WSDOT Proopsed Highway Signage
Just recently, Washington State governor, Chris Gregoire announced that the I-5, which runs from the Canadian border to the Oregon state line would be ‘electrified.’
Naturally, this process will be made available with more government monies, this time from a federal grant of 1.32 million, to be allocated out by the state Transportation Department.
The plan is to have the 275 mile stretch of road to have enough charging stations so that electric cars can traverse its length. So how many charging stations is that? Is it based on a 100 mile LEAF, a 80 mile i-MiEV, or even a 40 mile (electric range) Volt.
The answer is 7 to 10 charging stations throughout the corridor. However the WSDOT says that the maximum range between stations would be 80 miles, so it looks like if you own a Volt you will be in for a little good old fashion petrol burning.
Also of interest (and quite handy if you happen to be in need of a quick charge) is that these will be level III chargers…meaning you can get a complete fill in your LEAF in under 30 mins. (about 15 mins in a i-MiEV)
It is still unclear if the cost of the project will come completely out of the grant, or will be connected to the EV Project, a larger 230 million dollar pie that will set up 2,500 charging stations (mostly level II) in the Seattle area.
Like a more conventional gas station the state will be charging for the electricity ‘pumped,’ but declined to comment on pricing at this time.
Tonia Buell, communications manager for WSDOT’s public/private partnerships, summed up the need for the project as follows, “We want people to buy electric vehicles with the confidence that they can take longer trips than just around the community and to different cities.”
The governor also said of few ‘governor-ie things’ too, (be careful to not fall asleep if you choose to read it), “Washington state is a leader in creating green jobs, adopting new clean technologies and we are poised to do it again with electric vehicles. Providing the nation’s first true electrified highway (I-5) will benefit Washingtonians and show the rest of the country how we can use innovative partnerships to solve some of our most difficult challenges like climate change and our dependence on oil.”
This 275 mile stretch is to be converted starting this fall, and be the first leg of the West Coast Green Highway in service. When/if completed the WCGH would run 1,350 miles from Baja California to British Columbia.
Source: Gov. Chris Gregoire
Good post! Go EV’s! They are planning on the same setup for the I10 betwenn Phx and Tuscon.
30 mins is fast! Get out, plug in, use rest room, get a bite to eat. Wala…back on the road!
James(Quote)
I like it. But, Gregoire is a joke. She’s not as green as some may think. She cost WA over 2 billion dollars by denying a uranium enrichment plant. I happy for the I-5 corridor for EVs, but i’m sick of Gregoire.
/end rant
john(Quote)
“previously posted on another EV site”
Nissan will require that dealers who are certified to sell the LEAF will be required to install a minimum of one level 2 (or once level 3 is standardized – 480v charger) at each dealership. If you use the certified dealer list on LEAF’s web site, I think that you’ll find that there is a Nissan dealer within the LEAF’s range from the Canadian border to the Oregon state line.
And that’s not including any additional chargers located at rest spots along the I-5 and extra chargers within city limits, shopping centers, etc..
Transformer upgrades have already been started in certain areas….
GO EV!!!
FUTURE LEAF DRIVER(Quote)
Maximum 80 mile range was picked as the distance between charger locations since most pure EVs (MiEV, Focus EV, MiniEV, etc.) will be the 100 mile range variety.
To bad a certain company is limiting the use of their BIG battery to only 40 miles!
When it’s revealed exactly how much gas will be required to run a certain EV/gas vehicle with the battery heating/cooling & engine cycling routines, I think a lot of people will feel sad (or maybe they’ll just convince themselves otherwise) that they spent $40,000 plus, when they could have just bought a Prius instead and saved a boat load of money!
GO 100 mile range EVs!!!! 2013 : 200+ mile EV range coming…
FUTURE LEAF DRIVER(Quote)
The Level 3 chargers are the key, none in the market yet. The proposed sign uses DC to indicate availability of Level 3 chargers.. I think they should just use a 3 with a lightning bolt superimposed.. or perhaps the cute chademo smiling plug graphic. We LEAFies like cute
Supposedly Aker-Wade will start selling them by the third quarter of 2010
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2010/01/aker-20100112.html
http://gas2.org/2010/05/24/electric-cars-are-coming-but-where-are-the-fast-chargers/
Herm Perez(Quote)
http://blogs.edmunds.com/greencaradvisor/2010/01/fast-charging-systems-on-the-way-30-minutes-or-less-to-recharge-an-ev.html
Its going to cost you $60k to put one of these in front of your business.. who is going to be the first?
Herm Perez(Quote)
Static, I do not believe that Volt has the capacity to take a fast charge. I believe it is set up to only accept a conventional house line and 220
stanley
Stan Stein(Quote)
A busy spot can generate $100/day income from its use and recover the whole cost in 2 years. After that it will be a cash cow and generate other business at the same time.
