Nissan Adding L3 Chargers at Many Dealerships

[Don]

Just for Leaf owners it appears though

http://t.autos.msn.com/news/nissan-dealerships-to-add-chargers

Don

 

[Vike]

Just for Leaf owners it appears though

Really? I don't see that in the article or in the Nissan press release it references:

http://nissannews.com/en-US/nissan/...-more-than-100-u-s-leaf-certified-dealerships

It sounds more like Nissan sees availability of Level 3 charging as good for EV sales generally, and that's largely to their benefit since they're the big fish in that tiny pond. I don't think they'd turn a poor helpless i-MiEV away from an idle CHAdeMO charger and leave it stranded (heck, even my Ford dealer said I could drop in and use their Level 2 if ever I need to). Just having it around to poke fun at would be of some entertainment value (I'm sure they get tired of digs about the LEAF's looks, so having a REALLY weird looking car next to it could only help). You might have to wait for any interested LEAFs to finish up first, or even give up your spot for a bit if one came by, but I'd think that more than fair. If it came to it, I'd even be glad to pay $5 or so, since I'd only be using it for an emergency where the alternative would be a heck of a lot more than $5 of inconvenience.

SparkEVs w/CCS, of course, can take a hike ;-)

Alas, for me the discussion is academic, since our area's Nissan dealers are not located in places where I'm likely to need a quick boost - nor, come to think of it, are any of the lucky 100 likely to be in Albuquerque. But one never knows.

 

[Don]

I guess I read it a little differently - " In an effort to speed the expansion of electric vehicle charging and build consumer awareness of the capability of the all-electric Nissan LEAF . . . . " - It just didn't sound like they were doing this for any reason except to try to sell more of their own EV's. I've not found our local dealerships too friendly to anyone with another make of car

Both of the Nissan dealerships within 50 miles of me have been listed on PlugShare since I joined a year ago. One day, just for the heck of it, I called to see if they would allow anybody other than a Leaf owner to use their L2 cords . . . . thinking it would be good to know before I just showed up without enough charge to get back home

Those were two very interesting phone calls. At both places, I got shuffled twice trying to find someone who even knew they had any L2 cords at the dealership. One dealership evidently had never sold a Leaf and they had no cords. Eventually, I found someone at the other one who acknowledged that rarely did anyone owning a Leaf ever charge there and the few times they were used, it was usually associated with a Leaf which was in for service of some sort

I never found anybody at either place who knew what PlugShare was (or how they got listed there) and I never got to speak to anyone who could answer whether my iMiEV would be allowed to use the cord, paying for it or not. I was told I'd have to call back another day so they could pose the question to the owner of the dealership

I called back twice, about a week apart and never got an answer. They took my name and number, promising to call when/if they found out anything. That was months ago and still no word

It would be nice if there was some place (ANY place) around here where we could charge - Even the Mitsu dealership where we bought our cars doesn't support us by allowing us to charge there

Personally, I think someone at PlugShare just arbitrarily added every Nissan dealership to the list, not checking to see if they actually had a charging cord, not to mention what the dealers policy on anyone using it might be - Without a doubt, nobody ever checked with either of the dealerships I contacted

I hope those of you living near a dealership which is getting the L3 capability installed will have a new resource to use. Have any of you used the L2 cords at any Nissan dealerships before? Was it free, or what did you pay?

Don

 

[aarond12]

Wait, the Mitsubishi dealer won't let you use their L2 charger?! WTF? My dealer said I could stop in anytime.

 

[sandange]

I dropped by a Nissan dealer located next to a shopping center that I frequent. I was greeted warmly and told that All brands EV's were welcome. No Charge

 

[Don]

Wait, the Mitsubishi dealer won't let you use their L2 charger?! WTF? My dealer said I could stop in anytime.

