Update on CalTrans District 9 (Sierra Nevada East Side) DC Fast Charger Program

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danrjones said:
Paul, good news:

The road is open to the top gate. The forests service has it gated at that final corner about a half mile walk before the campgrounds and the the lower parking lots. They do that often at the beginning of the season when inyo roads has the road ready but the forest service is not ready. This year, however, it is possible the forests service will not open the gate. At least for now I would expect an extra walk but for trail peak its not a big issue. Campgrounds may remained closed all season, TBD. Langley though on very tired feet that extra walk from the top parking lot is not fun at the end. Beautiful up there. Did a short loop around the main meadow, up Trail Pass and back down Mulkey pass. Just a short day hike and back home. Snow still on north slopes but we were able to negotiate. Couple more weeks and Trail peak will be melted out. Langley still has a lot.

Bad news: No updates at all on either Coso site nor Brady's. Nothing has been done. Brady's is waiting on prep work I'm sure, but the Coso sites (EA for sure) is almost certainly waiting on SCE. One would almost start to think SCE has some grievance against charging stations...

Great report Dan. Did you mean Trail Pass to Cottonwood Pass back to the Meadow? That's the loop I'd like to do with a jaunt up Trail Peak.

Saw a report on PlugShare that CP at Denny's in Tehachapi appears ready but not power yet.

I wonder if CP, EA, and EV Connect will now use Covid as an excuse for not coming on line.

BTW. We started with a Leaf too. We drove it everywhere we could get it too--even Ridgecrest. ;)

Paul
 
Paul

Actually we did Trail pass to Mulkey pass. Mulkey pass is about a mile SE of trail pass, the opposite way along the PCT. A shorter loop than Trail to Cottonwood pass. Just checking out the snow and a short hike.

Getting to ridgecrest in a 40 Kwh leaf with the current infrastructure is doable. But getting up into the high Sierra and back is not, at least not for me. The two charger sets at Coso will really help. But some in lone pine, independence and big pine would be nice as well. I keep hoping Shell will put in their own brand at their locations like in Europe.

Be the way, how odd would it be if inyokern comes on before Coso?
 
Dan, thanks for the reply. For some reason I was thinking you had a Bolt, like Paul, hence the question. Looks like the round trip would be about 170 miles or so, plus altitude gain/loss which is definitely beyond a 40kWh Leaf.
 
As long are you are not an 80+ MPH driver, a Leaf Plus would do 170 miles year round in the bay area for many years. A Kona or new Bolt would give you an extra 10% range though.
 
DougWantsALeaf said:
As long are you are not an 80+ MPH driver, a Leaf Plus would do 170 miles year round in the bay area for many years. A Kona or new Bolt would give you an extra 10% range though.

You are missing the fact it goes from 2200 feet to 10,000 feet.

According to ABRP the plus leaves my house with 100% and arrives up there at 24%. Without a charger in lone pine or maybe Coso, you will not make it back per ABRP.. Not something I would try anyway. That's why we need more chargers along the east side.
 
GRA said:
Dan, thanks for the reply. For some reason I was thinking you had a Bolt, like Paul, hence the question. Looks like the round trip would be about 170 miles or so, plus altitude gain/loss which is definitely beyond a 40kWh Leaf.

No problem. I plan to look at the Bolt next year when I start looking. Hopefully the 2022 will be out with the interior refresh by then. I actually think the Bolt looks good, but my wife does not. YMMV. But by then I'm hoping the Bolt EUV will be out plus updates to the Kia and Hyundai lineups. I'll evaluate based on what is available and prices at that time, so who knows.

My current Leaf though does what is was intended for quite well as my work and daily driver.
 
danrjones said:
Paul

Actually we did Trail pass to Mulkey pass. Mulkey pass is about a mile SE of trail pass, the opposite way along the PCT. A shorter loop than Trail to Cottonwood pass. Just checking out the snow and a short hike.

Getting to ridgecrest in a 40 Kwh leaf with the current infrastructure is doable. But getting up into the high Sierra and back is not, at least not for me. The two charger sets at Coso will really help. But some in lone pine, independence and big pine would be nice as well. I keep hoping Shell will put in their own brand at their locations like in Europe.

