ICEless in Seattle : Official Pacific NorthWest thread

[QueenBee]

Do you know if these things will work without a fob for a while to let us try them out?

I hear you just need to call their customer service number on the side of them and they can remotely turn them on.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

Would be nice to get the FOB though. It kinda sucks to hav to call.do they take calls 24/7?

 

[SeattleBlueLeaf]

<snip>
Do you know if these things will work without a fob for a while to let us try them out?

The stations are not officially live but 2 of them are listed as live and functional on the AV site (you get your login from AV with your FOB). The stations have a phone number listed across the top for calling (AV Customer service) that can remotely turn on a charge session. Now - will they do this for you before official launch?? I don't know - if you really want to try, call AV customer service and ask. It can't hurt to ask but I would ask before you go or instead caravan with someone that already has a FOB.

 

[doug401]

Sad first experience with Bellingham DC3 charger. After making the trip from Everett, with an hour top off in Burlington, I'm sitting at the station as I write this with the high speed spot Iced. :evil:

Cord won't reach to the adjacent spots so I'm using the 220v and waiting for the ass in the Jeep Cherokee next to me to show up. I called the tow company, sign in front of me, but they won't come out unless the property owners call it in. Needless to say.... I very pissed. 90 minutes and counting.

I will update later with the outcome.

 

[blackleaf]

SeattleBlueLeaf (or anyone else) - did you happen to stop by the Sultan DC? Does it look like it would be operational as well?

I didn't see it and the AV site said it was "unreachable" so I didn't spend much time trying. I believe it is nearly ready to go though since it does appear on the AV site.

I was inspired by the Skykomish report earlier, so left Kirkland with an 80% charge to go try out Sultan and perhaps Skykomish as well. Got to Sultan and it was a no go; still fenced off behind chain link. Hopefully will be available at the 30th launch. Only had 36 miles left and after the Sultan thing, lost my nerve. Went and found the Eaton chargers at the fairgrounds outside Monroe instead. Those worked fine (still free).

 

[saywatt]

What was your outcome??

Sad first experience with Bellingham DC3 charger. After making the trip from Everett, with an hour top off in Burlington, I'm sitting at the station as I write this with the high speed spot Iced. :evil:

Cord won't reach to the adjacent spots so I'm using the 220v and waiting for the ass in the Jeep Cherokee next to me to show up. I called the tow company, sign in front of me, but they won't come out unless the property owners call it in. Needless to say.... I very pissed. 90 minutes and counting.

I will update later with the outcome.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

Sad first experience with Bellingham DC3 charger. After making the trip from Everett, with an hour top off in Burlington, I'm sitting at the station as I write this with the high speed spot Iced. :evil:

Cord won't reach to the adjacent spots so I'm using the 220v and waiting for the ass in the Jeep Cherokee next to me to show up. I called the tow company, sign in front of me, but they won't come out unless the property owners call it in. Needless to say.... I very pissed. 90 minutes and counting.

I will update later with the outcome.

what did the property owner say? or who would be the property owner? maybe that is a better question and something we should add to google map?

 

[doug401]

"What was your outcome??"

I want to rant, but I would rather be matter of fact, and look for the positive.

The positive.
I have a new personal daily high miles record... 135 miles.
Chuckanut drive is a great scenic drive, especially in a EV.

The negative.
Icing of the Bellingham site will be a chronic problem. Very poor planning being at such a crowded retail space. No recourse for violators. Tow company wont' tow. Aeroviroment didn't know how to react. Sehome property management is in Seattle and unreachable. While waiting for 2 hours for the DC3 spot to open, 4 other Ice cars parked or attempted to park in the other spots. I managed to drive one off with the "stare of death", while another guy in a Suburban nicely asked if it was ok to park there. I told him I was trying to get this guy towed, and how people are so inconsiderate. Message received.

After 2 hours of charge on the 220v, I was 80% and ready to leave. At that point I didn't want the confrontation. I've already spent too much time considering vigilante and vandalism.

Another issue... Aeroviroment 888 phone support folks aren't up to speed. When at Burlington, charging using Charge Point LV2, I called the 888 number and asked what I already knew, "Is the Burlington site available".. nope. OK... "how about the Bellingham site?".. Nope. I said "what do you mean it's not working, I know someone used it the other day." he checked again, refreshed his screen. After checking again he said it was operational.

Today I will follow up with AV, Sehome village, Bellingham cops, and the tow company, to attempt to determine if there is any plan if a $50,000 charge station is wasted by idiots. What will AV do when they begin to charge a fee and the spot it iced all day?
You see... it turned into a rant.

