Hi FerretPewPew:
Really good to hear about your love for the used car. Where did you get it, at one of the local dealers? How many miles?
Regarding the 3 U of A stations I see in garages on the Blink map, I've used two of them, just once or twice, and have been satisfied, particularly in that they are garaged and so are a haven from the extreme sun and heat during certain hours. I remember one time deciding not to charge at Bookman's Grant/Campbell, on a hot sunny day with no shade, and driving over to U of A and getting a charge.
I haven't used them often, but do believe that parking is free for EVs that are charging. I"m not 100% sure of this though since I think mainly I've been there when the gates are open to all. It would be useful to get this information nailed down one way or the other, as to whether EV charging is vouchered to be free of parking fees during the hours when the lot is not normally free to others. I do think it should be free.
On billing for refueling itself, my personal view is that I do not resent paying Blink/UA a few dollars here or there for a charge. Blink network's operator Ecotality is nearly bankrupt in part because of the modest fuel revenues and they just recently lowered the bill from $1.50 per hour to $1.00 per hour, so it's not a huge amount of money one pays for refueling, in my view. There is a capital cost that goes into installing a station like that (wild guess - ~$5k-$12k, including ). Just to acknowledge, I disagree on this point with some other drivers who resent the cost.
There are some issues in and around the cost that I would like to see worked out. For example, if there are two parking spaces laid out next to it and conventions are followed amongst drivers (such as putting some sort of ok-to-unplug-me cardboard note on the dashboard) then under certain circumstances this would help drivers coordinate when it would absolutely be fine to unplug one EV and plug in the one next to it. I haven't had enough experience or thinking yet to figure out where I think Blink or the U of A might want to be in that discussion.
So you have the information, here is a link to the google group where there is also Tucson EV discussion and there is a September 29 event at the Bookman's (3330 Speedway version) parking lot (if you don't already know about it)
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!forum/evtucson" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://action.pluginamerica.org/o/2711/p/salsa/event/common/public/?event_KEY=80690" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I'm a little confused now though because National Plug-In Day seems to be Sep. 23, so I'm not sure why they're doing the Tucson event Sep. 29.
http://events.pluginday.org/p/salsa/event/common/public/index.sjs?event_KEY=68215" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Regarding Bookman's Sports parking lot at 3330 Speedway, from what Dave Gelbert wrote today on the google group, the DCFC has been reliably in operation since Thursday, so it looks like that situation is perhaps addressed, but it has been a long haul to get to that point, .... I guess with each day that passes we can call it a bit more solid.
FerretPewPew said:
I just bought a used 2011 SL in the middle of August, and I have to say that I simply love this car! :mrgreen:
Also, I've contacted Parking & Transportation Services (PTS) at the University of Arizona to see if they will subsidize the three Blink charging stations available in the parking garages on campus. PTS told me that the University paid for the installation of the three Blink charging stations, but that Blink manages and charges for use of the three charging stations. I was really surprised to find out that the University does not subsidize the charging rates for University employees who drive electric vehicles to work, especially considering that the 2nd Street parking garage has a large PV solar array on its roof deck.
I'll fight the good fight at the University, and I'll let you know if those chargers become subsidized in the near future (though you'll still have to pay to get into the parking garages if you don't already have a pass)!