The dealer we bought our car from only got 4 cars. He sold 2 of them in the first 3 weeks (one to me) and the other two (loaded up SE's with Nav and ChaDeMo) were still there a year later when I went in for the brake vacuum pump recall. I *think* they finally sold after the Mitsu $10K discount

He also got 3 Level 2 EVSE's with the cars from Mitsu and he promised us that once those were installed, we could drop by and use them for free anytime we liked. When I was there a year later, he still hadn't installed any of them. When I asked why not, he said they were considering whether to stay in the EV game or not. *If* they decide to, then they'll *probably* install one or more of the EVSE's

I'm not holding my breath

This isn't Dallas. In a community of roughly 100,000 people (Biloxi/Gulfport) we don't have a single public charging station anywhere . . . . not even at Best Buy. We do have about 15 casinos though

Don

 

[siai47]

I've plugged in at a Nissan dealer with the I-MiEV before. I think you need to go there in person to check it out rather then a phone call. Always cordial. If the dealer doesn't want you there, then he isn't the place you should go to shop for your next EV. When it's time to consider a replacement for your I-MiEV (as Mitsubishi might not be a future choice) then you want to deal with someone who is looking for your future business.

 

[fjpod]

I think the right location for level 3 chargers is...gas stations. Really,...they are all over the place. where do people go when they want to refuel their cars? get snacks? use the bathroom? buy a lottery ticket? buy cigarettes?

If gas stations were smart, they would start installing the machines big time to bring in the business. And they can charge for the juice because people are used to it.

 

[Don]

Gas stations here charge 4 quarters for enough juice to run the little air compressor for 2 minutes so you can air up a tire - Heaven knows how much they would want for a whole kilowatt or two . . . . $10?

Don

 

[nsps]

I read about this in the NIssan Leaf forum a few months back. The Mitsubishi dealership in Salt Lake City, where I bought my i-MiEV, is part of a big dealership group, Ken Garff. Garff has three Nissan dealerships — the one closest to my house (2.5 miles away), and two that are 35 or 40 miles away, one to the north and one to the south. I have to think that they wouldn't want to turn away a customer and risk hurting their brand.

If that's the case, and they get L3 charging, it'd be a huge range-extender for me. I've yet to use my QC port, and while it would still be rare for me to go that far, it'd be nice to have the option without taking my girlfriend's gas-guzzling Fiesta. Of course, that wouldn't help driving to the sparser populated areas to the east and west (see my post in the turtle thread), but it'd still be fantastic option.

 

[peterdambier]

Gas Stations?

No way, in Germany at least. There is a law, no sparks, no electricity, no radio, no ... close to gas or gas pumps or hoses. There are no sockets in the outside at autobahn service stations. Should you get stranded at a gas station with an electric car the automobile club is prepared to pick you up with a flatbed and carry you to the next socket. I have asked them.

We do not have electricity on highways here although other people than me have been trying.

An "Autohof" is a service station outside the Autobahn and close to exits in both directions. Mostly they are big and have a lot of space. Big enough to overcome the red tape spaghetti trap. They are simply and stubbornly refusing.

My latest try is Buddhist Monasteries. Looks promising. They have a shop, a restaurant and you can stay there over night.

 

[Don]

I found another article titled "Nissan offers dealer charging to Leaf buyers"

Nissan said that the pilot program proved popular and allowed the company to analyze the chargers' use, as well as “the impact that charging has on the dealer's operations.”

Translation: "How much it helps lead to Leaf sales."

DC Quick Charging to 80% of a full charge costs the dealership considerably more than an hour or two of L2 charging. It will be interesting to see if this is offered to any vehicles other than Leafs. If so, it will may give a bunch of ChaDeMo equipped iMiEV's a chance to finally use their L3 ports

Don

 

[RobertC]

DC Quick Charging to 80% of a full charge costs the dealership considerably more than an hour or two of L2 charging.

Worst case scenario is charging from completely empty:
80% of 16 kWh = 12.8 kWh x $0.16/kWh = $2.05

I've charged at L2 at a Nissan dealership for free several times, but only used about 6 kWh.

I would be happy to pay to charge at a Nissan L3 charger. I have both ChargePoint and Blink access. I'm eagerly waiting for Nissan to announce the locations for the new L3 chargers.

 

[fjpod]

Gas Stations?

