My ActiveE Made Me Accidentally Environmental – Page 22

One Year of EV Driving… Pure Joy… The ActiveE and me!

So…

Yesterday was “hump day”… Not really sure which day to count as I picked up the car on the evening of February 23, 2012 and I have to return it back to BMW on February 24, 2014… The Leap Year throws me off, so I guess a post on the 25th would be the best I can do to celebrate the first year of EV Driving.

As always, I like to post my mileage pictures, and I don’t know whether to count the day I parked the car at LAX this weekend (the 23rd) at 26,064 miles…

Or when I got back home on Sunday night, the 24th at 26,090 miles…

Either way, I’ve done a lot of driving over the past year. Surprisingly, the weekend that I celebrate one year with my car, I’m away from it and it’s soaking in the last few days of subsidized LAX parking on my quick weekend away to Napa and Sonoma.

This post was going to be a little funnier than it has ended up to be as I planned on taking advantage of BMW and Sixt’s JV in the Bay Area and “cheat” on my ActiveE with a car rental. However, the timing of my arrival into San Francisco airport on Satuday morning and my lunch appointment at the French Laundry forced me to abandon those plans and opt with a traditional ICE rental (Ford Focus) from Dollar Rental Car. I will follow up with a post on my attempt to pick a car on my day back from the Wine Country.

So, what do I have to share with the world that I have not already done (nor someone else more eloquently wrote…)

RANGE ANXIETY

Let me start with some tips that I like to give to others as they drive EV. Top of my list as a high mileage individual is Range Anxiety and how to cope with it.

All vehicles have a range problem. It’s just whether or not you’ll make it to the next fueling station and whether or not you would be willing to pay that price for the fuel during the time spent at the fueling station. I’ve mitigated my anxiety by arming myself with knowledge about my vehicle and what my options are around me. Some of the things I do to be more comfortable are:

1) After each FULL charge that I complete, I reset my Miles per kWh reading and odometer so that I can have visual feedback on how I am driving and how far I have gone. Armed with the M/kWh figure I can figure out how much range I have to go in my 27 usable kWh battery pack. Coupled with BMW’s guesstimator I know how I need to drive and where I can drive to.

This was after starting at freeway speeds from home…

And after a short (for me) commute of approx 38 miles

So, I went from a 2.7 miles per kwh to 3.7 miles per kwh average.

2) I always have at least two devices that have the following Apps – Chargepoint, Plugshare, Recargo, and Blink. In that order. In a pinch I will pay for charging, but for the most part I try to find subsidized charging. If you can get your electrons for free, why not? I carry a BlackBerry for my primary telephone, but also have iOs devices so that I can run the apps. I use a MiFi for Internet access for those devices so it works for me.

3) I almost always set the car to precondition. It’s not that big a deal in Southern California as we don’t really have the swings in temperature, but it makes me feel better. In order to ensure that I come back to a car at 100% SOC vs. 98% SOC I set the preconditioning close to the projected end of the charge time.

The picture below would have a time to full charge when the car is plugged in and charging. You can then set the delayed preconditioning setting to 15-20 minutes before the end of the cycle to force the car to precondition WHILE it is still charging so that it will complete charging and preconditioning at 100%. Otherwise, if you do it from a cold battery (which is what I do on overnight charges) you may start your drive at 98%.

So. Armed with information and experience, I can pretty much get around town, and often do. I have my 70 mile days and I have my 102 mile days with a few greater than 120 mile days and some parked and not going anywhere days thrown in between.

FUN TO DRIVE

Almost all EVs are fun to drive. So, if you’re not in an ActiveE, go out there and get a different one and have fun – JOIN the rEVolution!. I’m just lucky enough to be in a BMW ActiveE. This car really drives like a BMW. I remember the first time I drove my BMW X5. After test driving the Benz ML320 several times, it took one test drive of the X5 for my wife and I to decide that the advertisements for the “Ultimate Driving Machine” rings true.

I have test driven several other EVs this past year and I have only considered the Tesla Model S to be the only other one that I would like to “own”. I would prefer to keep within the BMW family, however, BMW’s refusal to provide a longer range pure BEV as opposed to a REX enabled i3 will be the cause of my movement to a Tesla. I prefer the size of the ActiveE and i3 after it to the Tesla, however, the design is really the issue. The i3 is just too different from the styling that attracted us to BMW. It also helps that the Tesla has the larger range.

