Phoenix metro-area

[baragona]

I have covered parking and an East facing wall at my office for afternoon shade.

With my commute, I can definitely use the timer for 80% charging regularly (and maybe lower) so I'm hoping to make an effort to extend the life of the battery..

Is it best not to go below 20% charge also?

 

[Volusiano]

I have covered parking and an East facing wall at my office for afternoon shade.

With my commute, I can definitely use the timer for 80% charging regularly (and maybe lower) so I'm hoping to make an effort to extend the life of the battery..

Is it best not to go below 20% charge also?

Correct, you don't want to go too low either. But if you have to, you have to, right? I think it's more important that you don't stay at a low SOC for too long. So if you can recharge asap when you're low, it helps.

But you're going to be juggling a lot of things in the hot weather. If your battery is deeply discharged when you get home then you want to charge right away, but then you also want to wait until the battery cools down enough to start charging. And you may also have peak/off peak hours to consider for minimal charging cost.

I'd say if you're below 20%, charge to 20-30% and if the battery is still hot and you're at peak time, then stop charging and do a delay charging to 80% by 8am or whenever it is that you have to leave for work. That way, the battery has a chance to cool down and you can wait until off-peak charging time.

If you already have level 2 charging, then you have more option because the charging time is shorter. For sure you're going to want to charge your Volt before your LEAF because your Volt has TMS to help keep the battery cool.

 

[Volusiano]

14,800 miles.

Still has 12 bars...

This is actually not too bad with still 12 bars at 14.8K for $17K. No wonder you jumped on it right away. It means your battery should still have at least 85% range because the first bar is 15% loss.

 

[KLQL8N]

I am so excited about the new proposed chargers for Fryes Food stores! I was hoping to see chargers at these locations since shopping is a necessity and the stores are very accessible!

 

[kovalb]

I asked ECOtality about the charging stations planned for the Phoenix area. They said "...we currently have approximately 35 locations where charging stations will be installed in the very near future". I am hoping they place more DC quick chargers around the edge of the valley so we can use them as range extenders. FYI, I heard that the L2s at Kohl's are still no cost to charge at. Kohl's is absorbing it.

 

[Desertstraw]

Yesterday(April 16, 2013) I made the round trip between Phoenix and Tucson. Picacho Peak was a nightmare. The fast charger was not working and it was impossible to read the screen to get information because it faced the bright Arizona sun. Nobody who works there has anything to do with the chargers and they do not even have a telephone number to call for help. The unit has a chargepoint telephone number but when I called them they denied having any record of it. Eventually I got GoE3's telephone number after numerous false leads. Initially I got someone who told me that technicians were working on the problem and that he expected it to be fixed soon. Calling for updates subsequently got me nothing but voice mail. It was not repaired by four in the afternoon during my return trip.

Blink fast chargers at Casa Grande and Sears in Chandler worked well. With a functioning fast charger at Picacho Peak or perhaps some place closer to Tucson and another at a site in north Tucson along I-10, it would be an easy round trip.

 

[Desertstraw]

I have covered parking and an East facing wall at my office for afternoon shade.

With my commute, I can definitely use the timer for 80% charging regularly (and maybe lower) so I'm hoping to make an effort to extend the life of the battery..

Is it best not to go below 20% charge also?

Correct, you don't want to go too low either. But if you have to, you have to, right? I think it's more important that you don't stay at a low SOC for too long. So if you can recharge asap when you're low, it helps.

But you're going to be juggling a lot of things in the hot weather. If your battery is deeply discharged when you get home then you want to charge right away, but then you also want to wait until the battery cools down enough to start charging. And you may also have peak/off peak hours to consider for minimal charging cost.

I'd say if you're below 20%, charge to 20-30% and if the battery is still hot and you're at peak time, then stop charging and do a delay charging to 80% by 8am or whenever it is that you have to leave for work. That way, the battery has a chance to cool down and you can wait until off-peak charging time.

