Feasible to drive NorCal to Oregon in a Leaf?

[jkenny23]

I already know the answer is basically "no, not unless you want to take >60 hours to do it", but I'm curious if anyone here is crazy enough to have made the trip.

I'm moving from the Bay Area to the Seattle, WA area in a little over a month, and will end up having to use an auto transport to get my Leaf up to Washington, but I thought it would be fun to try and figure out whether I could, and how long it would take to actually drive it there. Oregon and Washington have good quick charging infrastructure, so there's basically no issue there, but there's a huge dead zone for DCQC's between Vacaville and Redding, and again between Redding and Ashland (through Shasta):



I did the analysis for Bay Area to Ashland, and assuming perfect conditions (you're screwed if even one charger isn't working) it would take 45 hours to do that stretch.

[edatoakrun]

I already know the answer is basically "no, not unless you want to take >60 hours to do it"...

Currently ~a two-day drive to Portland (via 99 Chico) with an overnight AC charge somewhere north of Redding.

It will be a long two day drive to Seattle. once the first CEC DC site in California along I-5 north of Redding is up and running.

Any day (or year?) now...

[webeleafowners]

We also may be in this pickel next year. There are some level 2 opportunities at Yreka but I would pre-arrange by phone. These are 14-50 plugs in camp grounds.

Has anyone heard if there are any level 3 stations planned for that stretch? Or even any real level 2's.

[edatoakrun]

... Has anyone heard if there are any level 3 stations planned for that stretch?...

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mi ... 874997&z=6

Funded almost three years ago, the single DC in redding is the only one operational to date...

Re: Upstate (formerly North) California LEAFs

Sun Aug 02, 2015 9:14 pm

More DC planning underway, but as of now still only one DC (in Chico, and closed at night) In The great (and currently inflamed) North state.

The CEC has $10 million available for DC installation grants statewide, about $4 million of which is allocated for North California freeways:

Go to:

http://www.energy.ca.gov/contracts/GFO-15-601/

And hit the application manual link:

Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program

DC Fast Chargers for California’s North-South Corridors


(page 8)
....H. AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS
A total of $10 million is available for awards under this solicitation. The Energy Commission, at its sole discretion, reserves the right to increase or decrease the amount of funds available under this solicitation.

I. MAXIMUM AWARD AMOUNTS
The following table shows the maximum award amounts by corridor.

Table 3: Maximum Awards for ECHC Corridors

ECHC Corridor Maximum Award
1 I-5: Oregon Border to Red Bluff $2,320,000
2 I-5: South of Red Bluff to north of Sacramento $1,450,000...

8 SR 99: South of Red Bluff to north of Sacramento $210,000

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.p ... 89#p432089

[cwerdna]

It's been done before by TonyWilliams. He did BC2BC: http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=8879.

Back then, there was little CHAdeMO in the SF Bay Area but he could fly thru OR and WA thanks to http://www.westcoastgreenhighway.com/ in those two states.

Other Leafers helped him drive his Leaf back in the other direction back to the San Diego area.

I strongly recommend you have something that will let you see battery gids (e.g. Leaf Spy or LeafDD).

[webeleafowners]

... Has anyone heard if there are any level 3 stations planned for that stretch?...

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mi ... 874997&z=6

Funded almost three years ago, the single DC in redding is the only one operational to date...

Re: Upstate (formerly North) California LEAFs

Sun Aug 02, 2015 9:14 pm

More DC planning underway, but as of now still only one DC (in Chico, and closed at night) In The great (and currently inflamed) North state.

The CEC has $10 million available for DC installation grants statewide, about $4 million of which is allocated for North California freeways:

Go to:

http://www.energy.ca.gov/contracts/GFO-15-601/

And hit the application manual link:

Alternative and Renewable Fuel and Vehicle Technology Program

DC Fast Chargers for California’s North-South Corridors


(page 8)
....H. AVAILABILITY OF FUNDS
A total of $10 million is available for awards under this solicitation. The Energy Commission, at its sole discretion, reserves the right to increase or decrease the amount of funds available under this solicitation.

I. MAXIMUM AWARD AMOUNTS
The following table shows the maximum award amounts by corridor.

Table 3: Maximum Awards for ECHC Corridors

ECHC Corridor Maximum Award
1 I-5: Oregon Border to Red Bluff $2,320,000
2 I-5: South of Red Bluff to north of Sacramento $1,450,000...

8 SR 99: South of Red Bluff to north of Sacramento $210,000

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.p ... 89#p432089

Except those DCFC in Yreka and Dunsmuir don't exist according to Plugshare.

[palmermd]

Nobody mentioned that @tonywilliams has made the trip multiple times. At least three times during the bc to bc rally. I think 2012 2013 and 2014.

[webeleafowners]

That section is like the Darien Gap. It literally cuts the continent in half for those of us with first gen EV’s.

[WetEV]

I did the analysis for Bay Area to Ashland, and assuming perfect conditions (you're screwed if even one charger isn't working) it would take 45 hours to do that stretch.

This isn't an easy trip, but it isn't that bad. L2 charging seems to be available enough, with alternatives. About 420 miles, 7:30 driving time, roughly 12 hours charging time. About 100kWh. I'd take two days, and make a stop half way. You do want a NEMA 14-50 30 Amp EVSE.

Route first option is San Jose (aka Bay Area) (3 QC stops, lots of choices) to Sacramento Airport Free Waiting Area Parking Lot QC, then north to Yuba City L2, then to Butte College Skyway Center in Chico QC, then to RedBluff L2, then Target in Redding QC, then Dunsmuir L2, then Yreka CA L2, then Ashland Shell(QC).

4 L2 charges, each about 2 hours or less.
5 DCQC, each 30 minutes or so.

An alternative might be to go up the coast. Lower speeds, lower temperatures, more reasons to stop... But the charging is a bit more challenging,
RV parks are a requirement rather than a fallback option.

Unless you want an adventure, I'd suggest shipping the car.

[edatoakrun]

... Sacramento Airport Free Waiting Area Parking Lot QC, then north to Yuba City L2, then to Butte College Skyway Center in Chico QC, then to RedBluff L2, then Target in Redding QC...

Instead. try this shorter route, Davis to Redding, if you'd like to avoid some of the high-speed roads, in order to skip or limit the time of the L2 stops shown.

Any LEAF with a ~20 (available) kWh pack should be able to make it in good weather, using only a single stop at Chico for DC.

The Chico Nissan DC was out of order on 5/5, BTW.


https://www.google.com/maps/dir/40.5870 ... fd!1m0!3e0