ChargePoint DC Charge Corridors on the East and West Coasts

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edatoakrun

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I already posted elsewhere, but this story is going to need its own thread.

Edit- Just to make it clear, it sounds to me like most or all will have CHAdeMO or dual standard ~50 kW chargers.

I hope the awkward phrasing was on purpose, to omit using the term CHAdeMO...

BMW, Volkswagen and ChargePoint Announce Initiative to Create Electric Vehicle Express Charging Corridors on the East and West Coasts.

A goal of nearly 100 DC Fast chargers will be installed to support long distance and metropolitan electric vehicle travel with the BMW i3, Volkswagen e-Golf and other electric cars, along heavily trafficked corridors on both coasts, supported by Level 2 chargers.

These publicly available charging stations will be added to the existing ChargePoint network and can be easily accessed using a ChargePoint® or ChargeNow card...

With more than 280,000 electric vehicles sold in the United States, EV owners need more charging flexibility while on the go. The express charging corridors will provide electric vehicle drivers access to DC Fast chargers along the most heavily populated and highly-trafficked regions on Interstate 95 on the east coast, from Boston to Washington, D.C., and on the west coast covering and connecting the metropolitan areas of Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego. The installations will occur both within and between relevant metro areas, strategically-spaced at a maximum of 50 miles apart, making it even easier to take long road trips in an EV...


Each fast charging location along the express charging corridors is expected to include up to two 50 kW DC Fast chargers, or 24 kW DC Combo Fast chargers with the SAE Combo connector, used in both BMW and Volkswagen electric vehicles as well as many other electric vehicles that incorporate a DC Fast Charging capability. When charging at a 50 kW station, both the BMW i3 and the Volkswagen e-Golf can charge up to 80 percent in 20 minutes. Both vehicles can charge up to 80 percent in 30 minutes at a 24 kW station. Locations will also include Level 2 chargers, currently the most commonly available public charging stations, which are compatible with all electric vehicles. Level 2 stations can dispense up to 25 miles of range per hour of charging, providing a full charge for the BMW i3 and the VW e-Golf within 3.5 to 4 hours...
Click to expand...
http://www.chargepoint.com/press-releases/2015/0122" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 
"and on the west coast covering and connecting the metropolitan areas of Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego. The installations will occur both within and between relevant metro areas, strategically-spaced at a maximum of 50 miles apart, making it even easier to take long road trips in an EV..."

I will be interested to see if the LA-SF section uses the I5 or the US101 corridor (or both). With ~50 mile spacing, 101 already has facilities at those distances, and would be more friendly to sub 100 mile EV travel due to weather, speed limits, and terrain.
 
KeiJidosha said:
"and on the west coast covering and connecting the metropolitan areas of Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego. The installations will occur both within and between relevant metro areas, strategically-spaced at a maximum of 50 miles apart, making it even easier to take long road trips in an EV..."

I will be interested to see if the LA-SF section uses the I5 or the US101 corridor (or both). With ~50 mile spacing, 101 already has facilities at those distances, and would be more friendly to sub 100 mile EV travel due to weather, speed limits, and terrain.
Click to expand...

IMO that (and common sense) would tend to indicate 99 with its many large population centers may get them first, rather than I-5 or 101.

I just checked, and Fresno alone has over half a million residents, and is now the fifth-largest city in CA.

Fresno County...almost a million.
 
Well, it is a nice thing - if/when I need it I'll be sure to check to see what is actually available and at what cost.

I'm amused by the graphic on their press release. Notice how on the east coast they have their graphic run all the way down the cost, BUT they really only have it labeled as being Boston to DC (which may be helpful for me) but a quick look puts DC in Florida and implies the ability to run all the way down.... I guess anyone south of DC isn't really part of the East Coast (?)
 
edatoakrun said:
KeiJidosha said:
"and on the west coast covering and connecting the metropolitan areas of Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego. The installations will occur both within and between relevant metro areas, strategically-spaced at a maximum of 50 miles apart, making it even easier to take long road trips in an EV..."

