NASHVILLE TENNESSEE - LEAF

[brad]

OK. So I tried renewing online. I got the following message
"We're sorry, but we do not have a valid emissions testing result on file with our office. You will not be able to continue. If you believe this is in error, please call our office at (615) 862-6251."
Guess I will call them tomorrow.

Brad

 

[ralphmc]

OK. So I tried renewing online. I got the following message
"We're sorry, but we do not have a valid emissions testing result on file with our office. You will not be able to continue. If you believe this is in error, please call our office at (615) 862-6251."
Guess I will call them tomorrow.

Brad

Did you read my reply earlier, you will have to go to a CC office, no way out of it

Ralphmc

 

[brad]

Yes, I did see your reply but, thought I would try the easiest suggestions first. Did you try calling?

Brad

 

[ralphmc]

Yes, I did see your reply but, thought I would try the easiest suggestions first. Did you try calling?

Brad

yes - and I did try to get online to work either - and yes I went to the Marta station too - the guy, greeted me real friendly, and said: "Sir no need to take this car to Marta, just go to the Clerk's office they will take care of you, just tell them that you have an electric vehicle - At the time when I called, the person that answered did not even know that the electric cars where on the road - and told me to go and take the car to Marta station.

At the county clerk's office; the "teller" had to talk to her supervisor (by phone) for every step she did, since she never done and EV before, I am sure by now they all have gotten proper training, or...?

Ralph

 

[Eleafgrrl]

Aah, the joys of being an "early adopter"???...so sad that the last few pages of this forum are mostly about trying to find out from locals with eyes on the units if any L3 units are working. The cars? No problems, trying to charge them to go anywhere long distance? BIG problems! Even worse, there is no reliable way other than this forum to find out ahead of time if any are working. I think the left coast is lucky getting the cars first and then the infrastructure, I think they are working out all the kinks here so it will go smoother there. Would love to let all of the left coasters who were screaming about "all the L3 units that TN has" how great it is to have these tremendously reliable units here. :roll:

 

[ralphmc]

Today was my 6th time to do a QC (Quick Charge) at the Nissan Franklin HQ, and again it work flawlessly - and quick from 44% to 89% in under 20 minutes, I had the on board charge timer set to 80%, that is why it stopped it at 89%, logical? oh well...

Now a question to you all EVers (yes including none Nissan LEAFS) -

Our host (in EAST Nashville) has two Weekends (Sundays) available to provide for our next meet-up in June:

1. June 16th

or

2. June 23rd

Please let me know ASAP which one you guys want to do, so the host and I can prepare things a little to get the most out of our meet-up.

Let's say no later then a week from now.

Ralphmc

 

[JPWhite]

Today was my 6th time to do a QC (Quick Charge) at the Nissan Franklin HQ, and again it work flawlessly - and quick from 44% to 89% in under 20 minutes, I had the on board charge timer set to 80%, that is why it stopped it at 89%, logical? oh well...

Now a question to you all EVers (yes including none Nissan LEAFS) -

Our host (in Inglewood) has two Weekends (Sundays) available to provide for our next meet-up in June:

1. June 16th

or

2. June 23rd

Please let me know ASAP which one you guys want to do, so the host and I can prepare things a little to get the most out of our meet-up.

Let's say no later then a week from now.

Ralphmc

I prefer the 23rd. I can do the 16th if need be, the 17th is my wife's birthday, so we wil no doubt go out that weekend.

 

[CWO4Mann]

Today was my 6th time to do a QC (Quick Charge) at the Nissan Franklin HQ, and again it work flawlessly - and quick from 44% to 89% in under 20 minutes, I had the on board charge timer set to 80%, that is why it stopped it at 89%, logical? oh well...

Now a question to you all EVers (yes including none Nissan LEAFS) -

Our host (in Inglewood) has two Weekends (Sundays) available to provide for our next meet-up in June:

1. June 16th

or

2. June 23rd

Please let me know ASAP which one you guys want to do, so the host and I can prepare things a little to get the most out of our meet-up.

Let's say no later then a week from now.

Ralphmc

I prefer the 23rd. I can do the 16th if need be, the 17th is my wife's birthday, so we wil no doubt go out that weekend.

16th is best for me, I'll be out of town helping to destabilize a non-English speaking government on the 23d.

Dave

 

[brad]

16th is better for me. Daughter getting married on the 24th.

