9/17/13: ECOtality files for bankrupcy and gets Nissan loan

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Levenkay said:
How do the stations continue to break at a high rate, unless someone fixes them?
Click to expand...
Maybe I'm exaggerating the rate. Every time I look on plugshare or on MNL I see another Blink station newly reported as down, and I've never seen one newly reported as repaired. I visited a station that used to work and now it's broken. Eventually they will run out of working stations to break down - except I bet before that happens they will sell the charging business to someone else and take another few million dollars in executive bonuses.
 
walterbays said:
Levenkay said:
How do the stations continue to break at a high rate, unless someone fixes them?
Click to expand...
Maybe I'm exaggerating the rate. Every time I look on plugshare or on MNL I see another Blink station newly reported as down, and I've never seen one newly reported as repaired. I visited a station that used to work and now it's broken. Eventually they will run out of working stations to break down - except I bet before that happens they will sell the charging business to someone else and take another few million dollars in executive bonuses.
Click to expand...

Obviously a regional thing but we are getting things repaired in Seattle area. For example one of our Blink DCQCs just got a pair of the new Yazaki "gun" connectors.
 
QueenBee said:
Obviously a regional thing but we are getting things repaired in Seattle area. For example one of our Blink DCQCs just got a pair of the new Yazaki "gun" connectors.
Click to expand...
Picture of that?! :)
 
JeremyW said:
QueenBee said:
Obviously a regional thing but we are getting things repaired in Seattle area. For example one of our Blink DCQCs just got a pair of the new Yazaki "gun" connectors.
Click to expand...
Picture of that?! :)
Click to expand...

I realize not a user friendly response to your question but: https://www.facebook.com/groups/seattlenissanleaf/permalink/730875750277198/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
 
I charged up for 35 minutes at the renton ikea and when I got black the plug was a whole lot hotter than I would like it to be. I realized that there is a danger charging up at stations that are not well maintained. I could burn out the charging socket on my car! I'm not likely to use a blink charging station again.
 
QueenBee said:
JeremyW said:
QueenBee said:
Obviously a regional thing but we are getting things repaired in Seattle area. For example one of our Blink DCQCs just got a pair of the new Yazaki "gun" connectors.
Click to expand...
Picture of that?! :)
Click to expand...
I realize not a user friendly response to your question but: https://www.facebook.com/groups/seattlenissanleaf/permalink/730875750277198/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Click to expand...
Here's a more user-friendly option, straight from the horse's mouth, so to speak, since not everyone (like me) has a FB account. And why the heck does the Seattle nissan leaf group feel the need to have their page not public?

Old connector:
http://charge.yazaki-group.com/english/product/quick_outlet.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

New Connector:
http://charge.yazaki-group.com/english/product/quick_outlet_neo.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

--G
 
gmikol said:
Here's a more user-friendly option, straight from the horse's mouth, so to speak, since not everyone (like me) has a FB account. And why the heck does the Seattle nissan leaf group feel the need to have their page not public?
Click to expand...
Thanks, angry much though? It is open/public but FaceBook groups require a FaceBook account to view them, nothing we can do to change that.
 
gmikol said:
Here's a more user-friendly option, straight from the horse's mouth, so to speak, since not everyone (like me) has a FB account. And why the heck does the Seattle nissan leaf group feel the need to have their page not public?

Old connector:
http://charge.yazaki-group.com/english/product/quick_outlet.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

New Connector:
http://charge.yazaki-group.com/english/product/quick_outlet_neo.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

--G
Click to expand...
Gee, it only took two years of customers pointing out the flaws in the original design to get the new one - they'll be giving Tesla some competition any year now! :roll: Snark aside, the new one looks much better.
 
QueenBee said:
walterbays said:
Levenkay said:
How do the stations continue to break at a high rate, unless someone fixes them?
Click to expand...
Maybe I'm exaggerating the rate. Every time I look on plugshare or on MNL I see another Blink station newly reported as down, and I've never seen one newly reported as repaired. I visited a station that used to work and now it's broken. Eventually they will run out of working stations to break down - except I bet before that happens they will sell the charging business to someone else and take another few million dollars in executive bonuses.
Click to expand...

Obviously a regional thing but we are getting things repaired in Seattle area. For example one of our Blink DCQCs just got a pair of the new Yazaki "gun" connectors.
Click to expand...

Here's a message sent out by the company doing repairs on our Blinks:

"Car Charging Group is getting Blinks back online. How do I know? EV Support is now part of the tech support team!

