Datsun2000
EV Tyre Kicker
Posts: 8
LEAF OWNER?: Yes
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Post by Datsun2000 on Dec 11, 2015 1:43:23 GMT 11
Congrats Datsun2000! Welcome to the club. Did it have the full 12 capacity bars (the thin bars to the right of the larger state of charge bars)/ Thanks caskings, I'm happy to join the club Yes full 12 bars. I'm happy.
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Post by Cachexian (Gordon) on Dec 11, 2015 21:46:06 GMT 11
Well done. Good buy. I'm sure you will love the car. I still get a kick out of driving it. ( not literally...that would be dangerous)
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Post by jake on Dec 12, 2015 1:02:05 GMT 11
I have had the car a month now. My car has just done 10,000km. Such a great car. I have finally got a Clipper Creek.16 amp charger in the garage. Looking forward to some faster charging.
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eric85
EV Enthusiast
Posts: 13
LEAF OWNER?: No
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Post by eric85 on Dec 12, 2015 11:00:24 GMT 11
See if Ashfield council will install a type 2 in the mall or at the pool? Could you charge there overnight? I could ask them, Ashfield Council always at least replies to letter requests. What exactly should I ask for at Ashfield Mall? Could you please give me a paragraph? I want to do the hard work for them and I don't know my Chadmos from my Type 2s... Thanks
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eric85
EV Enthusiast
Posts: 13
LEAF OWNER?: No
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Post by eric85 on Dec 12, 2015 11:02:36 GMT 11
Congratulations Datsun2000 good on you for joining the EV market.
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Post by EVangelist on Dec 12, 2015 22:20:40 GMT 11
Hi Eric85 and everyone else, my first post. I'm the lucky new owner of the $21,500 Leaf you speak about. I live in Adelaide and bought the car sight unseen (crazy I know). I'd never driven an EV or even had a closeup look at a Leaf. I knew however, after reading for years that it was the best current EV option for me. I flew to Melbourne, picked the car up and drove it 70km across town to the transport depot. I stopped at the Swinburne University fast charger and had some lunch. It wasn't necessary but I was excited about getting my first charge. It all worked perfectly. I picked it up in Adelaide today. I've driven it 150km already and I'm loving every minute. What a great car!!! So have hope eric85 that a sub $20k Leaf is not that far away. Good luck with your search. Welcome to the club, you won't regret it. Once you go "EV" you never want to go back!
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Post by Cachexian (Gordon) on Dec 12, 2015 22:46:20 GMT 11
Well... Ideally you would suggest that the most likely charger to be used would be a chademo DC fast charger. I'm not certain, but I think one of the members on this forum installs them so they would be better equipped to suggest actual wording.
The business case would be worth putting to them- they could charge for the electricity if they wanted but also, during the ½ hour ev drivers would shop in the mall. I would certainly change to shopping at Ashfield if they had a fast charger but a type 2 charger wouldn't draw me there.
Ashfield council talk a lot about being green in the media especially with the westconnex stuff at the moment so perhaps we need to ask them to put their money where their mouth is.
Comment from Sydney city management the other day was that the chargers in the Goulburn St and kings cross car parks haven't been well used. I wonder if they had invested in just one DC fast charger rather than 7 15 amp chargers whether they would have had much more use?
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Post by gabzimiev on Dec 13, 2015 11:53:23 GMT 11
they had 15 amp powerpoints not really chargers... and how did they measure usage ? 7 15amp powerpoints would of costs them what $2500 at most DC fast charger starts at $35k. hard to compare.
and guys lets get our terminology straight. it's level 1 for powerpoints and level 2 for dedicated EVSEs and level 3 for rapid chargers. or using the official terminology Mode 1 and 2 for powerpoints mode 3 for dedicated and mode 4 for faster chargers.
Type 1 the single phase socket on Nissan Mitsubishi and Japanese/American cars. Type 2 is the 3 phase socket used on Tesla and European cars. Type 2 socket requires an extra cable that can do both.
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Post by iamlsd on Dec 14, 2015 14:23:37 GMT 11
Hi Datsun2000,
Great to see a fellow Adelaideian Leaf driver. We love our leaf and although the charging options are a bit thin on the ground have never been caught short. If you shop at the central market there are 2 parks with chargers that are free which is great but they are usually taken by Plugin Hybrids.
I reckon we should start a pestering the Mitsubishi people who have access to a DC fast charger. You have to enter a pin number and they only give it out to Mitsubishi owners which is not very friendly...
One day I'm going to see if I can get our Leaf to Cape Jervois and catch the ferry across to Kangaroo Island as there are chargers all over the place there. I'll probably need to stop of at a caravan park for a top-up on the way.
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Post by markrmarkr on Dec 15, 2015 10:07:06 GMT 11
Whenever I have been to Goulburn St most spots have been ICE'd. The last two times there was a Tesla charging, but all the other spots were ICED. The other ICE cars all had notes under the windows, but they don't seem to be getting the message.
I don't know about King St.
I think it's a streach to say that "they are not well used", they just need some love.
