All EV Rally, BC2BC-2013, 1500 miles from Canada to Mexico

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TonyWilliams

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 19, 2011
Messages
10,107
Location
Vista, California USA
Link to 3nd annual BC2BC-2014

Link to 2nd annual BC2BC-2013

Link to first BC2BC-2012

The BC2BC All Electric Vehicle Rally has begun with all vehicles departing the Peace Arch State Park, Sat. June 29, 2013 from the Canadian border, with 1500 miles to go to Mexico:

12:09pm - Car #43 (Model S)
12:12pm - Car #2 (iMiev)
12:15pm - Car #4 (LEAF)
12:18pm - Car #3 (LEAF)
12:21pm - Car #45 (Roadster)
12:24pm - Car #6 (Model S)
12:27pm - Car #8 (Model S)
12:31pm - Car #5 (ZERO)
12:34pm - Car #1 (Rav4 EV)

Facebook "All Electric Vehicle Rally)

http://www.AllElectricVehicleRally.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

@QCpower #BC2BC
@BC2BCbyEV

BC2BCLogo2013.jpg




To register for the June 29, 2013 launch party and the Golden Plug Ceremony at the Peace Arch State Park in Blaine, Washington, please register here:

http://bc2bc-2013.eventbrite.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

To register for the July 7, 2013 party at San Juan Capistrano, click here:

http://bc2bc-party-sjc.eventbrite.com


We now have 10 vehicles, and 13 drivers for the rally. They are from British Columbia, Washington state, Oregon, California, Nevada, and Florida. It's no surprise that many of these entries are experienced at long distance electric vehicle travel, and that many of them are Tesla cars!! But, there are those who this might be the first time traveling outside their comfort zone.

The vehicles are:

Zero motorcycle
Tesla Model S
Tesla Roadster
Mitsubishi iMiev
Nissan LEAF
PSIDA Motorcycle
Toyota Rav4 EV Gen II

I expect that we may have a BMW ActiveE, also.


Below is a recap of the current first post in this thread:

********************************************

The second annual BC2BC All Electric Vehicle Rally starts Saturday, June 29, 2013 at the Peace Arch Park in Blaine, Washington and ends at the McDonalds restaurant in San Ysidro, California on July 7, 2013. All vehicle will be powered solely by electricity, and have no fossil fuel augmentation whatsoever.

********************************************


I would like to extend an invitation for all EV drivers within range of Blaine, Washington on June 29, 2013 to attend the launch party. This rally will start in conjunction with the "Golden Plug Ceremony" between the state of Washington and province of British Columbia. This is planned to be a "governor/premier level event".

There will be power at the site (up to 50 amp 240 volt AC and CHAdeMO DC service), in addition to the AAA recharge truck with CHAdeMO and possibly a VIA truck with generator onboard. Please arrive with as much power as you can. Charging will be done at the south end of the parking lot at the Peace Arch Park.

9am - Reception and breakfast
10am - Driver's meeting
11am - Keynote speakers
12pm - First vehicles launch in interval for BC2BC-2013
1pm - End of formal functions, park reserved through the entire day however

We hope to have at least 50 EVs at the event, with parking for up to 250 cars from the public. Approximately 100 people, dignitaries, manufacturer representatives and government officials have been invited by the Washington state DOT. We expect the governor and premier to plug in a gold colored CHAdeMO plug, much like the golden spike ceremony for the transcontinental railroad. We won't have comfirmation on the premier until after the May 14 election in BC. We are working with local television and radio to participate.

July 1 is Canada day, so it is a long holiday weekend for folks north of the border. That could mean two hour waits through customs, but Canadians coming to the event can bypass that by parking in the area on the Canadian side on Beach Ave in Surrey, BC and walking to the USA side for the ceremony and launch party. Do not leave the park boundary on the USA side without clearing customs first. The reverse is also true; USA citizens can walk into Canada, but cannot leave the provincial park.

Vendors will be displaying their products at the launch.

There is a kitchen that can handle 100 people inside that we also rented, and 400 outside. Please purchase the ten dollar state park pass is, as it is required at Peace Arch state park. We intend to have catered food, but that is not confirmed as of this writing.

