Letter to Ecotality/Blink concerning Balboa Park Failures

[walterbays]

At risk of carrying this thread a bit further off topic, a couple of somewhat related observations...

Today at Ikea one of the 3 Blink units was broken - in the famous RFID-processing loop. One was charging another Leaf. And the third, handicapped space, was ICEd as always. An exacerbating issue with Blink's high failure rate is that their network status is usually wrong. I checked status on the Blink app at the time and it showed: 2 available, 1 in use. You wouldn't necessarily expect them to detect ICEd units, but I wonder why they still haven't figured out how to identify locked up units that haven't communicated with the Blink servers for hours.

In Balboa Park thanks to Car2go the unit status is off in the opposite direction. Right now the Blink app shows 6 units in use and 1 available at Pallisades. But the Car2go locator app shows at least 3 vehicles there, so there are probably actually 4 units you could use by moving a Car2go car. If the Car2go app would let you zoom the map in a few more steps you could probably tell exactly how many spaces were potentially available.

Right now with free charging it's not so bad that you can never tell the actual availability of charging stations. But when they start charging money to charge, and possibly also to make a reservation to charge, they'd better figure out a way to determine and communicate whether or not they are able to deliver the promised service.

 

[walterbays]

be careful what you wish for. if you get it on fox, the subtlety will be ignored on purpose. it will become a club against EVs. it will be a talking point for the right-wing puke machine about EV failure, burning volt batteries, car with no range and no market, and wasted taxpayer money. it will be even worse than last year, because this is an election year.

It has started, http://dailycaller.com/2012/03/27/house-gop-eyes-another-possible-green-tech-scandal/, and likely would have done in any case. Ecotality is too tempting a target.

 

[thankyouOB]

The definition of the right-wing puke machine is the daily caller.

Founder Tucker Carlson is a wingnut welfare baby.

The Daily Caller is a news website based in Washington, D.C., United States, with a focus on politics, original reporting and breaking news, founded by journalist and political pundit Tucker Carlson and Neil Patel, former adviser to former Vice President Dick Cheney. The Daily Caller launched on January 11, 2010.

 

[Herm]

That Daily Caller merits more checking out.. I did not know Ecotality has donated thousands of dollars to democrats.

 

[GaslessInSeattle]

and here's our very own Tony Williams fanning the coals of Daily Caller! wow, I can understand the sentiment but isn't being so harsh on such an anti EV web site kind of shooting ourselves in the foot?

"All the obvious failures of Ecotality, from shoddy equipment to virtually non-existent equipment, like the DC fast chargers that they were supposed to install, and haven't. After the first $100 million of your federal tax money, they got about $20 million more, and NOW, they have applied for a State of California handout for up to $75,000 per DC charger install. They get reimbursed by the government half of the up to $60,000 per DC charger they sell, plus tens of thousands to install it (the DC charger produced by Sumitomo for Nissan costs about $10,000).
I fully expect the State will hand them the cash.

Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2012/03/27/house-gop-eyes-another-possible-green-tech-scandal/#ixzz1qO98ught" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

"

be careful what you wish for. if you get it on fox, the subtlety will be ignored on purpose. it will become a club against EVs. it will be a talking point for the right-wing puke machine about EV failure, burning volt batteries, car with no range and no market, and wasted taxpayer money. it will be even worse than last year, because this is an election year.

It has started, http://dailycaller.com/2012/03/27/house-gop-eyes-another-possible-green-tech-scandal/, and likely would have done in any case. Ecotality is too tempting a target.

 

[thankyouOB]

That Daily Caller merits more checking out.. I did not know Ecotality has donated thousands of dollars to democrats.

oh my god, money to democrats. as far as I can tell in checking the relevant sites and reading the puke-machine, the money was less than 10k to more than 3 different pols, including a 1k contribution to former Arizona Rep. Gabbie Giffords. Recall that Ecotality was based in AZ.

what a scandal!!
of course money in politics is not something I applaud, and especially so to crony stuff.
but, we all know that Exxon and Haliburton and KellogBrown&Root and Blackwater etc. etc. gave money to republicans before they got drilling contracts, security work, gasoline sales and leased oil tracts with the Bush administration.
only it wasnt just a few thousands.
it was millions.

 

[TonyWilliams]

and here's our very own Tony Williams fanning the coals of Daily Caller! wow, I can understand the sentiment but isn't being so harsh on such an anti EV web site kind of shooting ourselves in the foot?

