New California Corridor Fast Chargers Installed

[user 340]

I really can't believe I still can't drive to Oregon on fast chargers. What a sad and slow rollout by the state considering that the Oregon and Washington I5 Fast Charge Electric Highway was completed years ago. That being said, when we get the fast chargers to Tahoe up and running, and the ones in Monterey, I will feel a lot more confident driving around Northern California.

The California Energy Commission (CEC) couldn't be bothered to spend money on fast chargers along transportation corridors until they made 2 significant awards this year. In 2015 and earlier they were spending money on things they thought were more important: L2 and a limited number of DCFCs within but not between regions. Oh, and $60M for Hydrogen fueling stations in 2013 - 2015 (along with another $20M this year IIRC).

The existing EVgo DCFCs and the Drive the ARC DCFCs that are now coming online were funded by resources outside of the CEC.

You can call or write the CEC transportation commissioner (Janea Scott) if you want to express your opinion on this: http://www.energy.ca.gov/commissioners/scott.html

 

[evdrive]

Thanks tgreen, I'll write her a letter.

Happy New Year EV drivers!

 

[miimura]

An update was posted by the CEC in the form of an Addendum to the Localized Health Impacts Report for the GFO-15-601 North South Corridors grant. 3 ChargePoint sites on I-5 were moved - all to equivalent or better locations as far as I'm concerned. I previously complained about the Grapevine site (Countryside Ct. Lebec) since it was at an exit where there were very few services. That site has been moved to Wheeler Ridge directly across the street from the Tejon Ranch Tesla Supercharger on Dennis McCarthy Drive. The other Lebec site has been moved one more exit down the road and is now directly across the freeway from the EVRUS site in Gorman. The Valencia site has been moved much closer to the freeway.

Once again, here is the link to my interactive map of these sites with the three sites above updated.

CEC DC Fast Charge Sites Map

Also, one more reminder. ChargePoint confirmed that they will be installing their Express Plus system chargers at these sites. That should be a minimum of 156 amps per charger and when pairs of chargers are installed, one can steal power from 78 amp modules in the other charger if they aren't being used.

 

[swogee]

With regards the Chargepoint Express plus chargers, the output of each of the units depends on what the particular configuration of the unit is since they are modular. Each of the power modules puts out 31.25 kW, so the output will depend on the number of the power modules in each unit and if there are additional modules to be shared between units (or if they are even setup that way). Did Chargepoint specify the configuration (number of power modules, connection for sharing of the power, and/or use of a power cube) of the Express Plus units they were planning on installing? I'm investigating the units for use at several locations and the input power required at the full 400 kW output level is quite substantial.

I do look forward to the higher output of the units though, and it will be interesting to see what the power input level will be on our RAV4 EV's.

 

[user 340]

@miimura: Thanks for making and sharing your map and for posting the info about the ChargePoint Express Plus chargers.

 

[TonyWilliams]

It looks like they came on short on those modules, because at 78 amps each, 5 modules come up a wee bit short of the 400 amps they advertise.

 

[miimura]

It looks like they came on short on those modules, because at 78 amps each, 5 modules come up a wee bit short of the 400 amps they advertise.

Really, Tony, 390 amps isn't enough? I don't think they can push over 312 amps without the Power Cube included in the installation. I think it will be a while before we see those in public. They also said that the cooled cables were only good for over 350 amps for a short time anyway. The one thing I do like is that 400 VDC cars are not power limited at all, only current limited.

 

[miimura]

With regards the Chargepoint Express plus chargers, the output of each of the units depends on what the particular configuration of the unit is since they are modular. Each of the power modules puts out 31.25 kW, so the output will depend on the number of the power modules in each unit and if there are additional modules to be shared between units (or if they are even setup that way). Did Chargepoint specify the configuration (number of power modules, connection for sharing of the power, and/or use of a power cube) of the Express Plus units they were planning on installing? I'm investigating the units for use at several locations and the input power required at the full 400 kW output level is quite substantial.

I do look forward to the higher output of the units though, and it will be interesting to see what the power input level will be on our RAV4 EV's.

