php?id=74
 
the place we need a dc fast charger is at wheeler ridge. SAQMD as told me that the funding has been approved and it is to be installed with others as part of the electric hwy. I wish Shorepower would have bid on the fast charge installs. Is there any news on the Pilot truck stop? that is a important stop on 5 between LA and Bakersfield.
In doing that route as much as you do. Can you repost KWH used for the route over the 5 from Bakersfield and magic MT and going though Tehachapi what is the route up the hill then down 14 like? Is it easier to take the longer route with more charging then over the 5 ? Any input on that route would be helpful. It is the hardest drive for an EV in CA.
 
paulgipe said:
I started to write “New DC Fast Charging Station” but caught myself. While the station at the Best Western Andersen’s Inn in Santa Nella, California is certainly new—it is, however, the only one for electric vehicles (EVs) other than Teslas!

This is the first of—we hope—a series of DC Fast Charging stations to be installed this month under US Green Vehicle Council’s contract with the California Energy Commission.

For those outside California, the Santa Nella complex is a major stopover at a junction of on one of California’s two major north-south routes, Interstate 5, and a major east-west route, Highway 33. The area is also known to Californian’s as Los Banos, which is a nearby interchange.

RTEmagicC_DCFastChargingI5Corridor2016.jpg.jpg


Outside Teslas’ Supercharger network, this is the first fast charger on the entire length of I-5 from the San Francisco Bay Area to the Los Angeles area. In contrast to the limited or non-existent fast charger network for mass-market EVs, Tesla has three Supercharger stations on this route—each with multiple bays. And Teslas have at least twice the range of mass-market EVs, such as the Nissan Leaf or BMW i3.

Those outside California may wonder why one of the richest states in the US, and presumably one of the most tech-savvy, has a dearth of fast charge stations on such an important corridor. California’s themselves wonder why the San Joaquin Valley is so underserved. One denizen of Plugshare.com often closes his sign-ins with a plea for a fast charge station in Bakersfield. (There is only one currently.)

The official explanation is that a decision was made to concentrate fast charging stations in the major metropolitan areas: San Francisco Bay, Los Angeles, and San Diego. However, this decision has severely limited the use of today’s mass-market EVs, making it prohibitively difficult to use EVs in intercity travel.

In contrast to California, Oregon and Washington State built a network of fast charge stations along major—and even some minor—corridors.

The long-awaited completion of the US Green Vehicle Council’s stations along the I-5 route is a first step toward alleviating the state’s absence of fast charge stations on a heavily traveled north-south corridor.

This article also appear on my web site at http://www.wind-works.org/cms/index.php?id=74
Paul, I think the simple explanation why QCs haven't appeared on long-distance intercity routes like I-5 is that they simply don't make sense with the typical short-range affordable BEV. While enthusiasts may be willing to stop and QC every 50 miles, most people aren't. Now that reasonably affordable BEVs with a nominal 200 mile range are about to arrive, the justification for QCs along I-5 is a lot stronger.

Where QCs have made more sense for shorter range BEVs is on freeway routes for shorter intercity trips, i.e. along S.R.99 and US-101, plus slower, more scenic routes (people are still waiting for adequate or in many areas any QCs along S.R.1). And we've just recently gotten the very first QC (and that's only a 24kW BMW CCS unit in Pollock Pines) on either of the routes between the Sacramento metro area and Lake Tahoe, and one each at the north (eVgo CHAdeMO/CCS in Incline Village) and south (24kW CCS at Heavenly) ends of the Lake. That it's taken five and a half years of constant requests to get them is ridiculous. Per Plugshare, a Spark EV owner appears to have been the first to have made the trip up to South Lake Tahoe via QC on May 12th.
 
speedski97 said:
the place we need a dc fast charger is at wheeler ridge. SAQMD as told me that the funding has been approved and it is to be installed with others as part of the electric hwy. I wish Shorepower would have bid on the fast charge installs. Is there any news on the Pilot truck stop? that is a important stop on 5 between LA and Bakersfield.
In doing that route as much as you do. Can you repost KWH used for the route over the 5 from Bakersfield and magic MT and going though Tehachapi what is the route up the hill then down 14 like? Is it easier to take the longer route with more charging then over the 5 ? Any input on that route would be helpful. It is the hardest drive for an EV in CA.

Whoa speedski97. You know how to open a can of worms. ;)

First, an answer to your question. I think both routes are similar with similar problems. It's pick your poison. See my posts on our trips on my web site under EV Trip Reports for details. While I post most of those to this site, I am not religious about it.

Second, there has been a lot correspondence between EV activists and the CEC about this--and other--corridors. I've talked to the CEC staff myself and sent messages on my own behalf. The EV association also has sent formal messages to the staff. We've been polite and professional. And we're frustrated. . .

So, here is what I know. US Green Vehicle Council (Lloyd Tran) has a series of stations down I-5 that should be installed this month. One has been installed, as noted above. A second has been said by the CEC staff to be installed at Coalinga but Michael Bornstein and I haven't been able to confirm it. We don't know anything more about these stations.