No way, in Germany at least. There is a law, no sparks, no electricity, no radio, no ... close to gas or gas pumps or hoses. There are no sockets in the outside at autobahn service stations. Should you get stranded at a gas station with an electric car the automobile club is prepared to pick you up with a flatbed and carry you to the next socket. I have asked them.

We do not have electricity on highways here although other people than me have been trying.

An "Autohof" is a service station outside the Autobahn and close to exits in both directions. Mostly they are big and have a lot of space. Big enough to overcome the red tape spaghetti trap. They are simply and stubbornly refusing.

My latest try is Buddhist Monasteries. Looks promising. They have a shop, a restaurant and you can stay there over night.

Gas stations are repugnant to us EV owners, huh?

The EV "pumps" could be a few hundred feet away. I'm not suggesting they be on the same island as the gas pumps. Hey, there are electric lights near the gas pumps, soda machines, maybe an attendant's stand with lights, heater/AC inside, and the pumps themselves are electric. I don't see the problem.

Really...if you are out on the road, and you need "fuel", where are you going to go?

 

[WyVern]

Here in Australia I have found the best interim measure to be caravan parks, they are frequent and widely spread.
All are equipped with 240v 15A sockets and many have leisure facilities and rest areas suitable for use while you await an L2 charge.

The one I used gave me the charge for free and were bemused at the funny little car taking up one of their pitches.

 

[RobertC]

Gas Stations?

No way, in Germany at least. There is a law, no sparks, no electricity, no radio, no ... close to gas or gas pumps or hoses.

Like the US, Germany requires electrical wiring around gas pumps be explosion proof. I have personally wired gas stations in the US. However, the lights above the gas pumps, and all of the electrical in the convenience store, are not explosion proof.

Last week I stopped at an oasis above the highway around Chicago on my annual trip to the midwest and saw a DC Quick Charger located at the gas station there. Like the convenience store, the charger was located more than twenty feet from the gas pumps. Of course I had to take a picture (and yes, the family was embarrassed.)

 

[fjpod]

It is my opinion that with the current state of battery/motor technology, the EV is a 'round town errand/cummuter car.

Oh,... Tesla may load tons of batteries on it's sleigh, but is carrying around all that weight the best way to get people from point A to B right now? (albeit, they do it in style). If it weren't for their style, and glitz I think they'd be dead in the water. They would certainly sink under all that weight. I really hope they succeed, but if they don't, everyone will say, "See, even the best of the EVs could not make it".

But if we could get reasonably sized, reasonably priced EVs with 100 mile range that could be quick charged at regular gas stations (because they are located in the right places), the EV would catch on a lot faster. A lot faster than $65K+ battery sleighs.

Me...I'm content with my iMiev for 90% of my driving and recharging at night. When I need the range, I use my Prius, or my larger car. I use what I need.

But the American public doesn't seem to like my image (Mitsubishi's image) of the EV. They envision that every car should be able to pack a family of 5, with luggage and a dog, and drive off to Disney at a moments notice with no refueling stops while hauling a trailer. And sometimes you need that, and sometimes people cannot afford two or three cars, but if you could DC quick charge at any gas station along the way,...think of the possibilities.

I wish I owned a gas station right now. Hell, the states could even charge their "gasoline" tax at the DC "pump", so nobody gets away with anything.

 

[Don]

It is my opinion that with the current state of battery/motor technology, the EV is a 'round town errand/cummuter car.

I agree with that 100%. It's what I thought before I bought the iMiEV 15 months ago and nothing since has changed my mind. If I needed it to go more than 60 miles per day, I wouldn't have bought it. I'm a bit worried that some people may buy an EV with very unreasonable expectations, so of course it's probably not going to work well for them and they won't like it - That hurts EV's in everyone's eyes and it's not moving the cause forward. I think EV's have a very viable place in daily commuting . . . . trying to convince the public think they're also good for driving coast to coast isn't helping things, in my mind

The average daily mileage put on an American car? 37

Oh,... Tesla may load tons of batteries on it's sleigh, but is carrying around all that weight the best way to get people from point A to B right now? (albeit, they do it in style). If it weren't for their style, and glitz I think they'd be dead in the water. They would certainly sink under all that weight. I really hope they succeed, but if they don't, everyone will say, "See, even the best of the EVs could not make it".

