My Nissan Leaf Forum

GRA wrote: ↑Tue Aug 20, 2019 5:24 pm Paul, the CEC Chargepoint site under construction in Groveland disappeared from Plugshare's map a few weeks ago, Do you have any info about what's going on with that? I'm hoping that it's being redesigned to have at least two QCs, instead of one plus a bunch of L2s that almost no one will ever use, but that's probably just wishful thinking.

Sorry Guy, just saw this. No, no idea.

And still no idea what's happened to Recargo, ChargePoint, or EA and all the stations that are missing their transformers or otherwise have never gone live. . .

Paul

paulgipe wrote: ↑Fri Aug 30, 2019 1:34 pm

GRA wrote: ↑Tue Aug 20, 2019 5:24 pm Paul, the CEC Chargepoint site under construction in Groveland disappeared from Plugshare's map a few weeks ago, Do you have any info about what's going on with that? I'm hoping that it's being redesigned to have at least two QCs, instead of one plus a bunch of L2s that almost no one will ever use, but that's probably just wishful thinking.

Sorry Guy, just saw this. No, no idea.

And still no idea what's happened to Recargo, ChargePoint, or EA and all the stations that are missing their transformers or otherwise have never gone live. . .

Paul

Paul, I suspect PG&E and other utility crews that would otherwise be installing transformers have been spending most of their time this summer trimming trees, clearing brush and doing maintenance. They really don't need any more fire liability. I also wonder just how much of a stockpile of the relevant size transformers they have and how long it takes a manufacturer to build new ones, as they must have lost a lot of them over the past two years. Pure speculation on my part whether that might be a factor.

GRA wrote: ↑Fri Aug 30, 2019 4:04 pm

paulgipe wrote: ↑Fri Aug 30, 2019 1:34 pm

GRA wrote: ↑Tue Aug 20, 2019 5:24 pm Paul, the CEC Chargepoint site under construction in Groveland disappeared from Plugshare's map a few weeks ago, Do you have any info about what's going on with that? I'm hoping that it's being redesigned to have at least two QCs, instead of one plus a bunch of L2s that almost no one will ever use, but that's probably just wishful thinking.

Sorry Guy, just saw this. No, no idea.

And still no idea what's happened to Recargo, ChargePoint, or EA and all the stations that are missing their transformers or otherwise have never gone live. . .

Paul

Paul, I suspect PG&E and other utility crews that would otherwise be installing transformers have been spending most of their time this summer trimming trees, clearing brush and doing maintenance. They really don't need any more fire liability. I also wonder just how much of a stockpile of the relevant size transformers they have and how long it takes a manufacturer to build new ones, as they must have lost a lot of them over the past two years. Pure speculation on my part whether that might be a factor.

Around here at any rate the tree trimming is being done by contractors. Contractors are also protecting distribution lines with new equipment: insulators between the individual conductors.

Transformers are a long lead-time item. It would be a critical component in any Gant chart.

Paul

paulgipe wrote: ↑Sat Aug 31, 2019 8:28 am

GRA wrote: ↑Fri Aug 30, 2019 4:04 pm

paulgipe wrote: ↑Fri Aug 30, 2019 1:34 pm

Sorry Guy, just saw this. No, no idea.

And still no idea what's happened to Recargo, ChargePoint, or EA and all the stations that are missing their transformers or otherwise have never gone live. . .

Paul

Paul, I suspect PG&E and other utility crews that would otherwise be installing transformers have been spending most of their time this summer trimming trees, clearing brush and doing maintenance. They really don't need any more fire liability. I also wonder just how much of a stockpile of the relevant size transformers they have and how long it takes a manufacturer to build new ones, as they must have lost a lot of them over the past two years. Pure speculation on my part whether that might be a factor.

Around here at any rate the tree trimming is being done by contractors. Contractors are also protecting distribution lines with new equipment: insulators between the individual conductors.

Transformers are a long lead-time item. It would be a critical component in any Gant chart.

Paul

H'mm, maybe that's it then. While utilities always install transformers on their schedule, there do seem to be an inordinate number of sites sitting around complete except for empty transformer pads.