If you already have level 2 charging, then you have more option because the charging time is shorter. For sure you're going to want to charge your Volt before your LEAF because your Volt has TMS to help keep the battery cool.

Let's be optimistic and give the Leaf a full charge range of 70 miles. Taking 20% off both top and bottom gives a range of 42 miles. Who would buy an electric car with a 42 mile range? Both the EV1 and RAV4 Electric had a realistic range of 100 miles around 2000.

 

[Volusiano]

Yesterday(April 16, 2013) I made the round trip between Phoenix and Tucson. Picacho Peak was a nightmare. The fast charger was not working and it was impossible to read the screen to get information because it faced the bright Arizona sun. Nobody who works there has anything to do with the chargers and they do not even have a telephone number to call for help. The unit has a chargepoint telephone number but when I called them they denied having any record of it. Eventually I got GoE3's telephone number after numerous false leads. Initially I got someone who told me that technicians were working on the problem and that he expected it to be fixed soon. Calling for updates subsequently got me nothing but voice mail. It was not repaired by four in the afternoon during my return trip.

Blink fast chargers at Casa Grande and Sears in Chandler worked well. With a functioning fast charger at Picacho Peak or perhaps some place closer to Tucson and another at a site in north Tucson along I-10, it would be an easy round trip.

That's too bad to hear about the Picaho Peak DCFC. I assumed that you had to resort to L2 stations there to fill up your battery instead?

 

[Volusiano]

I have covered parking and an East facing wall at my office for afternoon shade.

With my commute, I can definitely use the timer for 80% charging regularly (and maybe lower) so I'm hoping to make an effort to extend the life of the battery..

Is it best not to go below 20% charge also?

Correct, you don't want to go too low either. But if you have to, you have to, right? I think it's more important that you don't stay at a low SOC for too long. So if you can recharge asap when you're low, it helps.

But you're going to be juggling a lot of things in the hot weather. If your battery is deeply discharged when you get home then you want to charge right away, but then you also want to wait until the battery cools down enough to start charging. And you may also have peak/off peak hours to consider for minimal charging cost.

I'd say if you're below 20%, charge to 20-30% and if the battery is still hot and you're at peak time, then stop charging and do a delay charging to 80% by 8am or whenever it is that you have to leave for work. That way, the battery has a chance to cool down and you can wait until off-peak charging time.

If you already have level 2 charging, then you have more option because the charging time is shorter. For sure you're going to want to charge your Volt before your LEAF because your Volt has TMS to help keep the battery cool.

Let's be optimistic and give the Leaf a full charge range of 70 miles. Taking 20% off both top and bottom gives a range of 42 miles. Who would buy an electric car with a 42 mile range? Both the EV1 and RAV4 Electric had a realistic range of 100 miles around 2000.

I heard from Baragona on the GM Volt forum that he ended up getting a real bad case of range anxiety (or maybe buyer's remorse) after he bought the LEAF so he turned around and sold it shortly afterward, but made a profit of $400 on it because he got such a good deal in the first place.

 

[jspearman]

That's too bad about the new L3 charger at Picacho. I'm really curious about GoE3. I looked at their website and it looks like it might have been put together by a kid, and there's no address listed for the business. I've seen the owner driving around in his Tesla roadster with the GoE3 logo, and I've seen him parked at Skysong, so maybe the office is there. Anyone have info on them?

 

[phxsmiley]

Yesterday(April 16, 2013) I made the round trip between Phoenix and Tucson. Picacho Peak was a nightmare. .

I'm sorry to hear about the Picacho Peak station. I used it back in December. It had to be reset, but I was able to get a QC out of it.

Perhaps you could update the Plugshare listing for that site, so others can avoid it for now.