I agree with that 100% also. Being a sports car buff, I fully understand that every pound you add to a car requires you to add even more pounds to compensate and you wind up with a 'lead sled' and all the negatives that implies. Heavier isn't the way to go. You add a V-8 engine and that requires a heavier transmission and bigger brakes, bigger brakes require bigger and heavier wheels and tires and all that requires stronger and heavier suspension components, etc. Reducing mass is the key to efficiency. You can put a 40 gallon gas tank in a pick-up so you can go 500 miles, but doing so just reduces the efficiency even more

But if we could get reasonably sized, reasonably priced EVs with 100 mile range that could be quick charged at regular gas stations (because they are located in the right places), the EV would catch on a lot faster. A lot faster than $65K+ battery sleighs.

I agree again, but I don't thing we're close to getting there . . . . yet. So long as the battery which gets us the 100 miles still costs us $15K plus, it's going to have to last 100,000 miles or more to make it financially viable. $15K divided by 100K is 15 cents a mile and can we really do that and quick charge it most of time? I think the jury is still out on that one. Battery technology still has a ways to go before our 'city commuter car' is going to truly become an 'everyday car' in most people's minds

Me...I'm content with my iMiev for 90% of my driving and recharging at night. When I need the range, I use my Prius, or my larger car. I use what I need.

Me too, though it's proven to be more like 95% in my case. I actually have to keep my other two cars on trickle chargers just so they'll start when I need them

But the American public doesn't seem to like my image (Mitsubishi's image) of the EV. They envision that every car should be able to pack a family of 5, with luggage and a dog, and drive off to Disney at a moments notice with no refueling stops while hauling a trailer. And sometimes you need that, and sometimes people cannot afford two or three cars, but if you could DC quick charge at any gas station along the way,...think of the possibilities.

I agree again . . . . sort of

When we first began buying cars to get away from the horse and buggy, we had all sorts of interesting choices and oddly enough, several of them were electric. True, they might only have had a 10 or 15 mile range, but how often did you take the horse and buggy out for a 15 mile spin? Not too often, I'll bet. Steam cars were also pretty popular, though they did take 10 or 15 minutes to get going . . . . about the same amount of time and effort as getting the horse hitched up and ready to go I suspect

Gasoline cars eventually changed all that. You COULD go 100 miles or more in a day, something that nobody had ever done, so eventually ridiculous ideas like living 20 miles from where you worked became not only possible, but popular. That would probably never have happened without ICE vehicles . . . . and if we paid $8 or $10 per gallon for gas like they do in Turkey, Norway and the Netherlands, it probably wouldn't be too popular here once again. Now, we mistakenly think that anything that can't go 500 miles isn't a real car. We WANT that capability and we can afford it, so why settle for less? Probably because many of us can't see the forest for the trees

Yet, here we are more than 100 years later, back with electric cars which CAN do 90% of what most of us need to do with a car, just with the technology we have now - We average only 37 miles per day as it is, don't we? That's 13.5K per year, BTW. Most families do have more than one vehicle . . . . why can't we all be happy with a '90% car' and let the OTHER ONE make the trip to Disney towing the trailer?

Don

 

[MLucas]

Like the idea of EV Pumps at gas stations. Since gas stations don't make much money off of the gas, they'd still be making money off of EV drivers getting a 'cold pop' while waiting for their EV to charge up. States could get their highway tax and stop trying to find stupid ways to dig that money out of EV drivers.

 

[Don]

Like the idea of EV Pumps at gas stations. States could get their highway tax and stop trying to find stupid ways to dig that money out of EV drivers.

I kind hope that comes to pass . . . . but I sorta doubt it. If it were the case today, then I've driven more than 10,000 miles and they still wouldn't have collected a dime from me. I don't see the government settling for a 'solution' which most EV drivers can so easily get around

Don