First Public Charger in San Diego 6/16 Show up to Support!

[Randy]

Here's what the RFID cards look like...Thanks to Adrienne and all the folks from the local ECOtality office for making it a great event...

 

[Randy]

The front of the outdoor Blink has the symbol under the screen that matches the symbol on the card. You present the card at that spot and the EVSE turns on. Very simple user interface, no real menu choices. It tells you that it is charging...

 

[Randy]

And who else but us crazy EV geeks would want to see a photo of the labels on the side of the Blink?

 

[stanley]

Randy, you are right with your kudos to Adrienne and the Ecotality folks. Also, Lynne Landers and the folks at Baker Electric did a great job in record time to set up the Chargers.

 

[electricfuture]

Well I finally got to Ecotality’s office Friday afternoon, picked up my Blink RFID card from Adrianne and promptly went to the Balboa Park Air & Space Museum and plugged in. There was NOBODY else there except 2 very old ICE’s taking up charging positions. I plugged in and charged to 80% while enjoying the park.

Today I went to the Torrey Pines Lodge parking garage to plug in. This one is sort of hidden on the second level of the adjacent parking structure (Labeled Level 4). There is a gate but it opens automatically when you enter (no charge for parking), then go up the ramp and you will see orange cones and a sign that says “Valet Parking Only” – ignore this and enter. The two chargers are on your left right behind the cones – well really plastic orange posts. There is no RFID card required. I plugged in and it charged up. The car asked if this could be added as a new charging point and I accepted. Note that this place does not show as a charging point in the system. There is also a 3rd charger for Handicapped only just inside the garage entrance.

This is perfect if you are a golfer!

 

[TonyWilliams]

So, where's the next charging location to celebrate? Andy?

 

[garygid]

The real need is for Quick-Charging locations, NOT placed where one normally parks for a long time.

 

[Randy]

UL Approval on Blink DC Fast Chargers is expected in September (according to Andy), and installation to follow after that....

 

[lonndoggie]

The real need is for Quick-Charging locations, NOT placed where one normally parks for a long time.

I'd say both are needed, given there are so few of either (well, zero of one, a handful of the others).

There are still plenty of places in San Diego where L2 chargers are viable, due to the whole "parks a long time" thing:

• 
  Petco Park
  Qualcomm Stadium (er, or wherever the Chargers finally land...and with a name like that, they sure ought to have, you know, chargers)
  Legoland
  Sea World
  San Diego Safari Park (the former Wild Animal Park--I guess the SD Zoo is covered, but it could probably use some right out in front)
  SD Convention Center
  Del Mar Fairgrounds
  Escondido Center for the Performing Arts
  Every beach parking lot
  Every major shopping center
  Every movie multiplex

 

[papatonyinsd]

San Diego Safari Park (the former Wild Animal Park--I guess the SD Zoo is covered, but it could probably use some right out in front)

The Safari Park AND the Zoo are working on getting new charging stations installed - Back in November, I alerted my husband Dennis (who is a webmaster for the Zoo, and who now drives our Leaf) that the federal subsidy funds for commercial sites would be running out at the end of 2010, so he pushed and pushed the proper officials at the Zoo and Safari Park so that they would get the ball rolling in time.

So, they will DEFINITELY be online and ready, once the installation people follow through.

 

[angrypawn]

We went to Balboa Park today to check out the new chargers and spend some time at the park. All spaces were taken. Two out of 10 were Leafs. Only one Leaf was actually charging.

One of the ICE owners actually tried to take advantage of the charging stations...

:roll:

 

[KeiJidosha]

We went to Balboa Park today to check out the new chargers and spend some time at the park. All spaces were taken. Two out of 10 were Leafs. Only one Leaf was actually charging.

One of the ICE owners actually tried to take advantage of the charging stations...

:roll:

This could be an EV conversion (though I doubt it). But illustrates the need for ZEV sticker. DMV is only qualified arbiter of what is an "EV".