Mark
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Post by Feng on Dec 15, 2015 10:49:04 GMT 11
Maybe we can park there for our next meet and go to Chinatown for yum cha?
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eric85
EV Enthusiast
Posts: 13
LEAF OWNER?: No
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Post by eric85 on Dec 15, 2015 12:37:29 GMT 11
SENT THIS YESTERDAY THANK YOU ALL ================================================ 14 December 2015 Ashfield Council 260 Liverpool Road Ashfield NSW 2131 info@ashfield.nsw.gov.au Dear Sir / Madam REQUEST FOR AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE CHARGING STATION This letter request is sent in the hope that it resonates with the Council’s desire to promote a low carbon economy in the 21st century. As the Council probably knows, the two biggest sources of carbon pollution in the world are coal generated electricity and petrol powered cars. In response to the latter are two main alternatives: increased investment in and use of public transport, and the promotion of the personally owned electric vehicle. It is my desire to own an electric vehicle as soon as possible. Without a garage, I would be willing to run an extension lead out onto the street to charge it at night, but I understand this would pose an unacceptable footpath hazard to the community. What I really need is a local “fast charger”, which cost approximately $35,000 each, and can charge the most common electric vehicle in Australia, the Nissan Leaf, to 80% in half an hour. The marginal cost of charging a car would be minimal, approximately $5 per charge, and I would be happy to pay triple that per charge if need be. I have been told by other Leaf owners that council investment in the cheaper 15 amp “Type 2” chargers, which cost about $2,500, would be inadequate, as they take up to 8 hours to charge the car. Ideally, two fast chargers are available next to each other. If Ashfield Council decided to install two of these fast chargers at, say, Ashfield Mall, I would buy a Nissan Leaf as soon as possible. I believe it would be an excellent investment for Ashfield Mall, and would fit perfectly with Ashfield Council’s image as a council actively concerned about sustainability and environmental care. The exact specification of the fast charger is a 50 kW CHAdeMO DCFC, similar to the one located at NRMA George Street Charging, 32 George St, North Strathfield NSW 2137. More information is available here: noronha.id.au/electric-vehicle-fact-sheets/e-station.com.au/dc-fast-charge/Yours sincerely
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Post by Cachexian (Gordon) on Dec 15, 2015 22:12:32 GMT 11
Send a second copy addressed to the Mayor? Her name is Lucille McKenna.
You might want to also send a letter to the Mall proposing the business case and that they might want to consider a joint venture with the council.
Considering the council just spent $10.1 million on a bicycle pathway (which I think is great by the way) $35000 is small change. And a much better bang for you buck. It might be worthwhile calculating some CO2 reduction figures based on number of km travelled in a a single 30min fast charge vs petrol car equivalent. If you presents that to council and to the Mall it might help our case.
Thanks for leading this by the way. I really hope you get somewhere.
I will do the same for Leichhardt council and city of Sydney when I move.
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Datsun2000
EV Tyre Kicker
Posts: 8
LEAF OWNER?: Yes
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Post by Datsun2000 on Dec 17, 2015 22:30:27 GMT 11
Hi Datsun2000, Great to see a fellow Adelaideian Leaf driver. We love our leaf and although the charging options are a bit thin on the ground have never been caught short. If you shop at the central market there are 2 parks with chargers that are free which is great but they are usually taken by Plugin Hybrids. I reckon we should start a pestering the Mitsubishi people who have access to a DC fast charger. You have to enter a pin number and they only give it out to Mitsubishi owners which is not very friendly... One day I'm going to see if I can get our Leaf to Cape Jervois and catch the ferry across to Kangaroo Island as there are chargers all over the place there. I'll probably need to stop of at a caravan park for a top-up on the way. Many thanks for the Welcome! I love my Leaf, it is simply the smoothest car I've ever owned, and I've owned plenty. No going back to ICE for me. I've noticed the Central Market points are rarely free. I'm going to be lobbying to try and get a few more chargers installed about the place. I'd like to nudge some of the wineries in the Barossa and McLaren Vale, that would make a nice day trip A trip to KI sounds interesting. I'd like to see a charger down the Western end, that's where I usually head.
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Post by iamlsd on Dec 21, 2015 12:04:22 GMT 11
When we first got the leaf we had a function at Seppetsfield winery which was too far for the return journey but we called ahead and they were happy to allow us to plug in while we were there which got us home ok (we were there for about 5 hours) It would be nice to have some chargers about so you don't have ring around and try to convince people to let you charge which can be a bit hit and miss. I agree the wineries would be excellent spots for chargers.
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Datsun2000
EV Tyre Kicker
Posts: 8
LEAF OWNER?: Yes
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Post by Datsun2000 on Jan 1, 2016 10:29:50 GMT 11
When we first got the leaf we had a function at Seppetsfield winery which was too far for the return journey but we called ahead and they were happy to allow us to plug in while we were there which got us home ok (we were there for about 5 hours) It would be nice to have some chargers about so you don't have ring around and try to convince people to let you charge which can be a bit hit and miss. I agree the wineries would be excellent spots for chargers. That's good to know, thank you iamlsd. We often go up to Seppeltsfield. In fact my daughter went up there yesterday in my petrol guzzler. They'll be on my list of people to lobby for sure.