Yesterday we fixed the DCQC at Bellvue College. I recall trying to use the right-hand unit months ago and it didn't work. Apparently it's been out all this time, because the College made a laminated 'out of order' sign for it. Well, it turns out that there was a relay that was unplugged, and sitting next to its socket, probably since the thing was installed. Both sides are working now, and we replaced the Chademo plugs. The new ones are much improved with a thumb button activating the latch instead of that stupid lever, and they weigh about half as much as the old ones. All the DCQC's will be getting new plugs. We also fixed the touch screen in the right hand L2 unit up in the parking garage.

I will send updates as we get these repaired. Apparently there are 100 on the ASAP list, and we will eventually be visiting them all.

The Bellevue Fred Meyer DCQC install was completed back in August, but its service was never connected to PSE. I will be investigating and will send an update when I have info."

-- Jeremy Smithson, EV Support, a div. of Puget Sound Solar LLC
 
QueenBee said:
QueenBee said:
walterbays said:
Maybe I'm exaggerating the rate. Every time I look on plugshare or on MNL I see another Blink station newly reported as down, and I've never seen one newly reported as repaired. I visited a station that used to work and now it's broken. Eventually they will run out of working stations to break down - except I bet before that happens they will sell the charging business to someone else and take another few million dollars in executive bonuses.
Click to expand...

Obviously a regional thing but we are getting things repaired in Seattle area. For example one of our Blink DCQCs just got a pair of the new Yazaki "gun" connectors.
Click to expand...

Here's a message sent out by the company doing repairs on our Blinks:

"Car Charging Group is getting Blinks back online. How do I know? EV Support is now part of the tech support team!

Yesterday we fixed the DCQC at Bellvue College. I recall trying to use the right-hand unit months ago and it didn't work. Apparently it's been out all this time, because the College made a laminated 'out of order' sign for it. Well, it turns out that there was a relay that was unplugged, and sitting next to its socket, probably since the thing was installed. Both sides are working now, and we replaced the Chademo plugs. The new ones are much improved with a thumb button activating the latch instead of that stupid lever, and they weigh about half as much as the old ones. All the DCQC's will be getting new plugs. We also fixed the touch screen in the right hand L2 unit up in the parking garage.

I will send updates as we get these repaired. Apparently there are 100 on the ASAP list, and we will eventually be visiting them all.

The Bellevue Fred Meyer DCQC install was completed back in August, but its service was never connected to PSE. I will be investigating and will send an update when I have info."

-- Jeremy Smithson, EV Support, a div. of Puget Sound Solar LLC
Click to expand...
Meanwhile, here in the Bay Area one of the connectors on the Hayward QC has been out of service for 5 months now. I sent Car Charging Group an email about six weeks ago asking what they planned to do about it, as it had been reported on Plugshare all that time. The first reply was a form email asking me a bunch of dumb questions which I had already answered in the original email, so my reply was more than a little peeved. I then got a reply from an actual person, who apologized and said that the QC was a known problem and there was on a work ticket on it. Absolutely nothing has been done since then. Seeing as how they sent out a press release a few months ago extolling how they'd brought many Blinks ( including this one IIRR) back into operation, I'm not impressed.
 
QueenBee said:
Obviously a regional thing but we are getting things repaired in Seattle area. For example one of our Blink DCQCs just got a pair of the new Yazaki "gun" connectors.
Click to expand...

Wow, I hope some of those make it down to Oregon. My wife won't take the car on any trip that requires fast charging because those old connectors are so finicky and stupid to use. I'm also a bit sick of the lever seizing up on me. Sometimes a minute of yanking and messing with it will get me a charge; sometimes not. Just plugging in would be huge. And it would really level the playing field with the combo connector, which, frankly, is better just because all you do is push to plug it in.
 
pkulak said:
QueenBee said:
Obviously a regional thing but we are getting things repaired in Seattle area. For example one of our Blink DCQCs just got a pair of the new Yazaki "gun" connectors.
Click to expand...
Wow, I hope some of those make it down to Oregon. My wife won't take the car on any trip that requires fast charging because those old connectors are so finicky and stupid to use. I'm also a bit sick of the lever seizing up on me. Sometimes a minute of yanking and messing with it will get me a charge; sometimes not. Just plugging in would be huge. And it would really level the playing field with the combo connector, which, frankly, is better just because all you do is push to plug it in.
Click to expand...
I've not personally used any Blink DC FCs. I've only used a slight variant of the old-style non-intuitive Yazaki handles found on units at http://nissanqc.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

Re: the bolded part, perhaps you're doing it wrong and making it way harder on yourself than need be?

