jlsoaz
Well-known member
I'm happy with many things about my Nissan Leaf and so I will consider getting into another Nissan PEV when my lease is up in 18 months (assuming it will go at least 100-150 highway miles between needing a charge).
However:
If there is one main point of disappointment that has cost me a lot of time, money and aggravation, it is that the rate of rollout of inter-city DC Quick Chargers has been somewhat slow and it has not reached my area. In fact, I fear that it will be several more years. (I won't say "if ever" because BEVs are here to stay, so eventually I think virtually all areas will have DCQC or accelerated L2 or what-have-you).
On the one hand, I can't help but notice that Tesla got out front on rolling out charge stations in places that seemed obscure except that they facilitated inter-city travel. On the other hand, I live near Tucson and it is conspicuous that except for a quick charge station at one dealership (so it is not 24x7, and it is not inter-city) Nissan has done little (so far).
Would it really cost Nissan a lot to partner with other stakeholders and install 2 quick charge stations about 30-40 miles to the East and South of Tucson... one around Benson and one around Green Valley? Wouldn't this change the driving lives of (and reduce the range anxiety of) various Leaf lessees in and around the Tucson area? [I don't mention about North or West because both Blink and GoE3 have installed a couple of stations on the way to Phoenix.]
On the route south of Tucson (the one that hits closer to home for me, so I have thought about it more), there are arguments against this, including that there are very few Leafs presently located south of the city. However, arguments for locating a charge station near Green Valley include:
- There is a Nissan dealership just south of the border in Nogales Sonora. A Quick Charge Station in or south of Green Valley would be a key spike on what local EV drivers are calling the "Cactus Highway" from Phoenix down south through toward this Mexican dealership and toward the eventual goal of Hermosillo (where there is a public L2 set up by an enterprising EV Supporter. This can be seen better on plugshare.com. There are several hundred thousand people in Nogales, Sonora, and it is common to make the drive up to Tucson and back, across the border. Nissan has already indicated starting to try to sell BEVs in Mexico. Might the Nogales, Sonora dealership be one possible smart focus point? Would a reliable DC Quick Charger at or near Green Valley help them sell customers on the possibility of Leafs being a good way to drive to Tucson?
- There are boarded up gas stations that present significant urban blight at exit 65 Texaco and exit 69 Texaco (and a couple down in Nogales, AZ as well). I can't help but think that an EV Quick Charge Station might be a point of business-rejuvenation, even if very lightly used at first.
- There is a new and heavily and expensively remodeled Jim Click Ford Dealership at exit 69. I have lobbied Jim Click Nissan in Tucson (from whom I leased my Leaf) to consider installing a DCQC at this location (but I fear they would do it within the dealership gates), but so far have run into a wall. Perhaps Nissan could in some minor way partner with Ford and GoE3 or Car Charging or others to do some cost-sharing on a 24x7x365 public DCQC near (but outside the gates of) the Ford Dealership?
- There are well-used rest stops on either side of the road at approximately kilometer 53 (all the exit numbers I am giving are km North of Mexico - this highway 19 is still denominated in km, not miles). There are no restaurants, but there are vending machines and restrooms, good lighting and numerous long-haul trucks taking a break. This would be an opportunity.
- At Exit 48 there is a very lightly used gas station.
- At exit 22 there is a brand spanking new 4 or 5 MW (eventually 7 MW) solar farm. There is nothing else really there, but it might be an idea to partner the solar with the quick charging.
I realize that Nissan is working on these things, but it is taking a long time. I also made notes at this page, but they are co-mingled with some of my ideas for L1 and L2:
http://www.herecomesmongo.com/mpages/scevse.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
However:
If there is one main point of disappointment that has cost me a lot of time, money and aggravation, it is that the rate of rollout of inter-city DC Quick Chargers has been somewhat slow and it has not reached my area. In fact, I fear that it will be several more years. (I won't say "if ever" because BEVs are here to stay, so eventually I think virtually all areas will have DCQC or accelerated L2 or what-have-you).
On the one hand, I can't help but notice that Tesla got out front on rolling out charge stations in places that seemed obscure except that they facilitated inter-city travel. On the other hand, I live near Tucson and it is conspicuous that except for a quick charge station at one dealership (so it is not 24x7, and it is not inter-city) Nissan has done little (so far).
Would it really cost Nissan a lot to partner with other stakeholders and install 2 quick charge stations about 30-40 miles to the East and South of Tucson... one around Benson and one around Green Valley? Wouldn't this change the driving lives of (and reduce the range anxiety of) various Leaf lessees in and around the Tucson area? [I don't mention about North or West because both Blink and GoE3 have installed a couple of stations on the way to Phoenix.]
On the route south of Tucson (the one that hits closer to home for me, so I have thought about it more), there are arguments against this, including that there are very few Leafs presently located south of the city. However, arguments for locating a charge station near Green Valley include:
- There is a Nissan dealership just south of the border in Nogales Sonora. A Quick Charge Station in or south of Green Valley would be a key spike on what local EV drivers are calling the "Cactus Highway" from Phoenix down south through toward this Mexican dealership and toward the eventual goal of Hermosillo (where there is a public L2 set up by an enterprising EV Supporter. This can be seen better on plugshare.com. There are several hundred thousand people in Nogales, Sonora, and it is common to make the drive up to Tucson and back, across the border. Nissan has already indicated starting to try to sell BEVs in Mexico. Might the Nogales, Sonora dealership be one possible smart focus point? Would a reliable DC Quick Charger at or near Green Valley help them sell customers on the possibility of Leafs being a good way to drive to Tucson?
- There are boarded up gas stations that present significant urban blight at exit 65 Texaco and exit 69 Texaco (and a couple down in Nogales, AZ as well). I can't help but think that an EV Quick Charge Station might be a point of business-rejuvenation, even if very lightly used at first.
- There is a new and heavily and expensively remodeled Jim Click Ford Dealership at exit 69. I have lobbied Jim Click Nissan in Tucson (from whom I leased my Leaf) to consider installing a DCQC at this location (but I fear they would do it within the dealership gates), but so far have run into a wall. Perhaps Nissan could in some minor way partner with Ford and GoE3 or Car Charging or others to do some cost-sharing on a 24x7x365 public DCQC near (but outside the gates of) the Ford Dealership?
- There are well-used rest stops on either side of the road at approximately kilometer 53 (all the exit numbers I am giving are km North of Mexico - this highway 19 is still denominated in km, not miles). There are no restaurants, but there are vending machines and restrooms, good lighting and numerous long-haul trucks taking a break. This would be an opportunity.
- At Exit 48 there is a very lightly used gas station.
- At exit 22 there is a brand spanking new 4 or 5 MW (eventually 7 MW) solar farm. There is nothing else really there, but it might be an idea to partner the solar with the quick charging.
I realize that Nissan is working on these things, but it is taking a long time. I also made notes at this page, but they are co-mingled with some of my ideas for L1 and L2:
http://www.herecomesmongo.com/mpages/scevse.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