 

[kovalb]

FYI. The Solar Impulse solar electric airplane will have public viewing at Skyharbor tomorrow, Sunday May 5th from 1pm to 7pm. You have to sign up for a one hour time slot if interested.
http://www.solarimpulse.com/en/across-america/

 

[jspearman]

FYI. The Solar Impulse solar electric airplane will have public viewing at Skyharbor tomorrow, Sunday May 5th from 1pm to 7pm. You have to sign up for a one hour time slot if interested.
http://www.solarimpulse.com/en/across-america/

I'm headed to look at it on Tuesday, since all the time slots on Sunday are taken. Glad to see so much interest, since each time slot means 150 people! I tweeted about the landing and an LA Times reporter asked to interview me, so I'll be plugging electric cars as hard as I can since it's an easy segue.

 

[jspearman]

On a separate note, I noticed that the Arizona Inn in Tucson has 8 car chargers, so if anyone is interested in a road trip! I plan to head down in the RAV4 in the fall, since I don't have QC on the car.

 

[cwerdna]

Ok... this is totally not Leaf related but is related to Phoenicians.

Anyone watch Kitchen Nightmares? I can't believe I bother watching an ep until earlier this year. The show is usually a total riot.

The ep from this past Friday on Amy's Baking Company in Scottsdale, AZ was a total train wreck and had an unusual ending, compared to all the other eps. If you have access to the show via Hulu, On Demand or whatever, check it out. I did find http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6LY7TJ16pg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;, but it might get yanked.

There's a thread discussion the ep at http://www.tivocommunity.com/tivo-vb/showthread.php?t=504278" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. Apparently, the owners' issues w/people writing negative reviews has been going on way before the ep was filmed. Their behavior pretty much was "the customer is wrong".

 

[kovalb]

Anyone watch Kitchen Nightmares?

I stopped watching that show after a couple of episodes, but took your advice and watched the episode they filmed in Scottsdale. It was amazing! I thought I had seen it all. Thanks for sharing that info. :lol:
Unfortunately my wife now has an example of someone who takes criticism worse than she does.

 

[cwerdna]

^^^
Heh, I was pointed to http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/bella/2012/12/amys_baking_company_kitchen_nightmares_gordon_ramsay_scottsdale_arizona_taping.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;, which was written around the time the ep was taped.

Apparently, their behavior started way before KN was taped like w/this from 2010: http://blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com/bella/2010/08/ouch_todays_hard_lesson_on_yel.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; and http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=nexQhKIx39Q" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

The recent meltdown of their Facebook page even made it on CNet and ZDNet:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-57584445-71/tv-bakery-enjoys-astonishing-facebook-melt-down/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.zdnet.com/amys-baking-company-crashes-and-burns-on-facebook-after-kitchen-nightmares-show-7000015434/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[turbo2ltr]

Hey all.. haven't been here in a while.

Saw a silver leaf this morning southbound 19th ave near deer valley. Guessing he works at honeywell.

Lost my 3rd bar this morning.

And for those with solar, APS is trying to kill net metering.
http://www.azcentral.com/business/arizonaeconomy/articles/20130514aps-solar-industry-odds-power-rooftop-units.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[mn4az]

Hello from Da Nort Woods (ie MN) where my parents are visiting from AZ and are very interested in my Leaf (and thus getting one themselves). However, they have one home in Phoenix and another in Flagstaff. I have checked Plugshare and there isn't a good way to get the Leaf from Phx to Flag via charging stations. Any thoughts on a cheap way to transport the Leaf from Phx to Flag and vice versa?

 

[greengate]

Hello from Da Nort Woods (ie MN) where my parents are visiting from AZ and are very interested in my Leaf (and thus getting one themselves). However, they have one home in Phoenix and another in Flagstaff. I have checked Plugshare and there isn't a good way to get the Leaf from Phx to Flag via charging stations. Any thoughts on a cheap way to transport the Leaf from Phx to Flag and vice versa?

Going from Flagstaff to Phoenix should be no problem as it is most all down hill. The reverse is a problem!!

They could pick up a Level 2 at any 220 volt camp ground or RV park along the way. Have you looked into that as an option?