Expanding EV charging in Yosemite

[paulgipe]

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

 

[GRA]

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.

 

[paulgipe]

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

 

[GRA]

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.

 

[smkettner]

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.

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.

 

[paulgipe]

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

 

[GRA]

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.

 

[paulgipe]

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

 

[GRA]

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.

 

[GRA]

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.

 

[paulgipe]

Guy,

Don Condon, EAA, reported yesterday that Bishop is live. EA does not confirm it and there are no check ins. Don didn't charge so at this stage I classify it as a rumor, but a good one.

Paul

 

[GRA]

^^^ Fingers crossed.

 

[paulgipe]

I am trying to get a local to visit the site in Bishop, CA.

At this time, I am not convinced that the site is live. I think Don was mistaken.

Paul

 

[GRA]

In an attempt to juice things along I sent EA the following email - let's hope it has some effect, and if I get something other than a boilerplate reply I'll post it:

I'm very deaf, so please don't call me - email only. Are you going to get the stations in Coso junction and Bishop, CA. open before XMAS, so that Southern Californians can drive to Mammoth Lakes for the Holidays? These stations have been "Coming Soon" for a long time now, and sat untouched for a few months during the summer. It's desirable that BEVs other than Tesla can make this trip as soon as possible, and if not by XMAS then certainly before the MLK holiday so people can ski. You already opened Bridgeport, which will see far less traffic than these two.

BTW, you also need stations in Lee Vining and Lone Pine, to handle the cross-traffic through Yosemite on 120 (far greater traffic volume than 108 via Bridgeport); Lone Pine is the gateway to Whitney Portal and all of Sequoia/Kings Canyon south of Bishop, as well as the turnoff to Death Valley for people coming south down 395.

Thanks.

They've been opening a bunch of urban sites in California, and while those are certainly valuable, we need more regional access sites at the moment.

 

[GRA]

On my way back from Yosemite Wednesday I stopped at the Groveland CEC/Chargepoint site to see if any progress had been made since I stopped by in October (see previous page). At that time, the QC pedestals were covered by their shipping cartons; the cartons have now been removed, exposing the interior guts of the QCs, but it appeared that they'd been sitting like that for a while, which is stupid given that Groveland gets both rain and snow. The dual L2 is still unpowered. Paul, do you or anyone else here have a contact email for someone responsible at CEC so we can nag them? This is ridiculous.

 

[paulgipe]

Guy,

I sent you a PM with a contact.

In my last conversation with CEC, they noted that CP has until June of this year to complete their contracts. CEC does have milestones for them though.

We have 2-4 CP stations near here that they've yet to start construction.

For future rounds of funding, we won't even be able to track them. It's bad enough now, but when we can't track them we have no idea of where or when stations will be built. The CEC is outsourcing the contracting to the counties.

Paul

 

[GRA]

Paul, I haven't received the PM.

Guy

 

[GRA]

As described in several posts in the Bolt topic last week, I rented a new (54 miles on the odometer) 2020 Bolt on Turo last week, and drove it from the Bay Area via I-580/205/5/S.R.120/99/120/108 over Sonora Pass (9,624') to Lee Vining (6,780') and then up to Tioga Pass (9,945'), back to Lee Vining and then home by the same route. I couldn't take my usual route via 120 through the Park, but Oakdale to Bridgeport is probably very similar to Oakdale to Lee Vining as far as distance and energy use. I post the info here for anyone driving a similar size BEV to use as a basis for trip planning.

I collected energy use info along the way. I charged to 100% in Tracy, where there are EA, EVgo and CP QCs within a half mile or so of each other, and then topped to 90% in Oakdale, which is the furthest east dual QC on the way to Yosemite. There is a single CP QC at Rush Creek Lodge on 120, 20 miles east of Groveland, but as it's likely to be occupied by lodge guests even if it's working, I wouldn't depend on it. There's also a dual CP site in Groveland that's been waiting for a transformer for a year now, with no indication when that might happen. The only QC (not SC) on the east side north of Bishop is the EA site in Bridgeport, which I was unable to charge at (see Bolt topic). It took 8.3 kWh to get from Tracy the 37.9 miles to Oakdale. The rest of my numbers are between Oakdale (155') to Lee Vining and/or L.V. - Tioga Pass. I drove normally for me, somewhat fast, but used minimal amounts of A/C or heat.

Oakdale - Yosemite Junction: 25.1 mi./8.3 kWh

Yos. Jct. - Clark Fork: 55.9 mi./22.0 kWh

Cl. Fk. - Sonora Pass: 16.9 mi./10.0 kWh
_______________
Oakdale - Sonora Pass: 97.9 mi./40.3 kWh

Sonora Pass - Bridgeport: 31.5 mi./2.6 kWh
_______________
Oakdale - Bridgeport: 129.4 mi./42.9 kWh

Bridgeport - Lee Vining (Gus Hess Park L2 chargers): 25.8 mi./5.7 kWh. Note, drove 55-50-45 to ensure adequate reserve at Lee Vining, so figure 7-8 kWh at normal speeds.
________
Oakdale - Lee Vining: 155.2 mi./48.6 kWh


Lee Vining (G.H.P.) - Tioga Pass: 12.9 mi./7.2 kWh

L.V. (120/395 Jct.) - Tioga Pass): 12.0 mi./6.9 kWh

T.P. - 120/395: 11.9 mi./ (-)1.7 kWh

T.P. - G.H.P.: 12.8 mi./ (-)1.7 kWh
_________
G.H.P.- T.P. RT: 25.7 mi./5.5 kWh

120/395 - T.P. RT: 23.9 mi./5.2 kWh


G.H.P. - Sonora Pass: 56 8 mi./18.6 kWh

Sonora Pass - Yos. Jct.: 72.6 mi./3.3 kWh

Yos Jct. - Oakdale 25.1 mi./5.9 kWh
_________
G.H.P. - Yos. Jct.: 129.4 mi./21.9 kWh

G.H.P. - Oakdale: 154.5 mi./27.8 kWh

From Lee Vining to Yosemite Junction I averaged 5.9 mi./kWh, and 22 mi./kWh from Sonora Pass to Yosemite Junction!

 

[paulgipe]

Guy,

Great report with enough useful detail others can repeat the experience.

We're headed up to near Lone Pine Wednesday. Don't know if we'll try to get up to Horseshoe Meadows or not.

Paul

 

[paulgipe]

Guy,

I can't find that Bolt topic on the Bridgeport EA station. Can you provide a direct link.

Paul