RB(Quote)
This is a great idea. Perhaps a portion of the Highway Trust Fund should be dedicated to providing a charger at rest stops on the Interstate Highway System. The sub-fund could be financed by an increase in the gas tax.
States who really want to go ‘green’ could do the same – finance charging stations through increased gasoline taxes.
Much as how a portion of the taxes on cigarettes are used to subsidize the extra healthcare that smokers inevitably require and fund programs to get people to quit smoking, taxes on gasoline can be used to encourage people to get off gasoline.
JEff(Quote)
It will be a good business decision for store owners all this route to get some of these fast chargers. What will the person be doing for 30 min while there car is being charged? They are going to purchase items in the store. Go EV’s!
James(Quote)
“It is still unclear if the cost of the project will come completely out of the grant, or will be connected to the EV Project, a larger 230 million dollar pie that will set up 2,500 charging stations (mostly level II) in the Seattle area.”
According to EV Project coordinator in our area (Puget Sound), this is separate from EV Project. Thats the answer I got it in an email yesterday to my specific question.
So, what will do is to use this 1.3M (and another 600K or so from another grant) for chargers which are not covered by EV Project, which covers about half of I-5. EV Project will install 5 level 3 chargers on I-5.
BTW, I don’t know whether level-3 chargers will also have the level-2 option. Otherwise Volts will be out of luck.
evnow(Quote)
The skeptic side of me says that we’re a long ways away from the day when your BEV is going to be your choice for a road trip car, and it makes the choice between the plug-in Prius and the Leaf a tough one.
But then I look at my own circumstances. The only long distance driving I do is to a neighboring city 185 miles away, so. .. . . . maybe it would work. Stopping every 70 miles or so (in a Leaf) for a 25 minute recharge wouldn’t be optimum, but I only make that trip every month or two, so I could deal with it I suppose.
I could see the gen ii batteries helping a lot with this. If I could go 120 miles in between charges ( a 30 minute(?) stop every 2 hours or so). BEV road trips would seem more plausible.
Carcus(Quote)
Unfortunately the LEAF’s range can dip below 80 miles, so it’s still going to be a risky adventure travelling long distance in one.
Yesterday’s driving results for me:
65 miles from home to appt. with doctor who conducted surgery on my arm, wrist and collarbone earlier this year.
70 miles from hospital to my office to pick up some work.
25 miles from office to home.
4 miles for local errands.
TOTAL MILEAGE FOR DAY: 164 miles
SUMMARY: A Volt would have satisfied all my driving needs; a LEAF would not have been able to be used for my driving needs this day.
stuart22(Quote)
@stuart22 – I agree that current BEV’s aren’t ready for the mainstream at this point in time, but for folks that have a multiple car household, the current generation Leaf can easily replace one of those cars. Sometime in the near future we’ll have more options available with ranges and infrastructure to support a one car household to rely on a BEV. We have to start somewhere and the manufacturers can then learn from those early adopters. Initiatives like this electrification of I5 and cars like the Leaf, iMeiv, Model S and others can only build momentum that will finally change current ICE age in automotive transportation.
garrytman(Quote)
garrytman – I see your points, but let’s be honest … its limited utility makes a BEV such as the LEAF at $34K no less than a luxury for the average family. To be relegated as a backup car, it’s got to be priced half of that to be of interest to me. If the i-miEV hits the market at the low 20′s I’d have to seriously consider it, but in reality I don’t think any BEV will be a sales success unless it costs less than $20k. Just too limited in utility compared to the alternatives.
EREVs such as the Volt are the perfect solution at this point in time, where technology currently is. I don’t want to be wondering each day which car to take out – keep things simple and give me something I can drive as an electric for most of my driving needs but also can cover those less frequent times when I need the extra range. So, I am leaning hard towards getting a Volt. It’ll cover all my driving needs while at the same time slashing a significant portion of my oil usage. No it’s not perfect, but for now, it’s as close to perfect as I can find.
stuart22(Quote)
stuart22 –”If the i-miEV hits the market at the low 20′s I’d have to seriously consider it,….”
How is a low priced i-miEV going to get you to the doctor’s office?
Carcus(Quote)
@stuart22 – Unfortunately any new technology is expensive when it first comes to market. Only after mass acceptance do the prices start to fall. The prices must come down or this will just fade away. If the GM asks $40K – $7.5K = $32.5K for the Volt that’s going to be a hard nut to swallow. The low end Leaf is $26K – $7.5K = $18.5K, not bad and never needing to buy gas even better.