Brad

 

[CWO4Mann]

16th is better for me. Daughter getting married on the 24th.

Brad

Good Luck Brad ... been there done that x 2 .. OMG! the money!

 

[bryan38401]

both dates are good for us we can come up from columbia.

 

[fishfool]

Today was my 6th time to do a QC (Quick Charge) at the Nissan Franklin HQ, and again it work flawlessly - and quick from 44% to 89% in under 20 minutes, I had the on board charge timer set to 80%, that is why it stopped it at 89%, logical? oh well...

Now a question to you all EVers (yes including none Nissan LEAFS) -

Our host (in Inglewood) has two Weekends (Sundays) available to provide for our next meet-up in June:

1. June 16th

or

2. June 23rd

Please let me know ASAP which one you guys want to do, so the host and I can prepare things a little to get the most out of our meet-up.

Let's say no later then a week from now.

Ralphmc

Sorry I won't be able to make any June dates for a meet-up. Hey on the QC front I have been using the QC station at CB Stewarts Ferry. Only one port is operating but it does work.

fishfool

 

[TimLee]

Today was my 6th time to do a QC (Quick Charge) at the Nissan Franklin HQ, and again it work flawlessly - and quick from 44% to 89% in under 20 minutes, I had the on board charge timer set to 80%, that is why it stopped it at 89%, logical? oh well...


Ralphmc

Are you sure the LEAF on board charge timer controlled the DCFC stopping point?
It typically doesn't control the stopping point on the Blink and Eaton DCFC.
The one at Nissan Franklin HQ is the new Nissan brand DCFC, right?
But it has been reported by others that if the LEAF charge at starting is below 50%, the LEAF will stop the charge at 80%, which for some reason is usually slightly above 90% with the data the LEAF provides to the DCFC on % charge. I haven't personally verified this. LEAF was above 50% charge when I started most of the DCFC I've done, or I only requested the Blink to go to 80% or 90%.
What the LEAF uses for the vehicle bars display and nominal 80% does not match what it tells the DCFC about % charge. Bit strange, but that is the way it currently is in the software.
May be conservatism on not wanting to push for a true 100% charge with DCFC given uncertainties of knowing the exact state of charge of the LEAF battery while the DCFC is happening.

I would like to attend a Nashville meet-up at some point. But with the uncertainties of DCFC reliability, traveling from Chattanooga to Nashville is a bit dicey.
A 120 mile trip in the LEAF is pretty slow to start with at around 45 mph or 50mph average IF the DCFC works.
Its too close to travel by horse if the DCFC isn't working and you have to wait 4+ hours for L2 with only a 3.3 kW on board charger.

 

[ralphmc]

Hi there TimLee,

Thanks for the info, here is a link to the BLOG post on my Blog "Ralph's Going Green",

showing the pictures and comments taken at the process of charging yesterday.

http://ralphmc.wordpress.com/2012/05/26/nissan-hq-franklin-dc-fast-charging-progress-pictures/

I will try to post some more on this from the previous charging sessions - where I had not set the on-board timer, the behavior exhibited by the new Nissan DC Fast Charger is then totally different.

I believe by the 16th of June that all the DC fast chargers from BLINK will be up and working again, in fact the Murfreesboro one is working, we are going to Manchester today to visit with family, and I will be checking on the one in Manchester.

We all would love to see you again on the 16th at our meet-up!

Ralphmc

Today was my 6th time to do a QC (Quick Charge) at the Nissan Franklin HQ, and again it work flawlessly - and quick from 44% to 89% in under 20 minutes, I had the on board charge timer set to 80%, that is why it stopped it at 89%, logical? oh well...


Ralphmc

Are you sure the LEAF on board charge timer controlled the DCFC stopping point?
It typically doesn't control the stopping point on the Blink and Eaton DCFC.
The one at Nissan Franklin HQ is the new Nissan brand DCFC, right?
But it has been reported by others that if the LEAF charge at starting is below 50%, the LEAF will stop the charge at 80%, which for some reason is usually slightly above 90% with the data the LEAF provides to the DCFC on % charge. I haven't personally verified this. LEAF was above 50% charge when I started most of the DCFC I've done, or I only requested the Blink to go to 80% or 90%.
What the LEAF uses for the vehicle bars display and nominal 80% does not match what it tells the DCFC about % charge. Bit strange, but that is the way it currently is in the software.
May be conservatism on not wanting to push for a true 100% charge with DCFC given uncertainties of knowing the exact state of charge of the LEAF battery while the DCFC is happening.

