EV Advocates form Eastern Sierra Electric Vehicle Association

Mammoth Lakes electric vehicle advocates have joined together to form the Eastern Sierra chapter of the Electric Auto Association with the hope of spurring the installation of non-Tesla EV charging stations.

The ski center and destination resort of Mammoth Lakes is the largest town on US 395 that runs north and south along the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada. The city is 40 miles north of Bishop, the second-largest population center on the US 395 corridor, and 30 miles south of Lee Vining, the gateway to the eastern entrance to Yosemite National Park.

Formed by Electric Auto Association President Raejean Fellows and Don Condon, the chapter hopes to initially drum up interest in installing J1772 Level 2 stations. Fellows and Condon live in the community and have noted the lack of public, non-Tesla charge stations.

Tesla operates a Supercharger station in Mammoth Lakes with eight charging kiosks. Four resort hotels operate Tesla destination chargers and J1772 chargers for customers. There are no public charging stations of any kind in Mammoth Lakes.

The new EAA chapter is also working with organizers of the Solar Pavillion in Lee Vining to install a J1772 Level 2 station in Hess Park.

One Chevy Bolt driver had her car towed 200 miles by AAA from Mojave to Mammoth Lakes for the summer because of the absence charge stations on US 395.

Condon is meeting with ChargePoint's regional representative this week.

For more information, contact Condon at 510-467-2197.

The park in Lee Vining's a good location, walking distance to downtown restaurants. The deli's a bit far, 1.1 miles, and a little uphill at the end which can be a bit of a struggle for those who've just driven up from sea level and aren't yet acclimatized or aren't regular hikers, especially when it's hot. I've spent a few afternoons/evenings lazing on a pad in the park, and scouted it for charging several years back (2012 or 2013, I think), as it's one of the few public places near downtown with parking that isn't usually full during the season.

Paul, do you know if they completed the Solar Pavilion yet? The last update I can find on their site was mid-May, when they had the permits but costs had gone up, so they were still fundraising. [Edit] I see from your post on the Bolt forum (and a video I found online showing construction underway) that it was supposed to go live on Tuesday. Any news? I'm hoping to head back up to the Tuolumne area next week, and if I do I'll try and swing by LV and check it out if you haven't heard anything, and report it here.

I also talked to several of the motel owners or managers in town about putting in L2 at the same time I was checking out the park, and IIRR Lakeview Lodge has some cottages that have RV sub-panels with TT-30s or maybe 10-30s (I forget) located next to them. Motels might be more inclined to install destination chargers now that there will soon be many more (non-Tesla) BEVs that can realistically get there, assuming CEC actually builds the QCs on 120 and 395 they've been promising for the past year or two.

Also, I think the Shell station in LV (or the 5 spot public parking just south of it) has room for parking for some QCs, and given Shell's activity in Europe and elsewhere of adding QCs and/or H2 to existing stations, maybe some contact with Shell corporate could be useful. It would give them some good PR. The Mono Lake Committee HQ would seem to be an obvious spot, but they don't have dedicated parking. Mono Basin Visitor Center is well away from amenities in town, just having itself, a few picnic tables and the view, but maybe something could be done there. These are all sites where PV would work - the visitor center already has it.

In Independence since 2014, and at my request, both The Independence Inn and Rays Den Motel have Nema 14-50. You cna find them on Plugshare.

gene said:

In Independence since 2014, and at my request, both The Independence Inn and Rays Den Motel have Nema 14-50. You cna find them on Plugshare.

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Certainly better than nothing, but we don't want people to have to be dependent on portable EVSEs, especially since most of them (as yet) aren't designed to handle L2.

GRA said:

gene said:

In Independence since 2014, and at my request, both The Independence Inn and Rays Den Motel have Nema 14-50. You cna find them on Plugshare.

Click to expand...

Certainly better than nothing, but we don't want people to have to be dependent on portable EVSEs, especially since most of them (as yet) aren't designed to handle L2.

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I agree, maybe one of these hotel owners will be happy to add a Clipper Creek or whatever.

gene said:

In Independence since 2014, and at my request, both The Independence Inn and Rays Den Motel have Nema 14-50. You cna find them on Plugshare.

Click to expand...

:: two thumbs up ::

The owners of L1 mobile EVSE can upgrade to L2 for a reasonable fee. E.g., evseupgrade.com

Checked my notes from that trip, and I think it was either 5 or 6 of the cabins at Lakeview Lodge had 5-15Rs near the front of the cabin (well within parking range) and some had 10-30Rs or TT-30Rs (wasn't clear which in my notes) near the back of the cabins which might be reachable by EVSE cords, and definitely doable with a (thick) extension cord.