Reading the directions on the side of the Nissan DC FC while waiting for a charge and watching http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=317VrBDkBjg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; made things MUCH easier for me.

The Nissan CHAdeMO DC FC's handle is very similar to the one in the video except that there's a spring loaded charging lock for the black handle that needs to be pulled back too. IIRC, to detach, you have to pull the black handle slightly, pull the charging lock back and push the black button. Again, not intuitive and not obvious, but now is a total piece of cake once you've seen instructions and/or watched video then done it at least once.

If it's finicky, it's likely broken or you're likely doing it wrong. (Which was the case for me my 1st time.)
 
I haven't had any issues using the "old-style" Yazaki CHAdeMO handles and I quick charge a couple times a month. I've experienced a few instances where the handle wasn't in the unlocked position when I pulled it out of the Blink or Eaton... :? But with that said, the new handle style would make things simpler. My wife hasn't had any trouble with CHAdeMO charging either. :D
 
cwerdna said:
I've not personally used any Blink DC FCs. I've only used a slight variant of the old-style non-intuitive Yazaki handles found on units at http://nissanqc.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

Re: the bolded part, perhaps you're doing it wrong and making it way harder on yourself than need be?

Reading the directions on the side of the Nissan DC FC while waiting for a charge and watching http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=317VrBDkBjg" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; made things MUCH easier for me.

The Nissan CHAdeMO DC FC's handle is very similar to the one in the video except that there's a spring loaded charging lock for the black handle that needs to be pulled back too. IIRC, to detach, you have to pull the black handle slightly, pull the charging lock back and push the black button. Again, not intuitive and not obvious, but now is a total piece of cake once you've seen instructions and/or watched video then done it at least once.

If it's finicky, it's likely broken or you're likely doing it wrong. (Which was the case for me my 1st time.)
Click to expand...

No, I know how it works. First time I did it, I thought it would be simple. It took me a couple minutes to get it working, and then I looked it up online and figured it out. But the fact that you can direct me to Youtube instructional videos means it's too difficult for what it is. Combo and Tesla got it right, and I'm just excited that ChaDeMo may be moving forward as well.
 
pkulak said:
No, I know how it works. First time I did it, I thought it would be simple. It took me a couple minutes to get it working, and then I looked it up online and figured it out. But the fact that you can direct me to Youtube instructional videos means it's too difficult for what it is. Combo and Tesla got it right, and I'm just excited that ChaDeMo may be moving forward as well.
Click to expand...
I have to agree w/everything except I can't honestly give any opinion on ease of use/intuitiveness of J1772 CCS nor Tesla Supercharger as I've used neither. The closest I've done to Supercharger is plugging in a J1772 handle into a Tesla's adapter that was already attached to the a Model S.

Have you used either?
 
QueenBee said:
JeremyW said:
QueenBee said:
Obviously a regional thing but we are getting things repaired in Seattle area. For example one of our Blink DCQCs just got a pair of the new Yazaki "gun" connectors.
Click to expand...
Picture of that?! :)
Click to expand...

I realize not a user friendly response to your question but: https://www.facebook.com/groups/seattlenissanleaf/permalink/730875750277198/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Click to expand...
There's also a video at http://insideevs.com/blink-dc-fast-charger-with-upgraded-chademo-connector/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

CCGI's financials still look pretty terrible per http://insideevs.com/carcharging-grows-by-thousands-of-percents-but-still-reports-a-loss-of-24-million-in-2013/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;. Revenues (aka sales) for 2013 were $466K, but costs were $3.29 million, not including other expenses (i.e compensation, general and administration, etc.). So, for all of of 2013, their net loss was $24.1 million.

I mean, seriously? Spend ~$24.57 million in order to generate $466K in sales?
 
pkulak said:
Well, what part of that loss was capital gains?
Click to expand...

Not sure exactly what you mean by capital gains but the more than a 1/3rd of it was compensation. They have the tax filing to show you how it is broken up.
 
QueenBee said:
pkulak said:
Well, what part of that loss was capital gains?
Click to expand...

Not sure exactly what you mean by capital gains but the more than a 1/3rd of it was compensation. They have the tax filing to show you how it is broken up.
Click to expand...

I mean that they bought Blink. Is that part of the losses?
 

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