I suppose I should temper my enthusiasm a little. The I-5 corridor is only specified to have one DCFC, so that would likely be the Express 250 which is a single standalone 62.5kW pedestal, with the specified expansion potential of an additional 125kW. Hopefully they get used a lot and get expanded quickly. That is the whole string from Sacramento to LA with sites in:

Lathrop
Santa Nella
Coalinga
Buttonwillow
Wheeler Ridge
Gorman
Valencia

all with only 1 DCFC. Hmmmm. Maybe not so excited... Now we wait to see what Recargo is going to install on the 101 corridor.

 

[TonyWilliams]

It looks like they came on short on those modules, because at 78 amps each, 5 modules come up a wee bit short of the 400 amps they advertise.

Really, Tony, 390 amps isn't enough? I don't think they can push over 312 amps without the Power Cube included in the installation. I think it will be a while before we see those in public. They also said that the cooled cables were only good for over 350 amps for a short time anyway. The one thing I do like is that 400 VDC cars are not power limited at all, only current limited.

Well, I'm regularly using 365 amps right now, so I'd like more.

But my point was that they advertised "400kW = 400a * 1000v"

 

[miimura]

I haven't updated this thread in a while. Several NRG sites have opened, some of which were spotted earlier in this thread but were not open yet.

The Dunes Center at Monterey in Marina California that was spotted in November 2016 finally opened in mid-April 2017.
https://api.plugshare.com/view/location/99329

Getting to Tahoe from the Bay Area is now easier. Starting with US-50 we have two new sites.
Raley's Placerville - https://api.plugshare.com/view/location/116936
Pines Shopping Center - https://api.plugshare.com/view/location/99598

I-80 also a new site in Colfax.
Public Parking Colfax - https://api.plugshare.com/view/location/116660

All three of these sites are NRG and DriveTheArc. They consist to a pair of BTC 100 amp chargers that have CCS and CHAdeMO connectors. I believe that in order for the DriveTheArc app to work properly and give you a free charge on the CHAdeMO connector, you have to let it track your location and you have to set your SOC at the start of your trip and maybe before charging too. I haven't had the chance to try it out.

 

[miimura]

The California Energy Commission staff released a new Localized Health Impacts Report Addendum to the GFO-15-601 North-South Corridors grant. ChargePoint moved eight of their sites, mostly within a few hundred yards of the originally proposed sites. The only exception is that they moved the Lathrop site to the north end of Stockton. Here are the specific changes.

I have also updated the addresses in the custom Google map I created.

CEC DC Fast Charge Sites

 

[miimura]

The lack of new corridor fast charging sites this late-Spring and early Summer has been quite depressing. The only action has been on the Drive-the-Arc sites on I-80 between San Francisco and Truckee. I hesitate to even include the two active ones because they're not really corridor chargers since they're in what I consider to be the metro Bay Area. At least the Fairfield one covers a gap between Vallejo and Vacaville that was only served by the Nissan dealer.

Active:
Sprouts, Pinole - Two BTC chargers
Walmart Supercenter, Fairfield - Two BTC chargers

Installed but uncommissioned:
Dutch Flat 76 - Two BTC chargers
Nyack Shell, Emigrant Gap - Four BTC chargers

I'm really hoping we will see something from the North-South Corridor grants (I-5 and US-101) soon.

 

[user 340]

The lack of new corridor fast charging sites this late-Spring and early Summer has been quite depressing.

That is disappointing but maybe not too surprising. I was assuming that the CEC-funded chargers would show up about 2 years after the awards, having them materialize between the spring and fall of 2018. I'm sure that having the state involved only slows things down (like the process for slightly relocating a planned charger, like the ones you alerted us to above).

 

[miimura]

One more update that is of minimal usefulness, but I thought it was interesting:

EVRUS has installed stations on the Central Coast. These are the same 25kW CHAdeMO-only units that they have installed on I-5 and CA-99.
Travelodge Santa Maria
Embassy Suites Lompoc
Sideways Inn Buellton

Also on the Central Coast, Coast Nissan in San Luis Obispo has installed a BTC fast charger. The Plugshare listing does not include CCS, so they may have left off the CCS connector. The fee is unknown, possibly free. It's also much closer to the freeway than the EVgo site.