GRA said:

Paul, do you know if they completed the Solar Pavilion yet? The last update I can find on their site was mid-May, when they had the permits but costs had gone up, so they were still fundraising. [Edit] I see from your post on the Bolt forum (and a video I found online showing construction underway) that it was supposed to go live on Tuesday. Any news? I'm hoping to head back up to the Tuolumne area next week, and if I do I'll try and swing by LV and check it out if you haven't heard anything, and report it here.

Click to expand...

Guy,

I have an article on the Solar Pavilion in the hopper but I won't put it up until the solar is live. Until then it's just a glass canopy.

As of today, Friday, it is not live, according to Janet Carle, the project lead on it.

They could put in a CC L2 before the snow flies if they can find a donor. They've raised $80,000 so far so I think they could do it on their own but it could happen quicker if someone steps up and throws money at them.

Paul

gene said:

In Independence since 2014, and at my request, both The Independence Inn and Rays Den Motel have Nema 14-50. You cna find them on Plugshare.

Click to expand...

Thanks Gene for talking Jim into installing those 14-50s. I made my decision to get a Leaf while staying there one day. A Tesla driver pulled up and parked right in front of me. He talked me into the Leaf.

We've been charging our Volt and now our Bolt for the past two years--couldn't figure out a way to get the Leaf there.

We carry a Jesla just for such locations.

Paul

GRA said:

Checked my notes from that trip, and I think it was either 5 or 6 of the cabins at Lakeview Lodge had 5-15Rs near the front of the cabin (well within parking range) and some had 10-30Rs or TT-30Rs (wasn't clear which in my notes) near the back of the cabins which might be reachable by EVSE cords, and definitely doable with a (thick) extension cord.

Click to expand...

Guy,

Do check them out. Having a hotel that would cater to EVs would be helpful. I've been an EV ambassador a number of times but in some locations I won't charge and won't recommend the site if the cable is in a traveled way (sidewalk) or the outlet is dinged up.

I love the fact you take notes. That's very helpful.

Paul
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SageBrush said:

gene said:

In Independence since 2014, and at my request, both The Independence Inn and Rays Den Motel have Nema 14-50. You cna find them on Plugshare.

Click to expand...

:: two thumbs up ::

The owners of L1 mobile EVSE can upgrade to L2 for a reasonable fee. E.g., evseupgrade.com

Click to expand...

Yes, two thumbs up. If people outside of California don't know that those two 14-50s are the only public charging locations on US 395. No one has used the RV park in Lone Pine for years and the one in Olancha didn't seem keen on letting EVs use their 14-50s either. Just checked PlugShare, no one has charged at the RV Park in Lone Pine that is listed since 2015.

Paul

paulgipe said:

gene said:

In Independence since 2014, and at my request, both The Independence Inn and Rays Den Motel have Nema 14-50. You cna find them on Plugshare.

Click to expand...

Thanks Gene for talking Jim into installing those 14-50s. I made my decision to get a Leaf while staying there one day. A Tesla driver pulled up and parked right in front of me. He talked me into the Leaf.

We've been charging our Volt and now our Bolt for the past two years--couldn't figure out a way to get the Leaf there.

We carry a Jesla just for such locations.

Paul

Click to expand...

Paul, that is awesome that you have used the 14-50's. I talked Jim into putting it in, as well as Ray's Den Motel, back in 2013 . I was spending a lot of time along the 395 and with my Tesla at the time there were no superchargers anywhere , except for a few in Los Angeles. There were 6 Superchargers in the world back then. Of course, now there are thousands!

I welcome the efforts of folks on this thread.

Along 395 I believe there still is no public J-1772 Between Hesperia on the South and Garnerville on the North. My first EV drive up 395 4 years ago, before Tesla Superchargers at Inyokern, Mammoth Lakes, Topaz Lake, or Reno, utilized the very welcome 10-40 outlet at Independence Inn mentioned above. My next stop was Meadowcliff Lodge & RV Park in Coleville. Here I was able to get a motel room right next to a RV spot with a 14-50. They gave me a small discount for booking both.

On 3 successive trips I have lobbied Yo Nellie Deli in Lee Vining as an ideal location for Level 2 charging, being at the eastern entrance to Yosemite as well as on 395. At one point the owner wrote me that he was considering installing one, but nothing happened. Now they have had solar panels on their roof for 2 years, but still nothing. I understand J-1772 is best for all EVs, but I can't understand why they won't even accept a free HPWC from Tesla.

I have also lobbied the Creek View Lodge in Bishop. They have Level-1 outlets adjacent to many parking spots. I have used them twice, but you only get about 30-40 miles per night. They also have promised to install Level 2 for two years, but it also has not happened.

With just a few J-1772 at motels, a Bolt could make the trip, but I know Bolt owners who are not inclined to ever utilize public charging. They just stay within range of their garage, and take their ICE on longer trips.

paulgipe said:

Guy,

I have an article on the Solar Pavilion in the hopper but I won't put it up until the solar is live. Until then it's just a glass canopy.