A lot has been said about the ActiveE’s regenerative braking and I am a convert of this as well. Most of the other EVs have regen that is not quite as aggressive and therefore, I need to hit the brakes more than I do in my ActiveE. BMW “got it right” with how the ActiveE grabs hold of the brakes and lets me drive my ActiveE with a single pedal. Perhaps it has to do with BMW’s history with motorcycles. Most recently I had one of my most trusted colleagues drive the car in my stead and he commented that the single paddle experience was similar to how some motorcycles performed. (he rides a BMW motorcycle).

What can BMW do to keep me as a future BMW EV driver. Build EVs that look like a BMW! The aesthetic is IMPORTANT. Others have commented on how much they like the i3… I’m not one of them. I like the i8 (all of them), but I’m not spending that kind of money on any car. The reported prices are the price of a Model S and Model X combined. And that sort of commitment will drive me toward Tesla.

KEEP SURPRISING ME

Even after one year of EV driving under the belt, the experience still surprises me. I’ve done 5 scheduled maintenance trips and 2 unscheduled ones to the dealership. The most famous one was my first Drivetrain Malfunction from less than one week into the experience that was documented in the BMW ActiveE Forums.

My last service experience was a little over 250 miles ago at 25,750 and the car was in the shop for about a day. This is effectively the same experience I’ve had with my X5 and 3 series vehicles. As this process becomes more common, I expect to have the opportunity to drive my ActiveE more in the following year and hope to drive greater than the 26,090 that I did in my first year. But we’ll have to see.

The most recent thing I learned is a “new” BMW thing rather than a BMW EV thing, but it points to some of the things that make BMW a top notch company and why I am still hoping that the delay that I did (though it did force me into the $2,500 price increase for the Model S) to take delivery of the Model S next year would give BMW some time to come up with something aesthetically more pleasing (or at least give me and my better half the chance to get used to the i3 and go with that instead). Oh yeah, so what was it that I learned recently…

Do you see the change in tint on the picture below?

Or here

Apparently that is where you need to install your transponder

The newer BMWs have a coating that keeps out IR and this could inhibit the Toll Collection transponders from responding properly. In Southern California, there are these newer switchable transponders that one must use to self-report the number of passengers in the vehicle and the agency is unable to get an accurate count if the transponder is not in the clear glass section. What this means is that you either do not get the “discounted” or free rate to travel the toll roads with more people in the car.

So, those that are travelling on I-110 or I-10 Tollways in a newer BMW, take note if you keep getting charged for solo travel if you have multiple passengers in the vehicle.

The passion that folks have for their EVs is warranted. The numerous stories of the recent NYT vs. Tesla spat and the Tesla Owners who got together to recreate that drive is a several day long commitment to show the world that EVs are hopefully here to stay.

ACCIDENTALLY ENVIRONMENTAL INDEED

I just forwarded some of my family members a link to a contest that Solar City is doing to get people signed up for solar power. The prize is a 3 year lease of a Smart EV with a 1.5kW Solar Array to folks in certain markets who don’t currently have an EV in them. My goal was NOT environmental, it was purely economical. The more access that I have to PRIVATE chargers that I will have little contention for, the farther my range in my ActiveE for the next year. Sure, it will be cool to get them on the rEVolution. But, that’s secondary to me. I am PURPOSELY not linking the Solar City offer as I want to give them a better chance of winning this sweepstakes! (so there!)

Over the past year I have gone from getting the ActiveE to be able to drive the HOV lanes by myself to a vocal proponent of EVs in general. I don’t care about the environment, in the traditional sense. I care about saving money in the long run. Yes, it may seem that some of these things are costlier in the short run, but I expect to be around for a long time and I expect my next vehicle to be around for a long time as well. Too bad I have one year left on my ActiveE. But sure am glad in the journey that it and I have taken together.

Cheers from London! The permanent BMWi Store Park Lane, Mayfair, London

In London for a quick trip and decided to stop by the BMWi Store in Mayfair. Mayfair is a pretty glitzy part of London and the first location identified by BMW to present it’s BMWi sub-brand with a permanent and prominent location. Amidst walking by the Aston Martin dealership and others in the area, I have to admit that the strategy may just be the right one.