I will be interested to see if the LA-SF section uses the I5 or the US101 corridor (or both). With ~50 mile spacing, 101 already has facilities at those distances, and would be more friendly to sub 100 mile EV travel due to weather, speed limits, and terrain.
Click to expand...

IMO that (and common sense) would tend to indicate 99 with its many large population centers may get them first, rather than I-5 or 101.

I just checked, and Fresno alone has over half a million residents, and is now the fifth-largest city in CA.

Fresno County...almost a million.
Click to expand...
The 101 connects (and bisects) the Bay area's ~7m with LA's ~12m. Agree that the 99 would have same benefits over I5 route as the 101, and 80 through Sacto back to to 5/99 makes sense north of San Francisco. I'm still betting on El Camino Real, but I'm looking forward to the day I can get to Yosemite (or Shasta Lake) using QC ;)
 
While I wish this program well (and of interest to me, finally accomplishing what the State of California promised us so many years ago) lets be realistic about what is behind this announcement.

CHAdeMO has a huge lead over SAE in BEVs on the road, and the vast majority of DC-capable BEVs along the coastal corridors and across the USA at large over the next few years will have CHAdeMO DC.

Without the current (or near future) customer base to incentivize DC kWh sales, VW and BMW are buying the way for the SAE standard into the DC public charge market.

And I wish them well, even as I have been disappointed by Nissan's weak effort to do the same, years ago.

For better or worse (and mostly worse):

...we are well on our way to CHAdeMO becoming the single world public DC standard, with the two regional standards in Europe And the USA (the two AC/DC combi-plugs) requiring two plug designs at every public DC charge station, to insure compatibility...
Click to expand...
http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=9&t=8938&start=100" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

So I expect that in the negotiations, BMW and VW had to give ChargePoint what it wanted, dual standard DC, and Chargepoint had to agree to downplay the fact that initially, 90%+ of its customers will not be using the SAE standard, as it did in its press release, where it dared not use the C-word.

http://www.chargepoint.com/press-releases/2015/0122" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 
KeiJidosha said:
edatoakrun said:
KeiJidosha said:
"and on the west coast covering and connecting the metropolitan areas of Portland, San Francisco, Los Angeles, and San Diego. The installations will occur both within and between relevant metro areas, strategically-spaced at a maximum of 50 miles apart, making it even easier to take long road trips in an EV..."

I will be interested to see if the LA-SF section uses the I5 or the US101 corridor (or both). With ~50 mile spacing, 101 already has facilities at those distances, and would be more friendly to sub 100 mile EV travel due to weather, speed limits, and terrain.
Click to expand...
IMO that (and common sense) would tend to indicate 99 with its many large population centers may get them first, rather than I-5 or 101.

I just checked, and Fresno alone has over half a million residents, and is now the fifth-largest city in CA.

Fresno County...almost a million.
Click to expand...
The 101 connects (and bisects) the Bay area's ~7m with LA's ~12m. Agree that the 99 would have same benefits over I5 route as the 101, and 80 through Sacto back to to 5/99 makes sense north of San Francisco. I'm still betting on El Camino Real, but I'm looking forward to the day I can get to Yosemite (or Shasta Lake) using QC ;)
Click to expand...
I agree that 101 (hell, Hwy 1 too, so people can get to Monterey, Big Sur and San Simeon as they can't now from the Bay Area using either CHAdeMO or CCS) makes more sense for short-range BEVs than 5, but since eVgo is on the hook to install 15 dual-standard chargers in the San Joaquin Valley (the first is in Atwater), they would presumably be mostly along 99 to serve the population there, with maybe a few on 5: assuming one in Gilroy or Morgan Hill, say Santa Nella Jct., Harris Ranch, Buttonwillow and Tejon Ranch. Putting them in those locations shows how unsuitable the current ~80 mile BEVs are for freeway travel, as most of them will have trouble making some of those legs at the speed limit even in ideal conditions, and then only with a 100% charge. Which is why I think it makes far more sense at the moment to put these in on scenic routes that aren't freeways, on which people are more likely to want to take their time (e.g. Hwy 1).