Perhaps it's "bad", and I should just shut my pie hole and cover my eyes. Sorry, but I don't quite get how the low performers keep getting money handed to them. I mean and believe exactly what I said.

I make no apologies, and can only hope that we at least, for the gigantic sums of money already spent, get some small percentage of the promised, and paid for, EV infrastructure.

It's not a left / right political thing, for me at least. It's a dumb investment that the government(s) keep throwing money at. It really kind of p*sses me off.

 

[thankyouOB]

it isnt a left-right thing. it is a kill-the-EV thing.
now who do we think wants to do that and how can we help them do it?
do you think the goopers are playing here. do you not see how they are laughing at a Leaf guy helping to dig the EV grave?
do you think that they really wont destroy the entire alternative fuel industry to keep us all on oil?

EV community members are giving the petroleum party the sword with which to kill the EV. It is just too damn dumb for me.
those of you who were so mad at Ecotality should have kept at your fix-it plan and not gone for your 15 minutes of fame.

bite the hand that feeds you.
arrogant.

 

[TonyWilliams]

While Ecotality is waiting for the next batch of tax payer cash, in "up to $75,000 per install" increments from the state of California, they might consider fixing today's broken Blinks:

Rueben H. Fleet Science Museum:

Serial number:
102309
*103115 (fixed, 3/20/12, down again 3/24 self test fail)*
103173 (fixed, 3/20/12) >the handicap spot<


Pan American Plaza / Palisades / Aviation Museum:

Serial number:
*205600 (down 3/21, up 3/24, won't read card 3/27) >the handicap spot<*
103119 (down 3/24, up 3/27)
103127 (down, 3/21, up 3/24)
*200917 (fixed, 3/20, down 3/27)*
211133 <<----the only one not broken this week!!!!
*208124 (down, 3/21, intermittent 3/27)*
205222 (fixed, 3/20)

 

[TonyWilliams]

....not gone for your 15 minutes of fame.

You stay classy.

 

[EVDRIVER]

Tony, you expressed how you felt and honestly. I doubt those people would do the same if the situation was reversed. Don't sweat it it won't bring EVs down.

 

[walterbays]

and here's our very own Tony Williams fanning the coals of Daily Caller!

I didn't see his name in the Daily Caller article, nor have I seen him quoted in any newspaper, reputable or otherwise. Maybe he is the source, but there are plenty of other places a newspaper could get the same information. I don't know what Tony's politics are, nor do I care, but I am convinced his objective is simply working chargers.

Based only on what I see of his approach to Ecotality's problems, he looks to me like one of that vanished political class in America that used to be called "Republican": thinks government can do useful things but that private enterprise usually does better, doesn't want to abolish government but isn't willing to give it a free pass on blunders either, expects public discourse to be civil and about the facts, will hold officials of the other party and of his own party accountable for their actions. Maybe expects his opponents will fight fair.

 

[TonyWilliams]

Maybe expects his opponents will fight fair.

Well, that I know better.

 

[thankyouOB]

so, tell us honestly, did you tip or talk to one of those fine folks at the daily caller or anyone connected to breitbar.com, which I see is running the same stuff.

 

[stanley]

Tony, I applaud you for working on getting the problems fixed. Ecotality is accountable to produce a viable product and your persistence to get them to perform, as promised, will help us all have an infrastructure that we need.

 

[CWO4Mann]

Maybe expects his opponents will fight fair.

Well, that I know better.

No way the either Goopers or the Libtards are going to fight fair. This is election year and everything they "have" depends upon defeating the "other guy"; the fight hasn't even started to get bad yet. You just THINK it is dirty now. Both Right and Left political operatives are working up for some kind of October Surprise ala the Carter/Raygun inauguration business. It's gonna get real bad and we just have to hope the Republic survives.

We are mice trying to avoid the elephant's dance.

 

[GaslessInSeattle]

I think a lot of us share very similar sentiments. In fact at least some of us may be more fiscally conservative at the end of the day because of what we are seeing through this process. In terms of this thread, I think what you have done here has been surprisingly effective. what gives me pause is seeing you directly feed very poignant negativity through the article comment section into a system that is out to kill, not just public funding for charging but EV's in general. There is a very serious war going on, part ideological and at it's core, mostly financial protectionism, the most profitable business on the planet finally has a formidable but fledgling opponent and they will use anything they can get their hands on to push the stake at the heart of the EV revolution. The next republican president will certainly eliminate all EV subsidies and surely increase oil and gas subsidies, they are hypocrites, bending their arguments to suit their financial interests.