Be the way, how odd would it be if inyokern comes on before Coso?

Thanks Dan. Chomping at the bit here to get out and into the mountains. We did our annual windmill-wildflower walk last Saturday in Tehachapi on the PCT. Officially cancelled, five of us did it--and it was the most spectacular wildflower display we've seen in 30 years--maybe ever. Drove the Bolt from Bako and returned with 50.5% charge. ;) Great 6.5 mile hike--and plenty far enough. We were tired puppies when we got down.

Paul
 
paulgipe said:
Thanks Dan. Chomping at the bit here to get out and into the mountains. We did our annual windmill-wildflower walk last Saturday in Tehachapi on the PCT. Officially cancelled, five of us did it--and it was the most spectacular wildflower display we've seen in 30 years--maybe ever. Drove the Bolt from Bako and returned with 50.5% charge. ;) Great 6.5 mile hike--and plenty far enough. We were tired puppies when we got down.

Paul


I was able to get an update. I re-sent my email to the CA POC and he responded, so maybe he just missed my email last time. It happens.
Was hoping for more info on why a lot of sites are waiting for transformers but he did not know.

See his response:

Good afternoon,



Here are quick updates on ChargePoint sites in your area:

Victorville Motel 6 & 154 Diner: activated and publicly available (4/27)

Yermo Eddie’s World: activated and publicly available (5/14)

Barstow Loves Travel Stop: energized and undergoing final testing

Tehachapi Denny’s: awaiting SCE for utility work

Mojave Denny’s: in progress to re-submit permit package

Inyokern Brady’s Mobil: awaiting permit release, anticipate to start construction in mid-June.



On your question about SCE, all I can say is that I really don’t know what the situation is. As you can see, some sites in the area have been activated and had SCE complete work, while others are still in the “queue”. I have heard from our multiple grant recipients that all the IOUs were giving EV charger installations a lower priority amid the pandemic. Some will not do initial site walks right now and they have delayed energization dates. With many shelter in places being lifted, the hope is that things can get back to normal and back on track.



The only other item I can think of, but truly do not know how it plays is that ChargePoint originally had a site located at the Chevron in Kramer Junction. SCE told ChargePoint after multiple months of design work on the site that the nearby SCE substation (literally about 500ft away) was at max capacity and that it could not support new DCFC power requests. SCE noted they would need to, and plan to, expand that substation to support growth. They also said that this is likely a multi-year expansion. Now I don’t know if that would impact other chargers along 395 or not (Inyokern, Coso Junction, etc). As I mentioned, sites have been activated in Barstow (ChargePoint and EA) and in Mojave (EA), but maybe they are attached to other substations.



I am sorry I could not provide more useful information. ChargePoint hopes to have their chargers done this year, but the utility side plays a large role on that as you know and have seen.



Thank you,



Brian Fauble

California Energy Commission
 
Work finally lifted a restriction keeping me in town so I am going to Friday - in a week - to get my Nissan Leaf Serviced in Palmdale. I will check out the Denny's in Mojave and I will TRY the new chargers in Palmdale near Target. I have to get nearly a full charge to get home, might as well be there.
Based on the email reply I am thinking nothing has been done yet if they are still working the permit at Mojave Denny's but I'll check anyway.

Tomorrow I'll do my weekly check at Inyokern. Saturday or Sunday I plan to go hiking again in Horseshoe area so I'll do a quick check of the two locations at Coso Junction.
 
I stopped at Coso Junction briefly on my way up to Horseshoe on Sunday. Not surprisingly nothing has changed. I'll be going through there all summer though so I'll keep checking.
 
On my way to my dealer and back today in Palmdale I charged at three locations and checked Denny's in Mojave.

Charged at a Honda dealer Chargepoint, a new Chargepoint in Palmdale near Target, and tried the EA in Mojave for the first time. All three charges were quite easy and seamless and worked quickly first time, using the Chargepoint and EA apps. I hate having to have all these Apps but they do seem to work fast and better.

