LEAF in Kansas City

[ericvoll]

Has anyone noticed the "new" trip planner on the Carwings website? It's pretty cool. I'm going to have to plan to trip to Topeka or somewhere to try it out.

 

[eclecticflower]

Nope! Been too busy drafting an RFP for installing EVSEs at TMC. I just submitted my proposal (our deadline is 4:30 p.m. today). Wish me luck!

I will check out the trip planner asap. Thanks for the heads up.

Kathy

 

[ericvoll]

Nope! Been too busy drafting an RFP for installing EVSEs at TMC. I just submitted my proposal (our deadline is 4:30 p.m. today). Wish me luck!

I will check out the trip planner asap. Thanks for the heads up.

Kathy

Good luck.

 

[ksnogas2112]

Nope! Been too busy drafting an RFP for installing EVSEs at TMC. I just submitted my proposal (our deadline is 4:30 p.m. today). Wish me luck!

I will check out the trip planner asap. Thanks for the heads up.

Kathy

Good luck.

+1

 

[ksnogas2112]

Eric, the new route planner is interesting in what it offers. I started using the bicycle google maps to take elevation into account. From Lenexa to Independence it drives you right along the river for the most part. It also takes you through areas you shouldn't drive through at night.

 

[ericvoll]

Eric, the new route planner is interesting in what it offers. I started using the bicycle google maps to take elevation into account. From Lenexa to Independence it drives you right along the river for the most part. It also takes you through areas you shouldn't drive through at night.

A month or so back there was a news story on Channel 9 that talked about the top five most dangerous zip codes in Kansas City, MO. I had thought about programming them into my "Areas to Avoid" in the LEAF nav system, but a couple of them have important highways thru them (71 highway) or include ok areas of town (UMKC area next to plaza).

As far as the Kansas side, I don't know what zips are the worst. I just kind of know to avoid KCK just west of downtown and up thru I-635. It would be cool for the nav system to keep one out of dangerous areas.

 

[mhigley]

I got the VLBW warning for the first time today. We drove a total of 97 miles on our trip to Kansas City today. We charged at the Walgreens on 75th and Wornall for 30 minutes. We ate at Chipotle and the headed to 151st and 7 hwy in Olathe. We stopped at the Youth Center on 920 W. Spruce to charge on our way home. We charged for 25 minutes and headed home on three bars. We got the VLBW about a mile from home with all dashes and no bars left.

My wife was nervous but I wasn't skeerd at all

 

[eclecticflower]

Would be so much more entertaining if other things flashed on the dashboard, like :shock: for LBW, or for VLBW, or WTH :?: with Turtle. You should get a skull & crossbones if you (God forbid) totally brick it. :!:

 

[MrIanB]

Would be so much more entertaining if other things flashed on the dashboard, like :shock: for LBW, or for VLBW, or WTH :?: with Turtle. You should get a skull & crossbones if you (God forbid) totally brick it. :!:

Or a message saying, "Hey fracking idiot, how many times do I have to tell you to charge or I will leave you here." lol

Ian B

 

[mhigley]

It should also end with a 80's video game dead player sound.

I forgot to add in my story that we drove by the Westar charging station on 86th and we could have went over to the State Line Walgreens but much like the explorers of days gone by, we pressed on.

I decided to brave those harrowing last 13 miles of our journey with only my faith in my vessel and the steel in my nerves. I knew if we were to marroned on highway 7 that it would have been a fate of my own choosing and I could blame neither my vehicle nor the charging infrastucture that had been put in place for just such a journey as I had undertaken. I arrived at my destination victorious, but I learned a valuable lesson that I shall take to my grave. Should I ever be low on charge in Olathe on 135th and I decide to charge at the Youth Center, I will stay about 15 minutes longer.

THE END

 

[eclecticflower]

It should also end with a 80's video game dead player sound.

Love it! :lol: Seriously, Nissan should add that "dead" sound effect for when you can no longer power up your LEAF. It would give you something to giggle about when you're calling that tow truck.

if we were to marroned on highway 7

Uh, Mark, did you mean"Marooned" or "moroned?" It could apply either way... :?

Thanks, Ian B. Now, WTF means "What The Frack?" to me. I will definitely use that around appropriate listeners.

-Kathy

 

[mhigley]

if we were to marroned on highway 7

Uh, Mark, did you mean"Marooned" or "moroned?" It could apply either way...

-Kathy


Ouch. That's a little harsh.

 

[eclecticflower]

I meant (universally) that we can "moron" ourselves if we run out of charge ('cause we should know better ). I was just twisting your phrase a bit (wasn't meant to sting you personally). Guess I shouldn't be turning nouns into action words!?! So sorry. :|

 

[mhigley]

I'm not that thin skinned Kathy :lol: I am proud of my poor spelling.

Seriously though, I did come close to running out of juice and I was being a moron. I had my wife with me and it was the old "man not wanting to stop for directions" thing. My wife was nervous but I wanted to prove to her that I knew how much charge we had left. I also wanted to see what would happen if I got down that low just once so we would know what would happen. Even though it drives me crazy when other people do that kind of thing, I went ahead and did it. The difference would have been that I (and my wife) would have blamed myself and not the car or the infrstructure if I wouldn't have made it home.

 

[eclecticflower]

Ah ... by now your wife probably has the tow service phone number programmed into her cell phone, figuring you'll do that again.
Ya know, it will hurt when she throws that cell phone at your head and scores a hit! (Don't make her do it.)

 

[ksnogas2112]

Wife gets mad at me for leaving the Nissan EVSE out of the car when driving around town. There are enough charging stations and so few vehicles that we have no excuse for knocking on doors asking for some juice. However, there is no way I would try getting to Ft. Leavenworth/Lansing on 3 bars. Too many times coming back from the Legends takes 4 for me to try going up with 3. My near range mistake in Manhattan was enough to teach me the benefit of an extra 20 minutes.

Tomorrow I'm heading out to check the new plug in Independence. It's right around the corner from my favorite craft shop and the Truman Visitors center. Even 5 years from now I'll be able to get there and back with that plug in place.

So cool that KC has the number of plugs that it does.

 

[mhigley]

I just drove a 2013 SL at Randy Reed Nissan. Unlike the last time I went there, the salesman actually knew what he was talking about.

I really just wanted to see how much better the heater is in the 2013s and it is much better. It blew a lot hotter and was barely using any power on the energy screen. It was about 29 degrees at the time.

I didn't care for the leather seats. The car had a strong smell like new plastic or something.

 

[eclecticflower]

I saw a silver LEAF in the wild near my neighborhood last weekend, exact same place as where I saw the red one mentioned previously in this thread (the intersection of Chouteau Trfwy. & Vivion Road, WB turn lane to SB Chouteau). That place must be a magnet for wild LEAFs. Couldn't quite tell if it was a 2013 because of other cars next to it (was trying to see a missing fender light). Was happy to see another one.

 

[ksnogas2112]

It's the ice fountain up there drawing crowds =)

 

[eclecticflower]

Nope, haven't seen one over there yet. It's about 3 miles away!