Our website should be up at: Coming Soon - Future home of something quite cool. We will be flying three flags; Canada, USA and Mexico, but of course, we need a green flag to launch the cars! We're looking for volunteers to be marshals, and operate equipment. We also need a diesel or gasoline truck that can pull 8000 pounds with a 800 pound DC charger in the back.

For the night before the event, June 28, 2013, I've decided to stay at the following hotel. It's almost walking distance from the start, relatively cheap, and clean:

Anchor Inn Motel
250 Cedar St
Blaine, WA
(360) 332-5539

Also, I intend to participate in a gathering in Surrey, BC on Friday night, June 28, 2013 with electric vehicle owners.


Tony Williams
858-245-8217
All Electric Vehicle Rally Organizer
BC2BC-2013
1500 Miles from Canada to Mexico
June 29, 2013 until July 8, 2013


*******************************************************

SURREY, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA - Powertech Labs Inc., a Subsidiary of BCHydro, is proud to announce the Prequel Event to the BC2BC "All Electric Vehicle Rally", in addition to the Grand Opening of their new charging plaza and Tech Park. Located just 18 miles north of the BC2BC rally launch point at the Peace Arch State Park in Blaine, Washington, USA, the Prequel Event will commence at 11:30am on Friday, June 28, 2013 when Alec Tsang of BC Hydro will speak a few words about the Tech Park and its role in studying electric vehicle (EV) charging.

At 12:00am, Mayor Diane Watts will talk about the City of Surrey’s Sustainability Charter and how it pertains to EVs. At 12:30pm, a BBQ lunch is planned for about 100 people. BC2BC rally organizer Tony Williams will be on hand to talk about electric cars and the upcoming rally that starts the following day, Saturday, June 29, 2013. The rally will start at the border of British Columbia (BC), Canada and the USA, and end at the border of Baja California (BC), Mexico and the USA nine days later, hence "BC2BC". About 12 all-electric vehicles will be participating along the West Coast Electric Highway.

Powertech is located at 12388 - 88th Avenue, Surrey, BC and now has four Level 2 - J1772 charging stations to recharge all modern day electric cars, in addition to the first public CHAdeMO DC Fast Charger in British Columbia. CHAdeMO can recharge cars like the Nissan LEAF and Mitsubishi iMiEV in about 30 minutes. Powertech is strategically located close to many businesses and services which may be useful to electric vehicle drivers while their car recharges, such as a nearby Walmart, tire and auto parts stores, shopping and dining.

******************************************************

If you want to enter as a rally competitor, shoot an email to:

[email protected]

There is no entry fee of any kind.

Driver name and alternate driver / passenger (if any):

Team name (if any):

Official sponsor(s) (if any):

Address:

email address:

Cell Phone to be used during event:

Year/Make/Model:

License Plate #

Jacket size (neck/sleeve length in inches):
(May 24, 2013 deadline to get a entry jacket, however you will be able to buy one for $65 after this date. It will have the West Coast Electric Highway logo on the back, and the BC2BC logo on the front.)

Bio for website:

Profile picture with competing car for website:

*******************************************************

LINKS

All Electric Vehicle Rally, BC2BC

My Nissan LEAF forum

My Rav4 forum

Tesla Forum

Click here for the first 2012 BC2BC solo run


********************************


Google Maps - Peace Arch State Park, WA to McDonald's, San Ysidro, CA

The Four Stages are:

June 29 - Begin Stage 1 (529 miles), Rally start at Peace Arch state park, Blaine, Washington

June 29 - Optional stop(s) in Seattle area, TBD - Rally time is paused while at the stop(s)

June 30 - Optional stop(s) in Portland area, TBD - Rally time is paused while at the stop(s)

July 1 - Grants Pass, Oregon, Stage Overnight Point, La Quinta Inn hotel

July 2 - Begin Stage 2 (374 miles), Grants Pass, Oregon

July 4 - Santa Rosa, California, Stage Overnight Point, Hyatt hotel

July 5 - Begin Stage 3 (274 miles), Santa Rosa, California

July 5 - Optional stop(s) in San Francisco Bay area, TBD - - Rally time is paused while at the stop(s)