there are times when I think this forum should be private, for the level of on the ground micro analysis that goes on, it sometimes paints an especially skeptical and grim picture and we all are generally not captivated for very long on the positive news but for some reason fixate on the negative. We provide some of the best cannon fodder for our adversaries and FUD mongers. The fact is, even with all the missteps and failures, progress is being made, long overdue progress and we have to be careful not to shoot ourselves in the foot with where we air our dirty laundry if we want to see that progress continue. Until the playing field is level, the EV movement is extremely vulnerable and risks being overwhelmed by pro oil crony capitalism and political fundamentalists... and everyone else afraid of change.

and here's our very own Tony Williams fanning the coals of Daily Caller! wow, I can understand the sentiment but isn't being so harsh on such an anti EV web site kind of shooting ourselves in the foot?

Perhaps it's "bad", and I should just shut my pie hole and cover my eyes. Sorry, but I don't quite get how the low performers keep getting money handed to them. I mean and believe exactly what I said.

I make no apologies, and can only hope that we at least, for the gigantic sums of money already spent, get some small percentage of the promised, and paid for, EV infrastructure.

It's not a left / right political thing, for me at least. It's a dumb investment that the government(s) keep throwing money at. It really kind of p*sses me off.

 

[TonyWilliams]

so, tell us honestly, did you tip or talk to one of those fine folks at the daily caller or anyone connected to breitbar.com, which I see is running the same stuff.

You'll note that I don't hide behind handles with anything I do, including posting a comment on that site (and every single post I ever made here).

You read my post, so yes, I did "talk" to them. If you're looking for some conspiracy, good luck.

 

[thankyouOB]

thank you and kudos, gaslessinseattle.

i appreciate what your are saying and it saddens me that others think they are helping (by fomenting or joining a media attack on Ecotality) when in reality they are must making it easier for the enemies of EVs to mischaracterize and disparage the EV movement.

as to handles, some of us are not free to use our names because of work obligations, or other issues.
there are no special rights endowed or removed by using a web handle. people can judge the poster by his or her content.
My judgment about the wisdom of outing Ecotality to the rightwing puke machine is not influenced by the fact that people are attaching their real names to the misguided effort.
I accept that the outers think the outing is righteous because it is connected to seeking improved service from the vender. I just reject that as a tactic and strategy.

----
happy now?
read the comments here:
http://dailycaller.com/2012/03/27/house-gop-eyes-another-possible-green-tech-scandal/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

and some comments from breitbart.com article on Ecotality:
Obama_is_like_a_Volt
The Libtards can't see how Russia loving Obama is trying to steal our freedoms.
15 Likes


Canadianlady, Barack Obama Sucks
He could commit mass murder of Christians and they'd still support him. They're under his spell. These are trying times.
3 Likes


Stutterin_Jack
When will we as Americans stand up and take our country back from the political class and their allies?
14 Likes


Canadianlady, Barack Obama Sucks
Only when you're ready to shed blood. That's the only thing that will fix this mess.
15 Likes

 

[GRA]

thank you and kudos, gaslessinseattle.

i appreciate what your are saying and it saddens me that others think they are helping by making it easier for the enemies of EVs to mischaracterize and disparage the EV movement.

as to handles, some of us are not free to use our names because of work obligations, or other issues.
there are no special rights endowed or removed by using a web handle.
people can judge the poster by his or her content. My judgment about the wisdom of outing Ecotality to the rightwing is not influenced by the fact that people are attaching their real names to the misguided effort.
I accept that the outers think the outing is righteous because it is connected to seeking improved service from the vender. I just reject that as a tactic and strategy.

Since more gentle forms of persuasion have been manifestly ineffective, and you reject a more vigorous approach, AFAICT you're saying that we should be content with shoddy performance and having our taxes squandered, and just accept the status quo. Why should we protect Ecotality when we know other companies are doing the job far better? Sure, it may lead to some bad PR in the short term, but it will lead to better results (and better PR) in the long run.

Although I do support them for some short term purposes, in general I'm not a fan of government subsidies, having seen how they can promote shoddy products and services as well as a boom and bust economy; the solar water heating scam in California in the '80s was one such boondoggle, and we're now seeing similar results in battery production, solar and wind power as countries scale back or end their subsidies. I prefer slow, steady growth that makes economic AND practical sense, because such growth isn't controversial and has staying power. The sooner we can end the subsidies, the sooner the right-wing won't be able to bash EVs any more. After all, when was the last time anyone complained about the millions of electric golf carts, fork lifts and the like in use around the world? They won their sales because they made both kinds of sense.