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

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By the way, you can find all the latest documents for the CEC project here. Looks like a new addendum was just published but I didn't see any changes in my area since #4.


https://ww2.energy.ca.gov/2016publications/CEC-600-2016-008/
 
Dan, Guy,

Just got notification that EA Coso Junction is live! Someone else got notification too and on PlugShare said they were going up to Mammoth and plan to use it.

I'd love to get up to Horseshoe Meadow but that's too far to Coso to chance it without confirmation that it works. That's a godforsaken place to get stuck if its dead.

At any rate seems like very good news. ;)

Paul
 
paulgipe said:
Dan, Guy,

Just got notification that EA Coso Junction is live! Someone else got notification too and on PlugShare said they were going up to Mammoth and plan to use it.

I'd love to get up to Horseshoe Meadow but that's too far to Coso to chance it without confirmation that it works. That's a godforsaken place to get stuck if its dead.

At any rate seems like very good news. ;)

Paul

That's so strange it literally was still just the same pit with the fence around it five days ago when i went by for my backpack. I can check it out this weekend.

But my EA app shows them as available.

District 9 responded to me and said:
Thank you for contacting us. Unfortunately, this project is still in suspension. We are waiting for some partner agencies to finish their work before we’ll be able to proceed.
 
We did a road trip in our outback yesterday to see fall color in the eastern sierra. Checked out several chargers along the way - checked both rest stops for the Cal-trans sites, the rest stop at Coso Junction and the rest stop at division creek past Independence.

Both appear almost the same as last time. I did notice some new boxes installed but neither has the actual charger, which is an important part! Last email I received from Cal-trans said a different company was doing that at a later date, so that wait continues.

I meant to check for the Cal-trans station in Bishop, but with the traffic I couldn't look over to see it, at the Caltrans headquarters there where it is suppose to be.


I also eyed Brady's in passing at the junction of 14 and 395, looking for that Charge-point station. No work there yet. I have convinced myself that they will put out a CEC update Addendum sometime announcing another location change, maybe this time it can actually be IN Inyokern where amenities are! I know they had backup sites in case the primary sites failed - actually the primary was Robber's Roost, but they had multiple backups. Just put it near the Tesla chargers and the burger place!
 
Quick update on this thread: No updates to report.

LOL

Ok, seriously I have not seen any changes myself at Coso and looking at plushare nothing else. It looks like most if not all of the D9 Caltrans sites are waiting on Chargers to be installed.
 
Guy,
Yeah, they're all up and running. Single units, 50 kW, but they've been working and people have been using them. We hope to get up the East Side in August. We're still exploring the Kern Plateau and we can do that from Bako.
Paul
 
Paul, where do you enter from? What kind of elevation do you get to? I've only entered Sequoia/Kings Canyon from the west a couple of times (for a Natural History class in 2003), and those were just day hikes in Mineral King and up Bubbs Creek. I'm generally heading for the crest (I'm happiest at and above timberline), so east side entries are shorter if steeper. I'm thinking I'd better get my trips in as early as possible this year, as I expect the fire season to be even worse than 2020. I was planning to do Shasta again, until I saw on the webcam that there was less snow high on the mountain on April 27th than there was in a screenshot I took last July 15th :shock: Here's what the south and west side looks like now, essentially bare: https://sc.snowcrest.net/index.php/snowcam

I'll happily pass on toiling up 6,000 vertical feet of loose scree, dodging rockfall as I go.
 
paulgipe said:
Guy,
Yeah, they're all up and running. Single units, 50 kW, but they've been working and people have been using them. We hope to get up the East Side in August. We're still exploring the Kern Plateau and we can do that from Bako.
Paul

One thing I have noticed is that someone is labeling the Caltrans units as 100 kW on plugshare, but obviously they are not. I'm not sure why that is occurring.
 
danrjones said:
paulgipe said:
Guy,
Yeah, they're all up and running. Single units, 50 kW, but they've been working and people have been using them. We hope to get up the East Side in August. We're still exploring the Kern Plateau and we can do that from Bako.
Paul

One thing I have noticed is that someone is labeling the Caltrans units as 100 kW on plugshare, but obviously they are not. I'm not sure why that is occurring.

They're 100 Amp, not 100 kW. The Caltrans person who uploaded the data got it wrong and hasn't bothered to correct it. To my knowledge we can correct it ourselves but editing it on PlugShare. Then PlugShare will update the listing. Can you try one or all of them Dan? I've done it before for other stations.

Paul
 
paulgipe said:
danrjones said:
paulgipe said:
Guy,
Yeah, they're all up and running. Single units, 50 kW, but they've been working and people have been using them. We hope to get up the East Side in August. We're still exploring the Kern Plateau and we can do that from Bako.
Paul

One thing I have noticed is that someone is labeling the Caltrans units as 100 kW on plugshare, but obviously they are not. I'm not sure why that is occurring.