I really like the location of the new Chargepoint in Palmdale at Target and near Best Buy. The EA in Mojave worked greet but is expensive. Biggest problem is my poor little Leaf's battery was getting hot at over 123F, so charging slow. No sign of any work at the Denny's in Mojave. That matches thee recent email which indicated they ere still doing permitting there. Did not check Inyokern as II was tired from thee trip. I will check that tomorrow.
 
Checked on my way to and back from a backpack trip on Coso Junction EA and a quick look at Brady's - no new work that i could see at Coso junction nor any work yet at Brady's.

Sorry!
 
paulgipe said:
pathetic is all i can say.

pg

I wouldn't be too surprised if the Inyokern comes online next, maybe long before EA at Coso. Inyokern looks like it just needs one transformer but everything else is in place. EA at Coso has a big open pit and looks to be missing more than just a transformer, and that pit needing conduit and who-knows-what has been there for a year. No idea on the Caltrans Coso site - just as the company said, they only did the prep work and someone else would install the charger, which was still missing. What company has been doing other Caltrans chargers?
 
https://www.envisionsolar.com/

Envision solar has done Camp Roberts and Shandon Caltran's 30-30 single CP 50 kW solar-powered stations. The CP's are downgraded to 30 kW but work. I've used one of the two Camp Roberts stations and it worked great for us allowing us to bypass Paso Robles and drive directly back to Bako.

Paul
 
paulgipe said:
https://www.envisionsolar.com/

Envision solar has done Camp Roberts and Shandon Caltran's 30-30 single CP 50 kW solar-powered stations. The CP's are downgraded to 30 kW but work. I've used one of the two Camp Roberts stations and it worked great for us allowing us to bypass Paso Robles and drive directly back to Bako.

Paul

Ok, yes, I think I saw those or similar on Eric's you-tube reviews of charge stations. Those are a cool idea. But I think these here are hardwired so it could be any company? I saw no sign of solar at Coso and that would seem unseeded if across the street is an EA.

I'll do a drive by again this weekend of Inyokern. One of these days...
 
While I haven't been by yet this year, Plugshare reports indicate that the CEC Chargepoint 2 QC site in Groveland hasn't made any progress since last fall either, despite the QC and L2 stalls having been in place since then. They could blame the winter and then Covid for the lack of progress there, but they can't use winter as an excuse along the southern parts of 395. It's damned frustrating to see these sites just sit there when they're so essential.
 
GRA said:
While I haven't been by yet this year, Plugshare reports indicate that the CEC Chargepoint 2 QC site in Groveland hasn't made any progress since last fall either, despite the QC and L2 stalls having been in place since then. They could blame the winter and then Covid for the lack of progress there, but they can't use winter as an excuse along the southern parts of 395. It's damned frustrating to see these sites just sit there when they're so essential.

I remember last summer it was because of wildfire mitigation, this last winter I don't know, then Covid, now it could be wild fires again.
I find it odd that the same crews that trim trees - wildfire mitigation - would be the ones to install a transformer.

The bottom line is that either they are waiting on physical work by SCE or for the transformers - but I doubt SCE build the transformers themselves?


Inyokern seems to be waiting on a transformer, much like Tehachapi was for awhile. But EA at Coso seems to have a big open pit where conduit still must be done, so that seems like its waiting on more than just a transformer. Caltrans at Coso is waiting for potentially both a transformer but also for the actual charger. The company that did the Caltrans site at Coso told me they don't install the charger and that would happen by someone else at a later date. I'm kind of hoping its charge-point, I'd had the best luck with their sites. The two new sites at Denny's in Mojave are probably stills stuck in permitting as I saw nothing a few weeks ago on a drive by. Guessing the same for Brady's in Inyokern. I also wouldn't be shocked if Brady's turned out to be unsuitable. One of the back-up locations for Inyokern was near the Burger place and Tesla - which to me would actually be the best location anyway, so maybe we will get lucky on that! With all the delay, we have to get lucky eventually....
 
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