July 6 - San Luis Obispo, California, Stage Overnight Point, Embassy Suites hotel

July 7 - Begin Stage 4 (321 miles), San Luis Obispo, California

July 7 - Optional stop in San Juan Capistrano, California, Residence Inn - - Rally time is paused while at the stop

July 7 - Arrive at End Point, McDonalds, San Ysidro, California


Posted: 1508 miles total

********************************


CHECKPOINTS

The following list is subject to changes prior to the event, and is only representative of the types of checkpoints to expect:


Nissan Eastside
11815 NE 8th St
Bellevue, WA 98005


Telsa Store
435 Westlake Ave N
Seattle, WA 98109


Must have a picture with the rally driver of the actual Research & Development electric plane on display at:
Future of Flight Aviation Center & Boeing
8415 Paine Field Boulevard
Mukilteo, WA 98275
(425) 438-8100


Tesla Store
9585 SW Washington Square Road Suite #C06
Portland, OR 97223


Brammo Inc (electric motorcycle manufacturer)
550 Clover Lane
Ashland, Oregon 97520


The CAFE Foundation "first aircraft electric charging station"
EAA 124 Hangar
Santa Rosa Airport
5550 Windsor Road
Windsor, CA 95492


Tesla Motors (electric vehicle manufacturer)
45500 Fremont Blvd
Fremont, CA 94538


Tesla Store
333 Santana Row Suite 1035
San Jose, CA 95128


Zero Motorcycles (manufacturer of electric motorcycles)
380 El Pueblo Road
Scotts Valley, CA 95066


Tesla Store
300 El Camino Real
Menlo Park, CA 94025


Tesla Store
6600 Topanga Canyon Boulevard
Canoga Park, CA 91303


Tesla Store
1227 3rd Street Promenade
Santa Monica, CA 90401


Tesla Store
10250 Santa Monica Blvd, Suite #133
Los Angeles, CA 90067


Tesla Store
367 Newport Center Drive
Newport Beach, CA 92660


Tesla Store
4545 La Jolla Village Drive
San Diego CA 92122


**********************************


RALLY RULES

1. Rally will start at Blaine, Washington and end in San Ysidro, California in odd numbered years, and reverse in even numbered years.


2. Cars would be released in 5 minute intervals. The order of release will be based on the random selection of one playing card for each rally vehicle for the first Stage. Subsequent stages will be released in order of elapsed rally time from previous Stage. The lowest time shall go first, and then each subsequent previous Stage rally time in order, with the slowest being last.


3. Any electric powered vehicle of any type is permitted; those that use any fossil fuel augmentation would need those energy sources sealed from use during the event. That means that the fossil fuel tank is empty and sealed, and/or removed from the vehicle.


4. There will be a series of Checkpoints and/or marshalls enroute. Photographic proof of a Checkpoint is required to get a playing card to be used for determining the Overall Winner. The picture will be exchanged for one or more playing cards at the Stage Overnight Points. The picture must contain the actual building or object; not just a sign mentioning it.

The driver must take a picture with both the driver and if possible, the rally vehicle, and something that identifies the CHECKPOINT all in the same picture. The picture will be exchanged for one or more playing cards at the Stage Overnight Points. The picture must contain the actual building or object; not just a sign mentioning it.

All checkpoints are optional. The value of how many playing cards will be issued for each of the checkpoints will be announced at the rally start or applicable Stage Overnight Point for checkpoints within that Stage.


5. Participants are prohibited from prepositioned charging stations / battery swapping stations, however the event organizers may choose to do so for the event. Any event prepositioned charging power source or charging station must be available to all participants.


6. Teams may be two registered driver / navigators per vehicle. No further augmentation or replacements allowed. Should a single driver become incapable of completing the course, then a previously named alternate may substitute the remainder of the course. Vehicles registered with two drivers may operate with one driver. No vehicle replacements during the event. No towing, pulling, pushing, or otherwise aiding the self-propulsion of the rally vehicle. Safely drafting other random vehicles is permitted, but drafting another event vehicle or vehicle known to the event in any way (even impromptu "help" for well wishers) is prohibited.