 

[swogee]

I noticed the new L3 chargers in Santa Maria and Lompoc back in June. Given the pricing to use them I will only use them when absolutely necessary, although it is nice to have L3 chargers in Lompoc/Santa Maria as backups. When I had to drive to Lompoc earlier this year for soccer games it was necessary to make a side trip further south to Buellton to use the L3 charger there in order to be able to make it back to SLO since the only L3 chargers in northern Santa Barbara County were in Buellton and Santa Ynez.

Coast Nissan had been promising to put in an L3 charging station since 2015 (when I spoke to the GM), but it never appeared until this year. I'm not sure how friendly they are towards non-Nissan EV's though. The lack of a CCS plug is interesting though since they are also a BMW dealer which sells EV's that use the CCS standard.

 

[miimura]

I doubt Coast Nissan left off the CCS connector, but there are no pictures on Plugshare to confirm or deny. I'm assuming that the entry is just not accurate since it appears that it's not networked.

 

[swogee]

It appears that two new L3 chargers are going into Hollister at a Lucky's grocery store. Here's the link on plugshare. I'm not sure when they will be completed. They are on the EVGO network. Here's the link:

https://api.plugshare.com/view/location/121731

This will make possible to avoid the Bay Area when going up to Sacramento from SLO, but it will be necessary to take SR-99 instead of I-5 since there isn't a decent L3 charger until Tracy which is still off the I-5. There are EVRUS/EV EXpress units (at 25 kW) along I-5 but since the cost is quite high ($0.59/kWh+$2.95 service fee) and they are single units it still makes it dicey along I-5.

On a side note I'm still trying to find a way to get to Yosemite from SLO along SR-41. The biggest stretch is from Paso Robles to the L3 charger in Fresno at the Fashion Fair Mall. It's about 115 miles from Paso Robles to Fresno with a climb over SR-41 into the Central Valley. An L3 charger in Kettleman City would be just the ticket. It's 88 miles from Fresno to Yosemite Valley so a stop to charge in Oakdale for 1 to 2 hours at an L2 charger might be needed. A full charge from Paso Robles would also be needed so 1.5 hours at an L2 there would be required. It's much easier getting from the Bay Area to Yosemite it seems.

 

[miimura]

It appears that two new L3 chargers are going into Hollister at a Lucky's grocery store. Here's the link on plugshare. I'm not sure when they will be completed. They are on the EVGO network. Here's the link:

https://api.plugshare.com/view/location/121731

This will make possible to avoid the Bay Area when going up to Sacramento from SLO, but it will be necessary to take SR-99 instead of I-5 since there isn't a decent L3 charger until Tracy which is still off the I-5. There are EVRUS/EV EXpress units (at 25 kW) along I-5 but since the cost is quite high ($0.59/kWh+$2.95 service fee) and they are single units it still makes it dicey along I-5.

On a side note I'm still trying to find a way to get to Yosemite from SLO along SR-41. The biggest stretch is from Paso Robles to the L3 charger in Fresno at the Fashion Fair Mall. It's about 115 miles from Paso Robles to Fresno with a climb over SR-41 into the Central Valley. An L3 charger in Kettleman City would be just the ticket. It's 88 miles from Fresno to Yosemite Valley so a stop to charge in Oakdale for 1 to 2 hours at an L2 charger might be needed. A full charge from Paso Robles would also be needed so 1.5 hours at an L2 there would be required. It's much easier getting from the Bay Area to Yosemite it seems.

There will eventually be CEC funded chargers by Recargo in Paso Robles and ChargePoint in Lemoore, which is about 40% of the way from Kettleman City to Fresno on 41. Those chargers should be about 83 miles apart via 46 and 41.

 

[swogee]

I suppose the big question will be when the the L3 chargers in Paso Robles and Lemoore will be operational. It seems that that they aren't in a big hurry to get the units installed and operational. Did the CEC specify an operational date? Maybe I'll have a longer range EV by then. It's too bad the CALTRANS L3 chargers projects got stopped. We were planing for one in Shandon and in King City.

 

[miimura]

The Dutch Flat EVgo / DriveTheArc site is finally open with two BTC 100 amp fast chargers.

Dutch Flat 76 Station

The next site up I-80 in Emigrant Gap has 4 fast chargers already installed at the Nyack Shell station, but it is not operational yet.