Gov Brown Settles w NRG - $100,000,000 of EVSE's for CA!!!!

[Yanquetino]

I can certainly understand the concerns, on the other hand this EV crowd sure does seem to forget to take their happy pill when they get up in the morning.

Wel... that's probably a good thing, since there are many in this world who take a handful of greedy pills as soon as they roll out of bed. Thank goodness there are some EV activists out there know how to call a spade a shovel, because this NRG "deal" shovels it on mighty thick.

[tps]

I think we have to think about it as gasoline equivalents... A QC on a Leaf is going to give, say, around 50 miles of additional juice on average (since you are likely not going to arrive on empty nor charge to 100 percent). The average ICE gets, lets say, 25 mpg so it would use two gallons of gas for the same distance. Gas is currently around $4 a gallon. Thus, the gasoline equivalent is 8 bucks. I think, therefore, that $8 is the maximum one can expect to charge for a QC and have it be viable from the consumers POV, and it likely actually needs to be somewhat cheaper than just equivalently priced... Economically speaking, and playing the Devil's Advocate for a moment, if I can drive my ICE on such a trip for less than my BEV, why would I take the BEV?]

I would drive the LEAF, even with the prospect of an occasional expensive QC, not to save money, but because the EV driving experience is better. I'm not looking for QC operators to be thinking it "gasoline equivalents" anytime soon. Maybe eventually, when EV adoption becomes widespread, but not while it's a niche market.

[TonyWilliams]

I would drive the LEAF, even with the prospect of an occasional expensive QC, not to save money, but because the EV driving experience is better. I'm not looking for QC operators to be thinking it "gasoline equivalents" anytime soon. Maybe eventually, when EV adoption becomes widespread, but not while it's a niche market.

The early adopter crowd of "I'll-Just-Drive-The-Prius(TM)" is not the population at large. They aren't going to generally compare gasoline to electricity costs and select the correct car based on per mile cost of every trip. Just the concept of keeping such a car around to save that nickel baffles me. Unless that Prius has been fully depreciated, no ongoing taxes / license fees / insurance, and it costs nothing to park or maintain, sure, it might make sense to keep the Prius around to save a nickel on a future DC charge that you didn't have to pay $10 for.

Otherwise, sell it. Depending on how many times you needed the Prius would determine if a BEV is right for you in the first place. Rent a car for the infrequent times. I'm specifically not referring to two car households where one is a BEV, and the other is a Prius, and both are used almost daily.

[tps]

The early adopter crowd of "I'll-Just-Drive-The-Prius(TM)" is not the population at large. They aren't going to generally compare gasoline to electricity costs and select the correct car based on per mile cost of every trip. Just the concept of keeping such a car around to save that nickel baffles me. Unless that Prius has been fully depreciated, no ongoing taxes / license fees / insurance, and it costs nothing to park or maintain, sure, it might make sense to keep the Prius around to save a nickel on a future DC charge that you didn't have to pay $10 for.

Otherwise, sell it. Depending on how many times you needed the Prius would determine if a BEV is right for you in the first place. Rent a car for the infrequent times. I'm specifically not referring to two car households where one is a BEV, and the other is a Prius, and both are used almost daily.

Exactly! I am quite happy as a single-car LEAF household. Maybe I'll rent an ICEV occasionally, but I'll bet it will be a real annoyance to drive an ICEV now that I'm thoroughly used to the LEAF driving experience.

[91040]

http://www.torquenews.com/1075/nrg-reac ... california" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

NRG is attempting to satisfy concerns over the company's deal with California to build a large electric charging station network, providing answers and solutions to most of the questions that have been raised.

[TRONZ]

Good find. So they are proposing half, or 50 million for 200 CHAD QC and wiring for another QC station at each site. Fine for also installing SAE if they ever get cars on the road in number. If the $10 max and min number of 200 QC stations becomes fact then I say we have player. There is no way I would use alot of QC at this price but I will definitely use it for my occasional drives up to LA. Not seeing much unreasonable in the NRG offer so far. With Nissan telling SAE to go screw themselves and blazing forward with CHAD cars, the NRG deal could easily put these EV's over the top.

[edatoakrun]

...A $50.5 million investment in a minimum of 200 electric vehicle (EV) fast-charging Freedom Station sites: The Freedom Stations consist of one DC Fast Charging station (CHADEMO), the wiring for a second fast charging station, plus some level 2 J1772 charging stations. NRG expects to install 110 sites in the Los Angeles Basin, 55 in the San Francisco Bay Area, 15 in the San Joaquin Valley, and 20 in San Diego County...

Doesn't putting 55% of all of them in the "Los Angeles Basin" seem a very odd decision?

How many square miles make up the "Los Angeles Basin"?

Again, it seems the plan exclude of two-thirds of the state, including most of of the major north-to-south and east-to-west interstate highways, where DCs are needed the most, IMO.

Those bastards cut off my power in 2000, and raised my PG&E rates for years afterwards, just like for you Central and Southern California folks, so I don't get why I'm cut out of the legal settlement.

[TRONZ]

It might have something to do with the "investor regions" they mentioned. It sounds like there are geographic/legality areas NRG is forced into/away from in CA. It's probably baked into the damage claims somewhere in the lawsuit.

[Randy]

The CPUC filed the NRG settlement with FERC for approval....

Press Release and Settlement links:
http://www.cpuc.ca.gov/PUC/hottopics/1E ... G_FERC.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[TRONZ]

"All the fast-charging stations will be compatible with electric vehicles on the market today as well as new models to be introduced beginning next year. Initially they will all have a CHAdeMO charger and a SAE Level II unit; they will be upgraded to accommodate the forthcoming SAE (Combo) DC standard within six months of when chargers using that standard becomes commercially available."

The SAE "upgrade" means another QC with SAE plug will be installed alongside the CHAdeMO unit. But not if it it falls outside the settlement window. SAE/GM dragging their feet has now bit them hard!