7. This is not a race !!!!! While bragging rights are always important, operating within the confines of the rules of public highways is moreso. Any car whose average speed exceeds the posted "course peak speed limit" is automatically disqualified. That means for the 2013 BC2BC event, with 1508 miles posted, and the maximum known speed limit is 70mph on the course, therefore a time of less than 21.5 hours would be disqualifying.

8. Vehicles must be legal to operate on public highways in all states and provinces that the event is operated in. Passing an event technical inspection does not mean the vehicle is legal on public highways. Only the vehicle's owner and/or operator can determine that, and/or relevant public legal authority.

9. Proof of insurance and current government registration with displayed current license plates (or "temporary tags") is required for entry that is valid in all jurisdictions that the vehicle will be operated in.

10. No "Pre-Runner" or "Chase Trucks" allowed. That means vehicles that draft in front, or have repair equipment on board, or drive ahead to block out charging stations, or carry generators or battery packs for transferring power, or may be in any way involved with the vehicle. They can't trail behind or be anywhere near the competing vehicle. This does not preclude inadvertent brief encounters, or meet ups at planned stops.

11. The Overall Winner is a combined score of quickest time on the course with the lowest playing card poker hand derived from playing cards earned at checkpoints. The lowest score wins.

11a. If three competing vehicles posted times of 31 hours, 32 hours and 33 hours, the vehicle with the lowest time gets one point, the second lowest time gets 3 points, and each subsequent time gets one additional point.

11b. The poker hands for each vehicle entry will follow recognized five card hands (although all earned cards can be used to make a 5 card hand) where a Royal Flush is highest, then Straight Flush, Four of a Kind, Full House, Flush, Straight, Three of a Kind, Two Pair, One Pair, and Highest Card using standard poker playing cards. No wild cards will be used. The vehicle with the highest hand gets one point, the second lowest time gets 3 points, and each subsequent time gets one additional point.

11c. Ties in Overall Points will be broken by the lowest Overall Time.

11d. Examples of Overall Winner order with five entered vehicles:

Place - Vehicle - Overall Time / Points - Poker Hand / Points - Overall Points
1st --- Car 1 --- 31:00 hours / 1 pt --- Two Pair / 5 pts ------ 6 points
2nd -- Car 4 --- 34:00 hours / 5 pts - Royal Flush / 1pt ------ 6 points
3rd ---Car 2 --- 32:00 hours / 3 pts --- Straight / 4 pts ------ 7 points
4th --- Car 3 --- 33:00 hours / 4 pts - Four of a Kind / 3 pts -- 7 points
DNF -- Car 5 ------- N/A --------------- N/A ------------- 0 points

12. All vehicles that finish the course in the allotted time (for BC2BC-2013, the event time ends on July 8 at 11:59pm) will get a Finisher's Award. You must complete the entire course in the allotted time to get the award. Failure to finish also means failure to place for any Overall Winner awards (first, second, third, etc, place) or be factored in an Overall Winner tallies and will be assigned DNF for "Did Not Finish". Vehicles that are found to break any of the rules will also get a DNF.

***************************************

FAQs:

1. What does BC2BC stand for? It means British Columbia (Canada) to Baja California (Mexico).

2. Why? For fun, of course, but to bring the public's attention to electric vehicles through public media and to highlight the lack of progress that the state of California has made with its participation in the West Coast Electric Highway.

3. Who is organizing this? Tony Williams is the primary organizer, however folks from both the Washington and Oregon state Departments of Transportation have been instrumental in building out their DC charging network, and helping organize this event in their respective states. California, not so much.

4. Who can enter? Anybody with a street legal electric powered vehicle. If that vehicle has augmentation from fossil fuels, bio diesel, hydrogen or anything other than stored electrical power, that source of power must be emptied and the container sealed from use.
 
