EV (electric vehicle) News & Discussion

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517 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1947862 28-Jan-2018 15:50

PhantomNVD:

This is Takinini at 4:30 on a Saturday (yesterday) when I brought my leaf to charge and saw another THREE lined up for the single CHaDmo cable that Vector provides (free) here.

I have to agree with the lack of foresight shown. Single chargers put in are generally all that is needed right now, but it isn't going to take long before they are woefully inadequate. I've charged at Takanini, there was a Leaf plugged in but at 100% so I unplugged it and plugged my Leaf in, when I got back to my car there was a Leaf beside mine and a note asking me to plug them in when I was done, naturally I obliged. It looks like Takanini really needs 2 CHAdeMO chargers right now, but maybe it will need 4 within a couple of years.

At least Tesla tends to put 4 charging stations in when they build a Supercharger, that is good forward thinking.

Originally I thought that the chargers were capable of charging 2 cars at once, but when I went to use one I realised that even with a CHAdeMo and CCS car there was no way of charging both at once. There are two cables but they can't be used at the same time, the charger can only deliver 50kW in total so only one car at a time can be charged. I'm hoping that the charging points can be increased relatively easily and that where there is one they could quickly enough put another in if the usage levels prove to be enough to justify it. I do think that over the next 5 years we will see very large growth in the numbers of EVs on the roads in NZ.

Currently, the 40kWh cars available are most likely capable for most motorists, but it will take 60kWh cars to provide the range that most motorists THINK they need. In 2019 there will be multiple models available with 60kWh batteries that can run ~360km on a charge, I think that a lot of motorists will see that as being worth considering. I could drive from the Waikato to Wellington with just one stop if I had 60kWh of battery storage and I would want to make a stop anyway because that would be a long drive and I'd get hungry and need to drain my bladder and stretch my legs. If we had 25,000 EVs on the road in 2 years time then there would be a lot more EVs that might need to use a fast charger.

Aredwood

3885 posts

Uber Geek

#1947889 28-Jan-2018 16:21

Seems like they need to convert those chargers to require payment for charging. Otherwise people who need to use that charger to continue their journey will be forced to wait.

And some of the people using that charger will have the means to charge at home. But will be using the public charger just to save money on their power bill. Which will get worse when vehicle to home becomes common. As some people will use their EVs as their primary house power source instead of grid power.

Considering that EV numbers are still low as a % of the total vehicle fleet, the number of public chargers will need to massively increase if people are going to be using public charging in preference to home charging. And using public chargers as a source of free power for their homes.

I see free public charging going the same way as Net metered solar power. Those who got in early got lucky, but some people abused it. So it got removed.

afe66

3181 posts

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#1947896 28-Jan-2018 16:37

MarkH67:
afe66: In dunedin the answer is nothing...as there is uncertainty over who has power and whether they want to do anything.

. . . and then the council realise that their parking wardens can generate more income and they pass a bylaw setting a fine of $120 for illegally parking a fossil fuel burner in an EV charging space and the wardens start dishing out tickets to the iceholes!

Council owned the subleased to third party who runs the park.

So third party not seem to care as ice car is paying for slot vrs it being not occupied so ev can come round to use it.

Ring council and it's the third party people's problem. Ring third party people, it's the councils problem. Round and round etc.

Not helped by being prime car parking location just near town hall, movie theatres etc.

cokemaster

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#1947901 28-Jan-2018 17:37

I likewise see @Aredwood's point. I do wonder the economics of offering 'free charging', even at the shopping malls.

I'd like to think the model makes sense for regular chargers who also shop, do supermarket shopping, have lunch and then leave... but I do see the odd EV owner who will camp in their car or wonder out of the shopping mall.

I wonder if its economical to offer a slower charging AC service on a per kwh basis?

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MarkH67

517 posts

Ultimate Geek

#1947909 28-Jan-2018 17:56

afe66:

Council owned the subleased to third party who runs the park.

So third party not seem to care as ice car is paying for slot vrs it being not occupied so ev can come round to use it.

Ring council and it's the third party people's problem. Ring third party people, it's the councils problem. Round and round etc.

WoF & Rego is NZTA not council issue, nothing to do with the council. Wait, give someone a fine for $200 + $200 for no WoF or Reg and the council can keep half of that? OK parking wardens, go out and ticket those suckers!!!!!!

The third party just needs to talk to council, "fine 'em and you can keep the entire fine". Councils like money, especially money from fines so they don't need to increase rates - increasing rates gets many people angry.

frednz

1467 posts

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#1947932 28-Jan-2018 19:50

MarkH67:

afe66: In dunedin the answer is nothing...as there is uncertainty over who has power and whether they want to do anything.

. . . and then the council realise that their parking wardens can generate more income and they pass a bylaw setting a fine of $120 for illegally parking a fossil fuel burner in an EV charging space and the wardens start dishing out tickets to the iceholes!

But dishing out tickets to ICE owners doesn't free the space for you to charge-up your EV. Perhaps there needs to be a large sign which warns non-EV owners who park in an EV charging space that their vehicle will definitely be towed away. The EV owner should be able to phone the tow truck company and inform them that an ICE vehicle needs to be towed away urgently!

afe66

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#1947958 28-Jan-2018 22:14

Then there was the sign announcing the EV only charging slots which went missing after a fortnight, and then a couple months later the charger itself was vandalised and took 6 weeks to repair...