 

[DaveinOlyWA]

Doug; sorry to hear about the icing and you are right. it will probably be an issue every time the place is busy. hope you left a note

leaving notes is a drop against the ocean, but eventually it adds up. a big note is best because passerbys will also see it. so one BIG note gets the message to 10 possible future violators, the better.

on the note; tell them since its their first time, they get a pass but will be towed in the future. even if its not true, cant hurt can it?

 

[saywatt]

Doug - I too am sorry to hear of your experience. Perhaps us EVrs will need to leave notes and maybe carry a supply of orange cones to leave for the next EV. The latter probably won't help either.

All we can hope for is that on opening day, during the ceremonies perhaps, that several of the spots are ICED. This may cause some awareness.

 

[lc96]

Is the parking spot clearly marked? The spot at Edmonds PCC used to be iced "all the time" until they painted the pavement. Haven't seen an ice there since.

 

[SeattleBlueLeaf]

There was no "EV charging parking" only type sign in Skykomish so I am betting there is none in Bellingham yet either. I would think these would be installed on go live day. This is a good story to pass on to Tonia at Washington DOT though because they are the ones that paid for these stations and have the most interest in their success.

BTW - I did send off a note to Tonia this morning.

Oh - and yes the cable seems way too short to me. I found only one parking spot in Skykomish could use the charger. I'm not sure why the cable is so short (some safety factor?)

 

[UhClem]

Cord won't reach to the adjacent spots so I'm using the 220v and waiting for the ass in the Jeep Cherokee next to me to show up. I called the tow company, sign in front of me, but they won't come out unless the property owners call it in. Needless to say.... I very pissed. 90 minutes and counting.

Silver Jeep Cherokee? Yeah, I think it's someone who works nearby. I see it parked there for hours at a time 3 or 4 days a week.

 

[SeattleBlueLeaf]

Cord won't reach to the adjacent spots so I'm using the 220v and waiting for the ass in the Jeep Cherokee next to me to show up. I called the tow company, sign in front of me, but they won't come out unless the property owners call it in. Needless to say.... I very pissed. 90 minutes and counting.

Silver Jeep Cherokee? Yeah, I think it's someone who works nearby. I see it parked there for hours at a time 3 or 4 days a week.

Anyone leave a note politely asking them not to park there from now on? A reminder taht the charger is now functional and drivers are now using the station (the only one within 100 miles). Or at least to leave their phone number on the dash so they can be contacted should someone need a charge. until the sites are officially open and signage indicates that ICE vehicles are prohibited, this will happen.. good signage will help.

 

[UhClem]

The QC location in Bellingham has an "UNAUTHORIZED VEHICLES will be towed away" sign behind it but no one pays much attention to it. Another signpost with no sign appeared in March -- I was wondering whether that was for "EV Charging Only" signage.

Unfortunately, the Bellingham QC location is in a busy shopping area where adjacent parking is often full. I work close by, so on breaks I walk past the QC location most every weekday and one or both spots are ICEd about 1/3 of the time. I've thought about printing a blurb about EV charging to put under the wipers of cars that ICE the chargers :twisted:

 

[UhClem]

Anyone leave a note politely asking them not to park there from now on?

I've thought about doing that. I've hesitated a bit since it's not officially open yet, the "Opening Soon" banner is still tied to the posts in front of the chargers.

 

[SeattleBlueLeaf]

Anyone leave a note politely asking them not to park there from now on?

I've thought about doing that. I've hesitated a bit since it's not officially open yet, the "Opening Soon" banner is still tied to the posts in front of the chargers.

UhClem. I'll be up there for Ski to Sea this weekend and I plan to use that charger. A polite note letting the driver of this cherokee know that the charger is functional and he is blocking their use might be positively received. It certainly couldn't hurt.

 

[doug401]

Deleted

 

[SeattleBlueLeaf]

Good work.

 

[doug401]

I contacted Sargent Stokes of the Bellingham police dept and he says he cannot authorize a tow because its private property, no jurisdiction. But he understands the issue and wishes it was on public prop.
So..
I called Stephen C Gray and Associates, Sehome prop owner, 206-325-1050, I got the number from REI, and explained the problems with requesting a tow, and how a tow must be requested by prop owner. I also brought up 776 UVF, and how it appears this person is employed by one of their tenants.
They would act quickly if they knew the employer.
That's as far as I can take this...

For anyone going to Bellingham DC3, I would take the above phone number with you. It may help during their business hours.