Outside –

Inside –

To view the entire set… My good friends at Flickr…

This location was originally set up prior to the BMWi World Tour that we visited in New York City and currently features older versions of the i3 and i8 Concept. What makes this location different than the World tour is the space is much smaller and the vehicles themselves are older versions of the i3 and i8.

The i8 at this location was the one featured in the film Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (AKA Mission Impossible 4) and was the first of the i series that I’ve ever seen in any media.

It’s still a beauty.

Another difference is that the carbon fiber shell in this display was of the i8 and not the i3 as was seen on the World Tour…

Front of the car –

Back of the car –

The young lady, Jess, who hosted our visit to the BMWi store explained that the biggest challenge that they have at the location was having to explain to interested parties that they would have to wait to take delivery of the i8. Some of the more affluent have tried to resort to offering more than BMW is asking for the car to get it delivered NOW. Alas, this writer does love the look of any of the BMW i8s, but will have to resort to considering the i3 or i3 Coupe if I were to stick with the BMW line.

With the location in Mayfair, I would think that BMW would be moving more of the i8s than the i3s… But, I guess time will tell.

Next time, I’ll have to try to get to BMW Headquarters and see the exhibit of 40 years of BMW Electrics that they tweet/G+ post from time to time.

Oh, and we’re ONE WEEK from my ONE YEAR Anniversary and the Active E is going in for “regular” service on Tuesday. Here’s to wishing for a quick turnaround!

Some significant mileage… 25,000 Miles and counting…

ActiveE, a photo by dennis_p on Flickr.

Reached 25,000 Miles a few days ago… Seeing that my one year anniversary will be in a few weeks I figure to write more about my experience then.In the meantime.

25,000 miles all electric. Using a blended 1.5 cents per mile figure (just estimating here since it’s closer to 0.8 cents per mile since I’ve gotten solar at home) nets me a $375.00 energy cost for the 25,000 miles. Comparing this with an estimated 15 cents per mile for gasoline (rounding down ’cause it’s easier to do the math…) puts the estimated mileage cost to $3,750.

So looks like we’ve at least saved $3,375 this past year on the miles that we used electricity vs. gasoline.

The savings are compelling.

Dodger Stadium is going backwards on its commitment to being more environmentally friendly.

So, the new Dodgers management has been exciting to watch in the moves that they will take to “win”.

I was notified that after the disappointment that was the 2012 Season that the EV chargers in Lot N WERE going to be upgraded to J1772. That was at least positive.

Then, the Dodgers tweeted the following in the beginning of 2013 –

Los Angeles Dodgers ‏@Dodgers

Blue to Green! Measures toward being energy efficient will be instituted- new water valves, flush fixtures, waterless urinals, etc.

11:38 AM 08 Jan 13

Wow. I thought. This is really going to happen! The Dodgers will definitely be upgrading the chargers in Lot N for EV Dodger fans (heck even EV Opposing team fans can plug in).

Well, my excitement just got squashed by a very nice follow up email from Reconnect CA/Clipper Creek-

From: Stacey Barhydt <Stacey@clippercreek.net>
To: Dennis Pascual
Sent: Wednesday, January 16, 2013 2:36 PM
Subject: Re: Fwd: Eligible upgrade site for Reconnect – Dodger Stadium

Dennis,

Hope you’ve been well and having a Happy New Year! I had a note to contact you about Dodgers Stadium and the EV Charging stations . . . unfortunately we just found out that they are demolishing this site and accompanying infrastructure to make way for some new plans.

New infrastructure won’t be available for some time, thus they’ll miss the grant deadline.

Very sorry! But maybe the parking lot will be better in the future.

Thanks again for all your efforts, we really appreciate it!

Stacey Barhydt
ClipperCreek, Inc.
Reconnect CA Program Support
530-887-1674 x 312

I guess the Dodgers Tweet was just PR… They’ve decided to go backwards on their commitment to the environment… (which is a shame.) These new enhancements to Dodgers Stadium just took out the Prime Ticket Section that I was sitting in last year to watch the 8 or so Dodgers game that I went to under the Premium Mini Plan that we decided to sign up for with our 2011-2012 Lakers Playoffs budget. (credit another early Lakers playoffs exit with those funds.)