I would like to attend a Nashville meet-up at some point. But with the uncertainties of DCFC reliability, traveling from Chattanooga to Nashville is a bit dicey.
A 120 mile trip in the LEAF is pretty slow to start with at around 45 mph or 50mph average IF the DCFC works.
Its too close to travel by horse if the DCFC isn't working and you have to wait 4+ hours for L2 with only a 3.3 kW on board charger.

 

[TNleaf]

Today was my 6th time to do a QC (Quick Charge) at the Nissan Franklin HQ, and again it work flawlessly - and quick from 44% to 89% in under 20 minutes, I had the on board charge timer set to 80%, that is why it stopped it at 89%, logical? oh well...

Now a question to you all EVers (yes including none Nissan LEAFS) -

Our host (in Inglewood) has two Weekends (Sundays) available to provide for our next meet-up in June:

1. June 16th

or

2. June 23rd

Please let me know ASAP which one you guys want to do, so the host and I can prepare things a little to get the most out of our meet-up.

Let's say no later then a week from now.

Ralphmc

The 23rd works best for me. Can't do the 16th, will be out of town.

 

[ralphmc]

Our next EV meet-up looks like we will be able to meet according to the current number of requests;

ID 16th 23rd
TNleaf no yes
TimLee ? ?
fishfool no no
bryan38401 yes yes
brad yes no
CWO4Mann yes no
JPWhite yes yes

on the 16th of June, I will go ahead and create a Facebook event for that day.

Also I would like to suggest that we maybe come up with some sort of a small flyer (to stick in windows of near by stores, and merchants to announce our meet-up, what do you guys think?

Any suggestions to additional things we should address for the meet-up are welcome of course!

Here is the Event detail on FB:http://www.facebook.com/events/242638652508996/
"All EV owners and enthusiasts are welcome to come join us for our June 16th 2012 LEAF & EV owners meet-up in Inglewood at hour host "Integrated Solar" who has 3 L2 blink chargers in the back parking lot, will be offering an additional treat. Come early, we should be able to get started hopefully by 12:00 PM (noon), and so far an open end. The back parking lot is accessible via Stratton Ave."
Ralphmc

Today was my 6th time to do a QC (Quick Charge) at the Nissan Franklin HQ, and again it work flawlessly - and quick from 44% to 89% in under 20 minutes, I had the on board charge timer set to 80%, that is why it stopped it at 89%, logical? oh well...

Now a question to you all EVers (yes including none Nissan LEAFS) -

Our host (in Inglewood) has two Weekends (Sundays) available to provide for our next meet-up in June:

1. June 16th

or

2. June 23rd

Please let me know ASAP which one you guys want to do, so the host and I can prepare things a little to get the most out of our meet-up.

Let's say no later then a week from now.

Ralphmc

 

[JPWhite]

Also I would like to suggest that we maybe come up with some sort of a small flyer (to stick in windows of near by stores, and merchants to announce our meet-up, what do you guys think?

Any suggestions to additional things we should address for the meet-up are welcome of course!

Ralphmc

Thanks for puling this together Ralph.

I think we should advertise through as many social networks as we can, each and everyone of us. I think we should also post a link on the Volt forums and possibly Toyota/Mitsubishi/Tesla forums.

We can expect nearly all LEAF's being Nashville. However we should not make it too 'LEAFY' so as not to discourage other plug-in vehicle owners/types.

 

[rslatkin]

As frustrated as I am with the reliability so far of the Blink quick chargers, my trip from Atlanta to Murfreesboro and back would not have been possible without Blink. The vast majority of the charging stations I used were Blink Level 2, and many of them look like they haven't been used much so far. Blink is making a large investment in the charging infrastructure before the cars have really arrived. I appreciate their commitment.

 

[JPWhite]

I posted the Facebook event page to Google+, LinkedIn and Twitter. Also put posts on the iMeiv and Coda forums. Waiting for approval before I post to the Focus EV forum.

Let's hope for a great turnout. I'll only use the Blinks if they are free and available, an 80% charge will get me there and back no sweat. I measure destinations by bars. This is an eight bar location for me. 4down 4 back

 

[brad]

What time is the event?

Brad