They're 100 Amp, not 100 kW. The Caltrans person who uploaded the data got it wrong and hasn't bothered to correct it. To my knowledge we can correct it ourselves but editing it on PlugShare. Then PlugShare will update the listing. Can you try one or all of them Dan? I've done it before for other stations.

Paul

Sure, can do.
 
paulgipe said:
I just tried to edit the one in Bakersfield. PlugShare has changed the process but I sent in a "remark."

Paul

Paul, All:

I was able to get another update from our mayor. He had a few interesting things and I'll share below what he told me. As with everything, there have been delays. Not unexpected. Here is what he told me:

So slow progress as we are waiting for the next round of the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District Grant program to open up (early 2022). Not sure how to put it but pressure is being applied to both the City of Ridgecrest and the RACVB to implement EV charging stations. I think the City will be first to act as we have been negotiating with BEAM ( beamforall.com) to put freestanding solar units.


Casino is not dead yet and if they move forward, I too will be pressuring them.


So as for the credit union, the project got tied up in permitting due to ADA issues with the parking spot. Learned a lot in the process and that is certainly a big part of the hesitancy for people to put them in. In retrospect, if we had abandoned the EV charger or solar project would be done. So, bureaucracy strikes again.

Eric A. Bruen
Mayor – City of Ridgecrest
Ph: (760) 977-7090
 
Thanks Dan. You may have seen my check in on Plugshare about our experience at EV Connect at the airport. Ended up at Brady's. We still got a good meal in Ridgecrest but we didn't get to Le Reve as a result. Couldn't turn off the CP at Brady's had to use the disconnect on the plug. It works. The screen on the kiosk is already sun damaged. Needs sun protection.

Paul
 
paulgipe said:
Thanks Dan. You may have seen my check in on Plugshare about our experience at EV Connect at the airport. Ended up at Brady's. We still got a good meal in Ridgecrest but we didn't get to Le Reve as a result. Couldn't turn off the CP at Brady's had to use the disconnect on the plug. It works. The screen on the kiosk is already sun damaged. Needs sun protection.

Paul

I did, and I saw you had issues with the airport. Not sure which cell provider you have - usually ATT or Verizon work well in our remote area.

But I didn't realize you had issues at Brady's. It literally wouldn't shut off? I haven't seen that issue myself. Very strange.
All those screens - EV connect or Chargepoint - have issues out here in the Sun. I'm waiting to see if rivian copied Tesla and went without a screen. But you will be forced to use an app.

I am probably daydreaming but I do really hope Tesla converts their V2s and opens those up. Even their 4 stall V2 in Inyokern would be huge.

I'll keep things updated, just hasn't been much to update.

On a personal note, I planned to trade in my 2018 Leaf back in Oct or Nov but so far neither the Ioniq 5 nor the Etron Q4 are on sale... so we wait. Either of those should give me a huge range and charging speed boost. Allowing use to places I simply can't get to right now.
 
danrjones said:
On a personal note, I planned to trade in my 2018 Leaf back in Oct or Nov but so far neither the Ioniq 5 nor the Etron Q4 are on sale... so we wait. Either of those should give me a huge range and charging speed boost. Allowing use to places I simply can't get to right now.

Audi salewoman today told me that depending on what I ordered, it would be 6 to 10 months until expected delivery.

You can order a Q4 today.
 
WetEV said:
danrjones said:
On a personal note, I planned to trade in my 2018 Leaf back in Oct or Nov but so far neither the Ioniq 5 nor the Etron Q4 are on sale... so we wait. Either of those should give me a huge range and charging speed boost. Allowing use to places I simply can't get to right now.

Audi salewoman today told me that depending on what I ordered, it would be 6 to 10 months until expected delivery.

You can order a Q4 today.

Very interesting. I talked to two dealers and they both promised to contact me with information, but have not done so.

So much for winter 2021 delivery.
 
WetEV said:
danrjones said:
On a personal note, I planned to trade in my 2018 Leaf back in Oct or Nov but so far neither the Ioniq 5 nor the Etron Q4 are on sale... so we wait. Either of those should give me a huge range and charging speed boost. Allowing use to places I simply can't get to right now.

Audi salewoman today told me that depending on what I ordered, it would be 6 to 10 months until expected delivery.

You can order a Q4 today.

One of the two dealers near me just emailed me back. No offer to pre order. See below.

I apologize, I tried to email you last week but it must not have gone through!

The Q4 E-Tron has been delayed until March-April unfortunately.

I will let you know as soon as I have more information!
 
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