So, Guggenheim Baseball Management (Mark Walter, Magic Johnson, Stan Kasten, Peter Guber, Bobby Patton and Todd Boehly) what are you guys going to do for your EV driving Dodgers fans? What made you guys decide to back-track on EV chargers at Dodger Stadium? Or do we still blame part of it on Frank McCourt because he’s still part of the parking lots around Dodger Stadium? There were some old legacy chargers in Lot N. Sure, it was a far walk from where my seats had been (you’ve torn up that section, so I’m not sure where I’ll be sitting next year since it would look like the Lakers probably won’t be in the Playoffs in 2012-2013 and I will have my early summer free, though… the Kings might be getting some of those dollars as well now that the NHL has pulled its head out of its…)

So, rather than just complain, let me propose something else… a mix of 110V and 240V chargers in ALL Dodger Stadium Parking Lots. A Baseball game can go for 3-4 hours. Some of your PHEV like the Volt or plug in Prius can use gas and can be filled up over 110V just fine during the game. Those that need a faster charge (such as the Leaf or my ActiveE) and are pure EV can use the Level 2/240V chargers during that time to get their capacity back. 110V can do in a pinch to at least get enough juice to get to another 240V elsewhere. That would show that the Dodgers really are looking to go from Blue to Green! If you really wanted to understand your crowd, I would even suggest some higher capacity NEMA 14-50 for those Dodgers fans that are just now taking delivery of their Tesla Model S (I’m anticipating getting mine during the dog days of August and beginning of September.) C’mon Dodger Ownership!

The Dodgers and practically any business can get some of its costs to install chargers back with grants that have authorized some reimbursement for installing public charging facilities.

Lastly, I got the following email from Chargepoint today –

You May Qualify for up to $1,000 in Tax Credits

Hi Dennis,

Did you install an EV home charging station in 2012 or have plans to install one in 2013? We have some great news for you. The recent fiscal cliff deal passed by Congress includes tax credits for purchase and installation of an electric vehicle charging station. The Section 30C credit for Alternative Fuel Vehicle Refueling Property includes a credit of up to $1,000 for purchase and installation of a charging station for personal use.

Additionally, Section 30C includes a 30 percent credit, capped at $30,000 for business/investment use per site. This means that any ChargePoint customer who installed EV charging stations in 2012 or who plans to install EV charging stations in 2013 may qualify for up to a $30,000 tax credit per site. So tell your employer or favorite retailer (hint, hint).

For more information, please visit:

US CODE: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/26/30C

And download:

2011 IRS FORM: http://www.irs.gov/pub/irs-pdf/f8911.pdf

(Subject to change, updated by the IRS)

Please consult with your tax advisor to determine your eligibility.

Spread the EV goodness and share this email with people you know in the EV community so they can take advantage of this fantastic opportunity.

To view this information on our web site, click here.

Recommend a Place to Charge Your Car

Are you able to charge your vehicle at work? If so, are there enough charging stations available for you and your colleagues?

Does your favorite store offer EV charging? Are there parking lots you frequent that you wish had an EV charger?

Let ChargePoint help you get an EV charging station installed at any location. Email us at sales@chargepoint.com with the following information:

Location Name (e.g. company, retailer, parking facility, etc.)
Address
Contact Name

Oh, and one more thing… happy EV driving.

Sincerely,

Team ChargePoint

Like us on Facebook @ChargePoint

So, between ReconnectCA and Chargepoint, Dodger Stadium could’ve been able to get upgraded for a lot less than it would’ve cost anyone else.

LAX Parking… free no more… March 1st, 2013…

Thanks to fellow Active E Electronut Dr. Bob on the ActiveE forum, it looks like LAX will no longer be allowing parking and charging for free in Lot 6 and Lot 1 beginning March 1, 2013. Also, looks like Helen Chiu (@yesthisishelen on Twitter) posted the following, which looks like a scan of the notice.

Needless to say, this was a nice benefit that was provided to EV and Plug-in Hybrid drivers that has been running at LAX for quite a while (especially since it was not until April last year that the chargers were upgraded to J1772). So, this leads me to believe that this benefit was at least around for when most people charged with the old SPI chargers (and therefore GM EV1 or the older Toyota RAV4 Electric (not the re-launched based on a Tesla platform).