Tony, all participants would have to get to BC first—those on the south end having to drive, truck, or ship their EV 1800 miles before starting—those in the north doing the reverse after finishing.

How about a "halfway" rally—too short? That way participants from both ends could easily participate. You know better than anyone what facilities, if any, are at or near the halfway point for this type of event.

But then, I think us northerners might have an advantage in that our QC infrastructure, as fragile as it is right now, would allow us to travel quicker than the south end folks. Perhaps then have it 2 separate rallies that end in the same location???

As much as I would love visit San Diego in my Leaf I, and perhaps others, might not want (or even be able) to make that long trip depending on the condition of their battery pack or risk premature or accelerated losses as a result.

Just my thoughts. :?
 
This isn't intended to be a weekend flivver. Yes, you will no doubt want to truck your entry vehicle. Or, pre-run the course in reverse to get there. Folks sweating over pack losses from QC events probably would not be a likely candidate.

I foresee serious EV entries, with all the planning, financial considerations and deliberation that entails.
 
Ahhh, the America's Cup of EV rallys :)

TonyWilliams said:
This isn't intended to be a weekend flivver. Yes, you will no doubt want to truck your entry vehicle. Or, pre-run the course in reverse to get there. Folks sweating over pack losses from QC events probably would not be a likely candidate.

I foresee serious EV entries, with all the planning, financial considerations and deliberation that entails.
 
I'll be riding BC to BC next spring on my bicycle, southbound. But I think it's going to take more than 8 days. :p
 
Hopefully this time at least one of the SF Bay area QC stations will be operational during the event :) There are 2 more QCs near 84 and 101, Intuit and Silver Spring Networks. So Stanford Mall and VW ERL have some backup.

We still need QCs in San Francisco, Half Moon Bay, Morgan Hill, Gilroy, and Santa Cruz. I'd love to be able to drive to highway 1 and cruise up and down the coast in the EV with QCs every 30-50 miles.
 
palmermd said:
the entire I-95 from Houlton to Miami would be quite the trip. Just like the entire I-5 on the west coast.

I drove over 1,800 miles, but the actual distance from San Ysidro, California to Blaine, Washington is 1,380 miles.

Montreal to Key West is 1,800 miles.

Edmundston, New Brunswick to Key West, Florida is 2,115 miles
 
I'm anxiously waiting for the day when an EV (hopefully a Leaf) will do a run from the Huntington Beach Surfer statue - to the Statue of liberty (stopping of course at the Leaf headquarters & Smyrna Factory where the Leafs will become official U.S. made cars). 2,896 miles .... 46 hours, not counting charger times. Do I hear any takers? :)
 
Good luck getting any vehicle, let alone the Leaf, to the Statue of Liberty. (hint: it's on an island) :D

I still want to do my Long Beach (NY) -> Long Beach (CA) trip.

</offtopic>
 
HairyCairy said:
I am very excited about this rally,
Hopefully I will be able to enter, depending on logistics.
Any idea's on specific day's in June.

I've sent out the word to find EV type events to launch from (ya get a little press and buzz for EV's that way).

June 8 ??, the Vancouver B.C. EVA has their annual Electrafest (http://www.veva.bc.ca/home/index.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;).

June 1-2, Mother Earth News Fair in Puyallup (https://www.facebook.com/MotherEarthFair" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)

June 29, EV section in the Greenwood Car Show in Seattle (http://greenwoodcarshow.com/About/Schedule/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;).
 
HairyCairy said:
I am very excited about this rally,
Hopefully I will be able to enter, depending on logistics.

For those of us at "either end", like San Diego and Seattle, logistics are easy. You start or end where you live. I'd recommend a ticket on the train or an airplane for you, and ship the car for $600-$800.

The guys in the middle have a bigger challenge.
 
LEAFer said:
Just my 2c: The 6/29 sounds good ... with INDEPENDENCE DAY so close ... the rally can celebrate 7/4 !

All the campgrounds are full, and I might need a few of them !!!! At least their electrical power. You've inspired me to go straight down the 5 all the way !!!! It will cut off many hundreds of miles from the 2012 run.
 
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