GRA wrote: ↑Sat Aug 31, 2019 4:38 pmH'mm, maybe that's it then. While utilities always install transformers on their schedule, there do seem to be an inordinate number of sites sitting around complete except for empty transformer pads.

I agree if the utility is expected to do this at their cost. Private money can get it done pretty fast. I assume the hold up is somewhere between the federal government, federal park service, and some environmental impact report. Even if there was private funding the change may have to be approved by congress. Have seen this in action on local issues.

Lee Vining is now saying late September for the ClipperCreek L2.

CEC is reporting that the holdup for the EA and other stations is the focus of the utilities on fire prevention. EVs have taken a back seat to that.

Paul

Check-in on Plugshare says someone on FB is reporting the L2 at Gus Hess park in Lee Vining is open. I don't do FB, so can someone who does check that and confirm? I'm not seeing any announcement on the ESEVA website.

Guy,

The Lee Vining people have reported it is on line. They can't seem to master the idea of updating PlugShare. Could someone do that for them. I am traveling.

Paul
Egger, Hungary

Took the time to check out the Lee Vining and CEC charging sites on a peak-bagging trip to Yosemite this week. I checked the Lee Vining site out on Thursday, two Clipper Creek HCS40s mounted back-to-back on the same pole. One of the check-ins on the Plugshare listing says "Had a nice chat with a parks employee . . . For now, both cables on the L2 are sharing current (can use both but rate is halved) but that should change soon." There's a printed notice on top of one of the EVSEs saying you get 15 miles per hour of charge, so that agrees with the current being split. I was there from dawn to about 11 a.m. Thursday, so got to watch a nice sunrise and have breakfast in/check out the solar pavilion and the array (as well as doing a bit of impromptu PEV/PV education to a couple of people checking out the EVSEs).

I checked out the open Oakdale CEC site on the way up Wednesday. It has two QCs and an L2, and has a fair number of eating choices within two blocks or so.

On the way back Friday I stopped at both the Groveland and Rush Creek lodge CEC sites. I'm happy to report that CEC apparently got a clue, because the site in Groveland has two QCs instead of one, plus a dual L2. However, the QCs, apparently the same model as at Rush Creek Lodge and Oakdale, are in place but covered by their shipping cartons. The L2 next to them appears complete but the screen was dark, so presumably none of them has power yet. The Hungry Bear Cafe's less than 100 yds away on the other side of Ferretti Road, but the other restaurants in town vary from a 0.1 to 0.4 mile walk, which isn't a big deal most of the year, but would be in winter when there's snow/ice on the ground (as there often is) making things slick, or if it's raining or snowing. The Tesla SC site at the west end of town's located closer to most of the restaurants. Still, gift horses . . .

Rush Creek only has a single CCS-CHAdeMO Chargepoint QC, which is located opposite Villa 1 on the back side of the resort, anything but easy to find or convenient. It's max. output is 48 kW. There's also a single L2 in the front parking lot, which has a sign describing the location of the QC, but the signs pointing to the various site locations are a bit small so you can easily drive around in a circle on the front side of the resort once or twice before seeing the signs taking you to Villas 1-10 (or whatever it was).

With current BEV ranges, Groveland's much better positioned than Oakdale for most people coming from the Bay Area and heading to Yosemite, so I expect it to get most of the traffic once it opens. Rush Creek Lodge is better yet, but with only a single QC and more limited (and mostly higher-priced) food options, IMO its more likely to be used for opportunity/desperation charging, especially for people coming back from the east side.

Just noticed that the Chargepoint site in Oakhurst on Hwy 41 (2 dual CCS-CHAdeMO + 1 L2) opened back in September, and at least one of the QCs seems to be reliable - Plugshare check-ins indicate the one on the right ("closest to Von's") has been down on at least three charging attempts spread over 2 months: https://www.plugshare.com/location/186368

Still no news on Groveland. Hopefully this and the two remaining EA sites under construction on 395 will be open in time for XMAS.