In addition, NRG EvGo rep in Bakersfield said he was planning a station in Bako and another further south. This was two months ago and he said it would take about 6 mos. to get a station in. Again, nothing to report in mid 2016!

We (the EV Association) would like to think that our squeaking got the CEC wheel to turn and specify completion of the West Coast Electric Highway. Those contracts were awarded this year--I think. So, if they're anything like the US Green Vehicle Council contract we won't see anything until late 2018.

If you happen to personally know Jerry Brown, can you give me a call off line. We'd like to talk to him. ;)

If you want me to post those trip stats on this thread, ask me again and I'll try to do it.

Paul
 
GRA said:
paulgipe said:
I started to write “New DC Fast Charging Station” but caught myself. While the station at the Best Western Andersen’s Inn in Santa Nella, California is certainly new—it is, however, the only one for electric vehicles (EVs) other than Teslas!
Paul, I think the simple explanation why QCs haven't appeared on long-distance intercity routes like I-5 is that they simply don't make sense with the typical short-range affordable BEV. While enthusiasts may be willing to stop and QC every 50 miles, most people aren't. Now that reasonably affordable BEVs with a nominal 200 mile range are about to arrive, the justification for QCs along I-5 is a lot stronger.

Where QCs have made more sense for shorter range BEVs is on freeway routes for shorter intercity trips, i.e. along S.R.99 and US-101, plus slower, more scenic routes (people are still waiting for adequate or in many areas any QCs along S.R.1). And we've just recently gotten the very first QC (and that's only a 24kW BMW CCS unit in Pollock Pines) on either of the routes between the Sacramento metro area and Lake Tahoe, and one each at the north (eVgo CHAdeMO/CCS in Incline Village) and south (24kW CCS at Heavenly) ends of the Lake. That it's taken five and a half years of constant requests to get them is ridiculous. Per Plugshare, a Spark EV owner appears to have been the first to have made the trip up to South Lake Tahoe via QC on May 12th.

Agree GRA. I-5 hasn't been the priority, Hwy 99 has. And I've been pushing for Hwy 58 to link up with the coast and Tehachapi. However, in the Valley we need that stretch from Bakersfield to Lebec, which includes a section of I-5. (Others have been pushing the 101 route.) Right now it's just very difficult to get from Bakersfield--anywhere in an EV. You've probably seen on Plugshare the complaints about the lack of QC stations south of Bakersfield.

Paul
 
Update. First user who logged into Plugshare charged for 7 mins before a fault. They couldn't get it to work and required a 45-mile tow to Gilroy! Ouch.

The station is also only 25 kW.

Paul
 
paulgipe said:
Update. First user who logged into Plugshare charged for 7 mins before a fault. They couldn't get it to work and required a 45-mile tow to Gilroy! Ouch.
Ouch. Until there is a fully redundant network of charging stations, EVs will never get off the ground.

I still can't believe that the charging networks don't understand this. An unreliable charging network is worse than no network at all.

A single QC here and there is simply not enough to rely on. At least two independent QC stations and preferably more and the plugs should ideally reach multiple parking spots and have parking time limits enforced.

At a minimum, a couple L2 stations should be installed with every QC - not only for backup in case the QC has a fault (L2 stations are generally dead-nuts reliable in comparison), but it also allows every single plug-in to plug-in if they need to.
 
drees said:
paulgipe said:
Update. First user who logged into Plugshare charged for 7 mins before a fault. They couldn't get it to work and required a 45-mile tow to Gilroy! Ouch.
Ouch. Until there is a fully redundant network of charging stations, EVs will never get off the ground.

I still can't believe that the charging networks don't understand this. An unreliable charging network is worse than no network at all.

A single QC here and there is simply not enough to rely on. At least two independent QC stations and preferably more and the plugs should ideally reach multiple parking spots and have parking time limits enforced.

At a minimum, a couple L2 stations should be installed with every QC - not only for backup in case the QC has a fault (L2 stations are generally dead-nuts reliable in comparison), but it also allows every single plug-in to plug-in if they need to.

Full agree, that's why I am posting this. I corresponded with the driver who noted that he didn't pay for the tow. His Kia Soul has a warranty of sorts and they pay for the tow. Still, someone paid and he had to wait.

I am embarrassed by the whole situation and I am toying with asking Plugshare to take the site down since I was the one who posted the original entry.

NRG EvGo's sites are the minimum: two DCFC (50 kW), one dual, one dedicated CHAdeMO. Of course we will need multiple stands soon. Some of the more popular sites always have a car there when I pull up.

Paul
 
May 20, 2016

Dear California Energy Commission,

The U.S. Green Vehicle Council project is a project to complete CHAdeMO DC fast charging by the end of 2016 on a route that includes Santa Nella, Stockton, Coalinga Merced, Fresno, Tulare, Lost Hills, Lebec, Castaic and Oceanside, in our beautiful state of California.

The very first installation on this CEC grant in Santa Nella has a lot of shortcomings that I hope were addressed in the original contract. I have to assume the grant recipient plans to install the same unit at all other locations along the route. Since the actual unit that they installed at Santa Nella does not currently work, now is a good time to make sure all the ducks are in order on this contract.