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Linuxluver

5828 posts

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#1947985 29-Jan-2018 00:00

frednz:

There have been several posts on Facebook recently about EV charging stations being blocked by people who have petrol vehicles etc. This can be a serious situation if a planned trip is dependent on charging up an EV at a particular station and there are no other stations within range.

One user (T Lewis), however, suggested that there should be no more posts about charge points being blocked. However, particularly for potential buyers of EVs, I think such posts are an important part of learning the environment in which EVs operate. Why try to suppress such posts and make it look like it's a breeze to float around NZ and always be able to easily charge up your EV wherever you may happen to be?

So, if you arrive at an EV charging station and it's blocked by ICE vehicles, what can you do? Could you ring the Police and ask them to get the ICE vehicles towed so you can charge up and proceed on your merry way?

Tony just made a suggestion. I guess he gets tired of reading about a charger in (wherever) he may never visit in a decade being blocked by some offending vehicle.

I don't care, myself, as I'd rather get a feel for the severity of any problem.

Most fast chargers are on private property, so it's up to the owner / operator to make the rules and then enforce them. The police won't be interested.

The chargers usually have a phone number on them....and you can call it and see what they can do.

Thankfully, many chargers are deliberately installed in places far from the entrance of the building on the site, so people are unlikely to park in them. A few are in places convenient for all vehicles...and they are the ones that see the problem most often. A new charger may see problems for a while until locals get used to the change in the place they "always used to park" (like in Rangiora....at the park with the Big Salmon)

It may still be possible to use the charger with some creative parking......in which case you don't leave the vehicle.

I've found it to be very rare. I drive around a lot....and use fast chargers a lot. I very rarely have to wait....and have not been "ICEd" that I can recall.

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Linuxluver

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#1947986 29-Jan-2018 00:05

Dinga96:

afe66: Probably not need dc charging at base. Slow AC probably enough.

I imagine once returned they sit around until washed and cleaned inside so the could be slow charging.

Yes in ideal situations possibly, I think the rental business is rarely like this .You can imagine the peak season many vehicles will be booked out the same day as they are dropped off.They will have no option but to fast charge .

I agree.

I rented a VW e-Golf from Christchurch Airport Europcar for two days last week. If someone dropped it off at 2pm and I want it from 4pm they don't have 5 hours to charge (potentially) the 35.8kWh battery. They would want to turn it around in under an hour.

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Linuxluver

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#1947987 29-Jan-2018 00:08

afe66: In dunedin the answer is nothing...as there is uncertainty over who has power and whether they want to do anything.

Rumours of more rapid chargers suggest this might be less of an issue

Charge Net are definitely putting at least two chargers into Dunedin.

My understanding is there will be one more downtown and the Delta site will become a Veefil (Charge Net's charger) until construction if a new building requires it to be removed.

But Charge Net's map don't show anything in Dunedin as being under construction. Just due in 2018.

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RunningMan

8953 posts

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#1948017 29-Jan-2018 08:55

frednz:[snip] But dishing out tickets to ICE owners doesn't free the space for you to charge-up your EV.

You get towed for a number of parking offences already (yellow lines, clearway, blocking a driveway etc.) - just make it one of those so that normal parking wardens can do it.

afe66

3181 posts

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#1948048 29-Jan-2018 10:11

Linuxluver:
afe66: In dunedin the answer is nothing...as there is uncertainty over who has power and whether they want to do anything.

Rumours of more rapid chargers suggest this might be less of an issue

Charge Net are definitely putting at least two chargers into Dunedin.

My understanding is there will be one more downtown and the Delta site will become a Veefil (Charge Net's charger) until construction if a new building requires it to be removed.

But Charge Net's map don't show anything in Dunedin as being under construction. Just due in 2018.

Changing the delta unit into Vergil won't solve the ice issue though. And because of the layout of charging space it would be tricky to tow as well.

Having said all the above is only used the charger 2 in 18 months

MikeAqua

7773 posts

Uber Geek

#1948086 29-Jan-2018 12:20

Today for the first time I saw a Pure-EV taxi. Was a Nissan Leaf and part of the Green co-op in Wellington.

Will be a game changer if large numbers of taxis start switching to EV.

Mike

wellygary

8312 posts

Uber Geek

#1948093 29-Jan-2018 12:30

MikeAqua:

Today for the first time I saw a Pure-EV taxi. Was a Nissan Leaf and part of the Green co-op in Wellington.

Will be a game changer if large numbers of taxis start switching to EV.

Taxi's went Hybrid in a huge way, because it made economic sense,

I'm not convinced there is the margin in the industry to justify going EV just yet, ( green's leaf is a one off)

Rikkitic

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#1948101 29-Jan-2018 12:34

If people parking in EV spaces got wheel-clamped, they would at least feel some of the same pain and the word would get around pretty quickly, especially if there were big warning signs. It is just a matter of will and taking the problem seriously.

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