We can both dream of the day when you can get to Yosemite via CHAdeMO/CCS. Even when Tesla opens the Manteca SC, you can only get to Yosemite Valley in a 60 from there; if you want to cross over to Lee Vining, you'll need to stop in Groveland for dinner and use the HPWC at the Groveland Hotel (and hope no one else is using it).
 
Anyone seen signs of progress yet, on either coast?

I haven't even heard a rumor about any of these "100 DC's" being installed here North California.

As announced back in January:

...Installations have already begun on the west coast, with the first location in San Diego County. There is a target of nearly 100 DC Fast charging spots in the first phase, available by the end of 2015...
Click to expand...
http://www.chargepoint.com/press-releases/2015/0122" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 
First sighting on the Corridor?.

And is s this also the first non-CHAdeMO public (not a dealership installation) DC charger in the USA?

New quick charge electric car station in Redding

The City of Redding has another electric vehicle charging station, allowing drivers to power up before heading out of town.

The system will be one of only six in the city, and the first to offer a quick charge...

The downside, not all cars can use the Express DC Fast Charger, depending on the type of connector.

But the company behind the system, ChargePoint said it should work with most German and US engineered models.

They’re teaming up with the Carl’s Jr. on East Cypress to bring the technology to Redding....

The Express DC Fast Charger is expected to go online this weekend, joining a network of 25,000 systems across the US.

A similar charging station is going online in Yreka on Thursday, and possibly another in Williams to follow, all near the interstate...
Click to expand...
http://www.krcrtv.com/news/local/new-quick-charge-electric-car-station-in-redding/35972624

You have to wonder if this question ever came up in negotiations with the host, Carl's Junior:

So you want us to install a DC charger that can't charge ~90% of the DC capable BEVs in California?

Looks like I overestimated Chargepoint's capacity to influence it's partners in the negotiations...

edatoakrun said:
....I expect that in the negotiations, BMW and VW had to give ChargePoint what it wanted, dual standard DC, and Chargepoint had to agree to downplay the fact that initially, 90%+ of its customers will not be using the SAE standard, as it did in its press release, where it dared not use the C-word.

http://www.chargepoint.com/press-releases/2015/0122
Click to expand...
 
The most EVs are in Los Angeles and San Francisco area, the two ways to get there in an EV is 101 or 99. I have done 99 to Fresno from LA 2 times, the trips were one year apart. I have seen big leaps between the two trips, they added the EVgo stations at Canyon Country , and a lot of stations 4 in Fresno.
The down side is that if any of the single CHAdeMO chargers go down at Visalia or Bakersfield ( as they often are ) you are done for 8 hours on a round trip! There are 2 stations that are begging to be installed, at the Flying J travel center in Bakersfield and LeBec. They have power. Both 440 AC 3 phase, 220 volts AC and a way to accept payment. I have wrote letters to find funding even a J1772 would be helpful. I think two or three stations in the hole between Bakersfield and LA would help EV growth. the question always asked " How do you drive to _________ if you have to? " I would like to see some of the routes in question taken out.
I don't like to see Panorama Towing Service charging $25 an hour to charge on a J1772 in the hole...That is $100 for a gasoline gallon equivalent!
 
I think the first public Combo only installations were on the East Coast. If you don't want to count the BMW HQ in NJ as public, then Nauna's Bella Casa in Montclair, NJ is probably the winner of the title. That's Tom Moloughney's (i3 owner) restaurant. It's been installed for at least a month now. It came online the same week as one installed at an apartment building in Hartford, CT. These are both 24kW units.
 