My purpose of the below data is not to glaze your eyes over with a bunch of technical mumbo-jumbo, but this data is instructive. As I suggested at the California Energy Commission (CEC) workshops late last year and early this year, state money should only be issued when we know exactly what we are getting. There is one specification that is very difficult for less than fully honest vendors to fudge for DC charging, and that is the "Output DC Amps - Continuous Duty ". Obviously, fully compliant units for the applicable DC charge protocols PLUS the applicable UL certification would also be paramount.

"Continuous Duty" is particularly important. It should be rated at the ambient temperatures that the unit will be exposed to, and in the central California valley, that could be up to 50C / 122F. Many chargers, like the Nissan "44kW" units that are popular, can only output their full power for a relatively short period of time in a hot environment. Units like the new Tritium Veefil and Tesla Superchargers are liquid cooled to mitigate high temperature. We have NO IDEA yet how well this air cooled unit in Santa Nella will handle heat, should it ever become operational.

My belief is that this unit in Santa Nella is from the following vendor:

[EDIT: the vender is apparently different, per CEC]

SHENZHEN SETEC POWER CO., LTD
Add: #199, Setec Industrial Park, Dakan, Xili Town, Nanshan District, Shenzhen , China
Mobile: +86-13925204306
Tel : 0086-755-26527137 Fax : 0086-755-26527104
Web: http://www.setec-power.com

This unit was offered to me from the vendor in China at a sale price of $2999 in January 2016. I believe what follows are the technical specifications for the unit in Santa Nella. You'll note that it is not compliant with the CHAdeMO specification:


250-450 VDC output (CHAdeMO requires 50-500VDC)

208VAC * (58a * 1.73) = 21kW AC input maximum input power

93% efficiency from AC to DC (my guess) equals 19.5kW output MAXIMUM


Now, we can calculate the MAXIMUM amps into a typical LEAF at 396 VDC maximum battery voltage is 50 amps DC at 19.5kW. It may be lower, which our company can (and will) test for in the near future (again, assuming this unit becomes operational). Since the unit is advertised as "25kW", this is precisely why kW is almost meaningless to specify charger performance in terms of grant language.

The CHAdeMO specification is 200 amps DC maximum "100kW", with plans for 300 amps DC "150kW". Currently, virtually all DC chargers that are advertised as "50 KW" are between 120 or 125 amps DC. The Nissan "44kW" units are 115 amps DC. For comparison, all Tesla Superchargers operate today at up to 370 amps (an actual power output of about 120kW in most Tesla cars).

Any DC charger (not just this one) operating at 50 amps DC Continuous Duty will charge the following cars from 10% to 80% (70% net charge) as follows with "new condition" batteries. All battery capacities are the manufactures published size, or best guess for the "LEAF 2.0":


51 minutes minimum - 16.8kWh is 70% of 24kWh LEAF
58 minutes minimum - 18.9kWh is 70% of 27kWh Soul EV
64 minutes minimum - 21.0kWh is 70% of 30kWh LEAF
90 minutes minimum - 29.3kWh is 70% of 41.8kWh Toyota RAV4 EV
120 minutes minimum - 39.2kWh is 70% of 56kWh Tesla Roadster
129 minutes minimum - 42.0kWh is 70% of 60kWh future LEAF 2.0
180 minutes minimum - 49kWh is 70% of 70kWh Tesla Roadster
193 minutes minimum - 63kWh is 70% of 90kWh Tesla Model X


The above assumes that I have identified this charging unit at Santa Nella properly, but the issues remain nonetheless, even if I misidentified it.

Slow charging will not get the mass market out of their oil burning cars to drive along corridors, and further, the lowest end of income level drivers don't have money to buy a car for each specific need (longer range corridor travel and short range commuting).

Here are the specific potential grant issues that I see so far:

1) The Santa Nella unit does not yet work (always a bad sign)

2) The grant recipient appears to be inflating the actual PERFORMANCE of the unit, by suggesting that a LEAF needs only 12.5kWh to fill the battery from 10% to 80% and that their "25kW" charger can do that in 30 minutes. That is categorically not possible.

3) Any charger that has a power rating below "44kW" (115 amps DC) is grossly inadequate for corridor travel for current cars, and that will only become more acute / inadequate with "200 mile" range cars that are right around the corner with 60kWh batteries (Nissan LEAF version 2.0, GM Bolt, Tesla Model 3). Even Mercedes and BMW are increasing the size of the batteries in their EVs, and of course, our own world class California company Tesla already has 100kWh batteries planned.

4) Any charger that doesn't meet the basic DC charging protocol should not receive grant money

5) I believe that an approved list of DC chargers should be compiled by CEC, either through demonstrated past performance or through CEC specified testing, to verify good performance.

Thanks,

Tony Williams
R&D Manager
Quick Charge Power LLC
 
I've sent a message to Plugshare asking them to take down the listing of the Santa Nella station until the station is working or working more reliably and the question of whether it is a fast charge station or not is answered.

Paul
 
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