As of today, Friday, it is not live, according to Janet Carle, the project lead on it.

They could put in a CC L2 before the snow flies if they can find a donor. They've raised $80,000 so far so I think they could do it on their own but it could happen quicker if someone steps up and throws money at them.

Paul

Click to expand...

I wish I'd known about the solar pavilion earlier, as we could have tried crowd-sourcing it here and at other EV forums, and maybe we could do that for an L2 there.

paulgipe said:

GRA said:

Checked my notes from that trip, and I think it was either 5 or 6 of the cabins at Lakeview Lodge had 5-15Rs near the front of the cabin (well within parking range) and some had 10-30Rs or TT-30Rs (wasn't clear which in my notes) near the back of the cabins which might be reachable by EVSE cords, and definitely doable with a (thick) extension cord.

Click to expand...

Guy,

Do check them out. Having a hotel that would cater to EVs would be helpful. I've been an EV ambassador a number of times but in some locations I won't charge and won't recommend the site if the cable is in a traveled way (sidewalk) or the outlet is dinged up.

I love the fact you take notes. That's very helpful.

Paul

Click to expand...

The trip's looking a bit less likely, but I can hope. The cabins (#11-#15? Away from my notes again) at Lake View Lodge I checked were all safe. It would also have been possible to charge at some of the motel rooms on the lower floor, provided you had some duct tape or parachute cord to attach the cord to the underside of the 2nd floor walkway (or else tie it to the upstairs railing) and pass the cord over the ground floor walkway so it didn't present a tripping hazard: https://goo.gl/maps/2SViXPHtwar You'd either have to use a receptacle inside the room and leave the door open or remove a screen, or there might have been a couple of external receptacles presumably for vacuum cleaners or blowers, there or at one of the other motels I checked. Lake View's owners weren't there at the time I stopped in, only someone on the desk, so I couldn't ascertain their attitude towards charging.

I also checked out the RV park in town, but was told by the owner that the tent sites don't have hookups and the RV sites tended to be reserved months in advance over the whole summer, so impromptu charging was unlikely to work.

ISTM that the local EVAA and the group involved with the solar pavilion are in a much better position to float charging to motel owners there than I am, as they're more likely to have personal connections, or can go through the CoC rather than trying to do it piecemeal.

tbleakne said:

I welcome the efforts of folks on this thread.
On 3 successive trips I have lobbied Yo Nellie Deli in Lee Vining as an ideal location for Level 2 charging, being at the eastern entrance to Yosemite as well as on 395. At one point the owner wrote me that he was considering installing one, but nothing happened. Now they have had solar panels on their roof for 2 years, but still nothing. I understand J-1772 is best for all EVs, but I can't understand why they won't even accept a free HPWC from Tesla.

Click to expand...

I suspect the issue at Whoa Nellie is parking (along with the general hassle and only being open part-year). Maybe a petition would help? There's an outdoor 5-15R at the base of one of the light poles in the vegetated area back of the cinderblock wall on the west side, between the gas pumps and the deli. Unfortunately my multimeter's battery had died shortly beforehand so I wasn't able to check if it was live, and they might not want anyone using it in any case. Besides, they need at least L2.

tbleakne said:

I welcome the efforts of folks on this thread.

Along 395 I believe there still is no public J-1772 Between Hesperia on the South and Garnerville on the North. My first EV drive up 395 4 years ago, before Tesla Superchargers at Inyokern, Mammoth Lakes, Topaz Lake, or Reno, utilized the very welcome 10-40 outlet at Independence Inn mentioned above. My next stop was Meadowcliff Lodge & RV Park in Coleville. Here I was able to get a motel room right next to a RV spot with a 14-50. They gave me a small discount for booking both.

Click to expand...

Tom,

Good to see you post on this thread. We met when you pulled up to the Independence Inn in your Tesla. You suggested I get a Leaf--and I did. We're down to a one-car family and we're using the Bolt even for our trips to Toulumne Meadows. It takes some effort but we did it.

You also came to Bakersfield for an EV breakfast once.

We appreciate all you, Guy, and Gene have done to promote EVs up US 395. It's been a real slog.

Paul

Plugshare isn't showing any chargers in Independence, even with all options (including residential) on.

GRA said:

Plugshare isn't showing any chargers in Independence, even with all options (including residential) on.

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Guy,

I don't think I ever said there were "chargers" in Independence. There are two NEMA 15-50 outlets. That's it.

Paul

paulgipe said:

GRA said:

Plugshare isn't showing any chargers in Independence, even with all options (including residential) on.

Click to expand...

Guy,

I don't think I ever said there were "chargers" in Independence. There are two NEMA 15-50 outlets. That's it.

Paul

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No, you didn't and my bad for using loose terminology and implying that; I knew they were 14-50s. My point was that Plugshare wasn't showing them, although they had in the past. Just checked again and they've magically reappeared - weird.