Grant awarded California Tahoe/Truckee EV Planning

[Incredulocious]

Just saw this by way of the MyNissanLeaf forum:

The California Energy Commission has approved a $200,000 grant for the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency to create a Plug-In Electric Vehicle Readiness Plan for the Tahoe-Truckee Region.

http://evnewsreport.com/grant-awarded-for-tahoe-truckee-electric-vehicle-readiness-plan/30447/

 

[4min]

Great to see this happening, but it's still a bummer that it's only some planning work, that's going to start in 6 months. Outcome is probably around 2 years away. I hope somebody will put a few more CHADEMOs in between Peninsula and Tahoe before that.

 

[miimura]

The last DCFC between the Bay Area and North Lake Tahoe on I-80 is in Rocklin. To make it in a Leaf, you would need a DCFC in Colfax and Emigrant Gap. The RAV4 EV with Jdemo would only need Emigrant Gap.
Similar story on US 50 to South Lake Tahoe. The last non-dealer DCFC is SMUD HQ in Sacramento. Good spacing would be Placerville, and Kyburz to make it to Stateline, NV.

 

[Incredulocious]

The last DCFC between the Bay Area and North Lake Tahoe on I-80 is in Rocklin. To make it in a Leaf, you would need a DCFC in Colfax and Emigrant Gap. The RAV4 EV with Jdemo would only need Emigrant Gap.

With JDeMO, I was rather hoping to be able to only have to stop at Rocklin to get to Truckee. I haven't tried it yet but it's just 70 miles from Rocklin to Donner Summit (albeit mostly climbing) and of course downhill from there to Truckee.

 

[miimura]

The last DCFC between the Bay Area and North Lake Tahoe on I-80 is in Rocklin. To make it in a Leaf, you would need a DCFC in Colfax and Emigrant Gap. The RAV4 EV with Jdemo would only need Emigrant Gap.

With JDeMO, I was rather hoping to be able to only have to stop at Rocklin to get to Truckee. I haven't tried it yet but it's just 70 miles from Rocklin to Donner Summit (albeit mostly climbing) and of course downhill from there to Truckee.

Sure, it's only 70 miles, but you have to climb 7,000 feet from Rocklin to Donner Summit. That climbing will consume an additional 50 miles of range. 120 range miles sounds sketchy to me, especially in winter and especially when you want to charge fast with DCFC without waiting for the battery to be completely full. Once you make it over the summit, you won't have any trouble covering the last 9 miles to Truckee.

Emigrant Gap is at about 5,200 feet, so it is approximately 35 range miles (21 driving miles and 14 elevation miles) short of the summit.

This is assuming the approximation of 7 range miles per 1,000 feet of net elevation increase. I got elevations from Wikipedia.
Rocklin: 249 ft
Emigrant: 5,200 ft
Donner: 7,240 ft

 

[Luckyduckie]

This is the main reason why I've been on the fence about getting the Jdemo; can't make it to Tahoe or Yosemite with current DCFC locations!

 

[Incredulocious]

With JDeMO, I was rather hoping to be able to only have to stop at Rocklin to get to Truckee. I haven't tried it yet but it's just 70 miles from Rocklin to Donner Summit (albeit mostly climbing) and of course downhill from there to Truckee.

Sure, it's only 70 miles, but you have to climb 7,000 feet from Rocklin to Donner Summit. That climbing will consume an additional 50 miles of range.
This is assuming the approximation of 7 range miles per 1,000 feet of net elevation increase.

Well, I look forward to getting my JDeMO and trying it! It'll be easy enough to turn around and come back down if it looks like I won't have enough to reach the summit. My only experience with dealing with elevation changes is frequently climbing over highway 17 (only 1800 ft) to get home - about 3 or 4 bars of charge on the RAV4 or my old LEAF.

As it is, getting to Tahoe will require an earlier stop somewhere around Vacaville (112 miles from here near Santa Cruz). As a second stop, Auburn has lots of dining options (65 miles from Vacaville). Colfax is 80 miles from Vacaville but maybe that would be pushing it with the elevation gain, cold temps and 85% charge.

 

[Incredulocious]

It'll be easy enough to turn around and come back down if it looks like I won't have enough to reach the summit.

Oh hey, perusing PlugShare on I-80 leading to Tahoe again, I see there's a set of 14-50 outlets at Cisco Grove RV Park in Soda Springs. That will be handy for that little extra to make it to the top... though of course it'll mean charging for an hour or more.

 

[Michael Bornstein]

I've looked at Plugshare and don't see this campsite listed. I went to their website " www.ciscogrove.com " and they do claim to have full electrical hookups. It would be nice if someone can go there or at least call them to see what they have, and then list them on Plugshare.

 

[miimura]

If you just want a little more buffer after charging in Rocklin, there is a free Clipper Creek CS-40 at the Colfax Amtrak station. I would definitely call ahead before relying on any of the RV parks on the way.

 

[Michael Bornstein]

Again not shown on Plugshare. If you have seen these stations, please get them listed.

On my last trip to Maui I listed two chargers at hotels that were not previously shown. Listing them helps everybody.

 

[miimura]

Again not shown on Plugshare. If you have seen these stations, please get them listed.

On my last trip to Maui I listed two chargers at hotels that were not previously shown. Listing them helps everybody.

Are you talking about Colfax? I've never been there and I only know about it from Plugshare. Check your Plugshare settings.

 

[Michael Bornstein]

Mea Culpa

Tried a different computer and both the Amtrak and the Chevy dealer came up.

Still don't know why my iPhone and the other PC don't show it.

 

[Incredulocious]

Mea Culpa

Tried a different computer and both the Amtrak and the Chevy dealer came up.

Still don't know why my iPhone and the other PC don't show it.

Just check your filter settings more closely: look at what kinds of sites you're excluding from the displayed results.

 

[Michael Bornstein]

Now that I got Plugshare working right, I find that with JdeMO I can drive to Sacramento, and possibly on to Tahoe:

Bakersfield to Visalia Nissan is 75 miles
Visalia Nissan to Fresno Fashion Fair Mall is 49 miles
Fresno to Merced (Atwater) Applegate Plaza is 62 miles
======If I am brave like Tony, Visalia to Merced is 107 miles
Merced to Stockton Nissan is 66 miles
Stocton to Sacramento Nissan is 44 miles
====== Merced to Downtown Sacramento is 108 miles

Therefore I can get to Sacramento with only 4 stops to suck juice. If I am brave, I can do it with only two stops, Visalia and Merced, I just don't like to see the 18-wheelers pass me when I am going 55 mph in a 65 zone

Now if only I can get those nice Nissan dealers to let me use their chargers :lol:

The JdeMO will truly open up a whole new world.

 

[Michael Bornstein]

I am surprised that there are no comments. :?

This summer there are supposed to DCFC's installed at Santa Clarita and at the Outlets at Tejon. It is 101 miles from the outlets to Visalia Nissan, all flat or partly downhill. If worst comes to worst, Bakersfield Nissan is just off CA-99.

This means that anyone with a JdeMO can travel from San Diego/LA to Sacramento and possibly Tajoe.

Time to say Hosannah.