NYLEAF said:
I think the first public Combo only installations were on the East Coast. If you don't want to count the BMW HQ in NJ as public, then Nauna's Bella Casa in Montclair, NJ is probably the winner of the title. That's Tom Moloughney's (i3 owner) restaurant. <snip>
Click to expand...
There's no doubt THAT one will get lots of use! :lol:
 
Carl's Jr Yreka DC is now showing up on ChargePoint as 24kw, the rate posted is 14 cents per minute and 25 cents per kWh.

https://na.chargepoint.com/charge_point

Redding DC isn't listed there, but it is shown on plugshare, as 20 kW (?).

I dropped by the Redding DC Friday, and left my slightly peeved comment at PS.

I talked to a couple of employees at the CJ, who gave me a phone number for their regional manager, but I couldn't reach him.

I really feel sorry for CJ, since IMO, both BMW and ChargePoint are more responsible for installing a Charger with such limited capabilities.

It's both funny and sad, IMO, that this (semi) fast BEV charger is located right on Redding's auto row, where you can't buy a BEV that can use this charger (well, the Chevy dealer might order you a Spark EV...) while hundreds of CHAdeMO capable BEVs are in the region, and more are on sale at the Nissan and Kia dealerships, just a few hundred yards away.

And since all the SAE-combo equipped BEVs you can buy elsewhere in California have even shorter EPA ranges than the 24 kWh LEAF, it's hard to see a large demand from visitors showing up for these chargers, wanting to pay ~70 cents (even higher, for a full charge) per semi-fast kWh.

A driver would need an interim charger just to make it from Redding to the Yreka charger in a Spark, Golf, or I-3 BEV, so I sure hope BMW is planning another DC along that stretch of I-5.

I hope BMW is also planning to install the ~twenty more charge sites needed to fill the SAE DC gap from Yreka to Portland, as well as the five or six needed to get south from Redding to Sacramento, Davis, and Vacaville.
 
Looks like there are still no reports yet at plugshare of successful charging at any of the four ~24 kW SAE chargers BMW/Chargepoint have installed on the west coast, and the King City DC verified (by some really PO'd drivers) as DOA:

http://www.plugshare.com/#

Now sounds like EVgo may be taking over from Chargepoint, for all ~50 kW sites:

BMW i and EVgo expanding ChargeNow DC Fast program; 500 more fast chargers in US; no-cost DC and Level 2 for BMW i3 drivers

18 November 2015

At the Los Angeles Auto Show, BMW of North America announced, in cooperation with NRG EVgo, the expansion of the ChargeNow DC Fast program. (Earlier post.) As part of its ongoing commitment to the growth of a robust public DC Fast charging infrastructure, BMW is supporting EVgo’s installation of an incremental 500 DC Fast Combo chargers, to benefit BMW i3 customers and all EV drivers in the US with DC Fast Combo charging capability. ChargeNow DC Fast also includes two years of no-cost charging for qualifying BMW i3 drivers in those areas...
Click to expand...
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/11/20151118-fastdc.html

...In the initial phase, the aim is to install nearly 100 DC Fast charging ports across both coasts, with plans to expand the program to increase access to fast charging across the country. The installations will occur both within and between relevant metro areas, strategically spaced at a maximum of 50 miles (80 km) apart. Each fast charging location along the express charging corridors is expected to include up to two 50 kW DC fast chargers or 24 kW DC fast chargers with the SAE Combo connector. The 50 kW fast chargers will also have a CHAdeMO connector available, according to Volkswagen, while the 24 kW units will be SAE Combo only, at least to start...
Click to expand...
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2015/01/20150122-vwbmwcp.html

May I suggest prioritizing 50 kWh sites at ~Williams and ~Red Bluff?
 
GRA,

Can you post a screen capture. I checked that filter for the SAE Combo, reloaded my browser, and still didn't see anything.

It's not that important to me since I need ChAdeMO, but I've had other problems with Plugshare and I more interested in why it doesn't show up.

Paul
 

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