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eric85
EV Enthusiast
Posts: 13
LEAF OWNER?: No
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Post by eric85 on Jan 17, 2016 21:32:55 GMT 11
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Post by iamlsd on Jan 17, 2016 23:49:51 GMT 11
Wow that's a shame Eric - I reckon anything portable won't be practical. As petrol / diesel genny too noisy and polluting. A battery bank of the size needed would be huge, heavy and expensive - even lithium would still be too heavy / bulky and would break most peoples banks.
Have you tried just going for a walk around your local neighbourhood and looked for accessible out-door power sockets? It amazing how many there are when you are looking out for them - you could then try to find the owner and see if you can negotiate a usage option.
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Post by jacky on Jan 18, 2016 6:18:35 GMT 11
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Post by EVangelist on Jan 18, 2016 23:12:23 GMT 11
This is probably not legal... but you could run a weatherproof 15A or 20A extension cord through the stormwater pipe from the unit block to the pipe exit in the gutter. You'd have to have an "inspection cap" opening into the stormwater pipe within the property boundary to feed the cable in, and pull it out again when done. The cable would have to be long enough to run without a break from pipe entry to exit to ensure continuous insulation protection. But no-one could trip over it, assuming you park the car right next to where the cable comes out of the gutter, and the cable run within the property is secure.
You could possibly even leave a stainless steel pull cable in the pipe semi-permanently.
Note I am not recommending you try this!
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eric85
EV Enthusiast
Posts: 13
LEAF OWNER?: No
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Post by eric85 on Jan 19, 2016 19:28:20 GMT 11
Thanks iamlsd, jacky, and EVangelist. I'll keep thinking about these options. I only want to pursue a clearly legal option, but knowing all physically possible options is good! I also note that uberX had to be "bold" to procure change in the frightfully inert car industry...
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Post by jeffthewalker on Jan 22, 2016 14:42:23 GMT 11
Dear all, Ashfield Council rejected my request for a local fast charger. I think I have one last almost-crazy option...... Any suggestions please? Cheers Eric Here's an almost-crazy suggestion. Have a look into owning and installing a fast charger yourself (or with a syndicate of other EV owners). Charge 50c per kWh (avg $8 per charge for a LEAF) and site it at a "friendly" shopping centre (free land and they may chip in for the power) and the cost of the money to own this is similar to owning a car. That is $100 to $200 per week, so you can work out if it is worth it over the next (say) 7 years. I am considering one for the Gold Coast (there are none at this time) where I live and I am in touch with Tritium. Overall, this is not a trivial exercise. There are lots of considerations (installation, maintenance, insurance, etc, etc).
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Post by caskings on Jan 22, 2016 19:55:13 GMT 11
I am considering one for the Gold Coast (there are none at this time) where I live and I am in touch with Tritium. Overall, this is not a trivial exercise. There are lots of considerations (installation, maintenance, insurance, etc, etc). If you can pull that off, I'd be willing to pitch in some cash. No idea how much exactly, but I'm willing to put some money where my mouth is
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Post by lesmando24 on Jan 22, 2016 22:00:08 GMT 11
Helensvale shopping centre would be awesome. I can donate some money.
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Post by jeffthewalker on Jan 23, 2016 12:36:47 GMT 11
Helensvale shopping centre would be awesome. I can donate some money. Helensvale would catch the EVs coming from Brisbane (where most of them are and will be) to the Northern end of the Gold Coast. But Nerang is more central and I prefer there from a purely business model point of view. Nerang would catch the day/weekend trippers traveling to any part of the Gold Coast. It would mean doubling back to the Northern end but not too far. Much discussion is needed and could sort out siting issues. I started a thread " DCFCs. If we build them would you come?" quite some months ago and I felt the response, although small, was encouraging. Then my WA trip came up. If we could get a meeting (real or virtual) together for us in SE Qld we could pool ideas, resources, friends in high places etc. and follow through on this. I am sure that Tritium would be behind this all the way (why wouldn't they:-). The West Australian electric highway started like this but they ended up getting RAC, State and local govt etc to come to the party which took a couple of years. I prefer a sound business model so that, if successful, it can be duplicated on the Sunshine Coast, out Ipswich way and elsewhere in Oz. The money aint the hard part. With a shopping centre on side, a supplier and installer/maintenance locked in, a good business model and a path to repay the loan, equity and/or debt funding could be found. For instance, I don't move in high enough circles to approach a shopping centre owner, but I know someone who does. I could not stump up any cash up front, but I could buy a $50 share each week. I have had coffee with the Tritium national sales manager and he is very approachable. We would need solid support from any supplier as unreliable maintenance (slow or lack of) is a big killer. A supplier may be interested in a deposit and monthly payments. I don't know, but all this can be looked into.
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eric85
EV Enthusiast
Posts: 13
LEAF OWNER?: No
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Post by eric85 on Jan 24, 2016 18:14:45 GMT 11
Thanks guys. Looks like Sydney / NSW are lagging behind!
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