 

[TonyWilliams]

We went to Balboa Park today to check out the new chargers and spend some time at the park. All spaces were taken. Two out of 10 were Leafs. Only one Leaf was actually charging.

Do they have the signs up yet (for EV cars only) ?

 

[angrypawn]

KeiJidosha, that car probably had electricity in it but I doubt it was an EV conversion.

Tony, "EV Only" type signage would certainly help. When we were leaving the park, we went back to the Science Center and found one space open. It wasn't long before an ICE pulled into the space. My wife and I went over to "poke around" the blinks and talked loudly about electrical cars. The ICE couple backed out and went to another parking space.

:lol:

Things will get better as more people learn about EV's.

 

[jcesare]

KeiJidosha, that car probably had electricity in it but I doubt it was an EV conversion.

Tony, "EV Only" type signage would certainly help. When we were leaving the park, we went back to the Science Center and found one space open. It wasn't long before an ICE pulled into the space. My wife and I went over to "poke around" the blinks and talked loudly about electrical cars. The ICE couple backed out and went to another parking space.

:lol:

Things will get better as more people learn about EV's.

I printed out copies of this:
http://www.evchargernews.com/parkingnotice.htm
I plane to launch my own "awareness" campaign if a spot is taken by an ICE.

 

[davewill]

I printed out copies of this:
http://www.evchargernews.com/parkingnotice.htm
I plane to launch my own "awareness" campaign if a spot is taken by an ICE.

Of course, without signage, this notice isn't accurate. Bill from Ecotality did tell me last Thursday at the unveiling, that signage was coming.

 

[davekern]

Well I finally got to Ecotality’s office Friday afternoon, picked up my Blink RFID card from Adrianne and promptly went to the Balboa Park Air & Space Museum and plugged in. There was NOBODY else there except 2 very old ICE’s taking up charging positions. I plugged in and charged to 80% while enjoying the park.

I called Ecotality on Friday to find out how I could get an RFID and they said just wait. He said they were all backed up and he couldn't get me a time. He even followed up with an email! I didn't know I could go pick one up? Where is their office?

 

[rickbecker]

Here is a video of the event taken by Ecotality:

http://bit.ly/lw5Ky0

 

[TonyWilliams]

I plane to launch my own "awareness" campaign if a spot is taken by an ICE.

I did go to the Reuben H Fleet Science center today, and of course, almost every spot was taken by an ICE. I would love to have had a card to place under the windshield wipers.

There was one, so I plugged in, and came back 2 hours later with 20+ more miles in my fuel tank.

I think I could like this system, so I think I'll be wild over the DC fast chargers.

 

[ElectricVehicle]

I plane to launch my own "awareness" campaign if a spot is taken by an ICE.

I did go to the Reuben H Fleet Science center today, and of course, almost every spot was taken by an ICE. I would love to have had a card to place under the windshield wipers.

There was one, so I plugged in, and came back 2 hours later with 20+ more miles in my fuel tank.

I think I could like this system, so I think I'll be wild over the DC fast chargers.

Scalable signage could be very useful here, where two of the charging stations are restricted to connected EVs only, all others will be towed and the rest being open to anyone. Then as more LEAF appear and there is almost always one LEAF there, it can scale out to three restricted spaces, finally when we have a forest of LEAFs and all the spaces are used by LEAFs almost all the timie, all the spaces can be restricted to LEAFs.

In the early periods, seeing 3 or more spaces reserved for EVs that aren't in use is bound to irritate non-EV drivers. And on the EV side, there's not much point in reserving presious parking spaces for EVs only when we can't utilize them. So scaling the EV restricted parking as the EV population grows by chagning the signage can be a good way to handle these early years of deployment.

I do admit, that seeing all the LAX charging spaces full with EVs happened far sooner than I ever would have guessed, so scaling the spaces may not be an issue for very long...!