It was great to have this benefit out there, but seeing how California public facilities really need to be upgraded, I suppose it is to be expected that the LAX folks would be counting on increasing their revenue from ALL users of LAX Parking facilities. This just means that I’ll have to plan my trips in and out of LAX with off-site parking in mind and ensure that I have enough charge to get home before I park.

LAX Onsite parking is pretty expensive. Though the charging will more than likely remain “free”, the charge for parking would mean that one will need to consider OTHER charging stations near LAX. I would suggest the Blink Network ones at Loyola Marymount University. There are about fifteen that show up and cost between $1-$2 an hour to charge depending on the plan that you have. The address to LMU is 1 LMU Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90045.

For those that want to appeal the decision – parking@lawa.org is the email address for the folks at LAX Parking.

ActiveE at 22,222 miles

ActiveE at 22,222 miles, a photo by dennis_p on Flickr.

Some things that I have learned these past 22,222 miles… 100 mile range is fine, but as more and more folks start getting plug-in cars, whether hybrid vehicles like the Fisker Karma or the Chevy Volt or pure EV like the Nissan Leaf, the infrastructure to support the EVs will need to grow FASTER to keep up with the demand to run electric. I find that many of the charging stations that I used to be able to rely on are now getting to be more crowded than before.

It’s great to see an uptick in demand, but that just means that the supply needs to increase as well, or the manufacturers will need to come up with something HIGHER ranged than 100 miles. A fact that is driving me toward a Tesla Model S for primary EV and may get me to an i3 with Range Extender.

By the way, the picture above is me braking to a stop (thus the regen indicator (the one on the right) as regenerating quite a bit of power back into the batteries). I make the comment on the need for more charging stations because you will note that the PLUG IN NOW Exclamation Point indicator is on (meaning my SOC is less than 30%) and I’ve only gone about 59 miles one way on this picture. Which is to say that my range is closer to 80 miles one way today and I would have to blame that on the distinctive LACK of traffic on the inbound route to work today which had traffic speeds decidedly HIGHER than the posted speed limit.

Oh, and a Happy New Year to you too!

Godot no more!… Back from Oxnard! Woohoo

Back from Oxnard! Woohoo, a photo by dennis_p on Flickr.

I’m back in the race for the top mileage again! Just in time for Christmas.

No further word except for a failed high voltage sensor!

Gave my dealer and BMW USA my piece of mind and suggestions on how to improve the process. Basically training and communication.

As well as my displeasure with the towing procedure!

Waiting for Godot… Day Nine!

Exclamation point at the end of the title because I was notified that I would get delivery yesterday. However, as is the case in the Beckett namesake that I’ve temporarily named my ActiveE after, I’m still waiting…

As was predicted by Electronut #1, Tom Moloughney, in the initial Oxnard bound post, “It could be something as minor as a bad sensor so keep the faith!”. The man is a “BMW EV Whisperer”. The only note from the guys at Oxnard that was communicated to my dealer was a failed sensor in the High Voltage system caused the issues.

I really appreciate our EV community and hope that the initial feel lasts as more and more people, hopefully, switch over to EV from ICE and some of the common courtesies become general practice. Even to Noobs (i.e. Plug Sharing, moving your vehicle from public chargers when the car is done charging, etc.)

Some are hoping for a White Christmas, others for their two front teeth… I’ll be glad when I can renounce the name Godot for my ActiveE!

Waiting for Godot… Day Eight…

Late yesterday afternoon, I received good news. Oxnard called back and said that Godot was on his way back to the dealership. They did not mention what was wrong nor what they did to fix the problem, nor what the problem was.

The only thing they told my dealership is that they wanted them to do an alignment on the wheels… (must have been an effect of the “tow” that BMW Assist did).

Either way, I’ll believe it when I see it.

Waiting for Godot… Oxnard Watch Day Seven…

So, today would be the anniversary of the first appearance of this aggressive Transmission Error that would not clear.

Yesterday, I got my first update since Oxnard received the car. And the update was – “Oxnard did not communicate anything yet.” Additionally, my Service Advisor tells me that they really operate in a vacuum there and in the past they would only hear when the work was done. I thanked him for calling and told him that this behavior is obviously not BMW level, but understand technical people and suggested that BMW needed to learn to communicate more.

I am hoping to have my car back before Christmas, but doubt it.