Volts and EREV have there place and seriously now that they have announced that CT is part of the initial wave, I’m debating getting a Volt since I might be able to get one sooner then the Leaf.
I just know my next car will have a plug. At least my fuel costs will be more consistent and domestically generated. Even with a Volt my daily driving will keep me from using gas 95% of the time.
garrytman(Quote)
There’s a “pricing” tab for the Leaf at the top of this web page.
Carcus(Quote)
garrytman- the MSRP of the LEAF is just shy of $34k as far as I know…. I think you mistakenly are doubling the $7500 tax credit in order to get its price below $20k.
I’ve loved cars all my life with expertise on the post-war period up through the 1960′s, with styling as my main focus. Despite my keen interest in the subjective side of cars, the bottom line is that my everyday car is primarily a tool. Like most people, I want my tools to work for me.
Therefore, a tool that can’t do all that I want it to do is not worth a cost savings of 10% or even 20% over the cost of a tool that will do it all. At its price level, the LEAF unfortunately is going to be judged by what it cannot do.
stuart22(Quote)
stuart22 – Obviously the LEAF is not for you. Yes, the Volt would work for you but the problem is you can’t buy one. If you are, by chance lucky to get one you will be paying in excess of $50k. But you can afford that. At 164 miles a day you are spending about $5500 annually in fuel costs. You will be better off getting a Prius or a Fusion hybrid. My friend just got a Fusion Hybrid and he is getting 50+ mpg. It is a beautiful car and they will have a plug in version for sale in 2012.
80% of the country drives less than 40 miles a day. So the LEAF will meet the needs for well over 80% the population. I drive 17 miles to work. I will charge the LEAF 9 to 10 hours that I am there. A 110/120V outlet will give me a full charge for the drive home 100+ mile range.
James E(Quote)
It will be a cash cow from day one I think.. can you imagine the local LEAF club meeting in your Starbucks?
Herm Perez(Quote)
In Whistler BC, big ski resort, there are 6 chargers that are FREE! Seems it’s too much trouble (costly) to bill for $1.75 charge. So, how do they make money? Simple they place advertisements on the front of the chargers!!!
Too Simple!
GO EV!!!
FUTURE LEAF DRIVER(Quote)
A nice BEV like the LEAF will easily sell as a luxury item to many homes with multiple cars.. it will be a very desirable for people that dont like going to gas stations.. and I happen to know a bunch of housewifes like this. The husband ends up doing that chore, and the extremely reduced maintenance will also be plus to the these households.. guess who gets stuck with the maintenance chores too
I also know many people that have extremely short commutes, under 5 miles every day.. and then they drive the other car during the weekend on longer trips..this is horrible for gasoline powered cars since the engine never warms up fully to gas off the gasoline and water contaminating the engine oil. The starting battery suffers also.
The low cost Nissan lease will prove popular for the LEAF also, reducing the “luxury” sting.
Herm Perez(Quote)
Or you could get a pin number when you buy your coffee at Starbucks.. that coffee is going to taste mighty fine. Lets face it, its not likely the battery will be low anyways.. probably will get topped off in 10 minutes then a green light on top of the pump starts flashing.
Herm Perez(Quote)
@stuart22 – You are correct, I mistakenly subtracted the tax credit from a net price listed on a flyer that has the tax credit already figured in.
garrytman(Quote)
A couple malls around here already have chargers. They were instaled when GM rolled out the EV1. People still use them on conversions. But the mall is a perfect spot. Plug in then go window shopping or get lunch.
James(Quote)
Popular night spots and resturants should install them too. You give your EV to the valet parking they take it to the garage and have fully charge for your ride home.
James(Quote)
Repost:
The Level 3 chargers are the key, none in the market yet. The proposed sign uses DC to indicate availability of Level 3 chargers.. I think they should just use a 3 with a lightning bolt superimposed.. or perhaps the cute chademo smiling plug graphic. We LEAFies like cute
Supposedly Aker-Wade will start selling them by the third quarter of 2010
http://www.greencarcongress.com/2010/01/aker-20100112.html
Herm Perez(Quote)
I-5 extends south of the Oregon border, all the way through California to the border with Mexico. So ten or more additional level III charging stations are needed to allow more west coasters to become foreign oil independent.
Van(Quote)
Hi Statik,
Interesting site. I expect to share some time here along with Lyle’s site.
Regarding 80 mi. between charging stations, would seem a little close for trips during temperature extremes (very hot/very cold).
Happy 4th of July!
-JEC
JEC(Quote)
I stand corrected – 40 to 60 miles between chargers. Full story :
http://wsdot.wa.gov/Partners/GreenHighways/electric_highways.htm
GO EV!!!!
Future LEAF Driver(Quote)
I find it interesting that drivers would take a pure EV for a road trip. The frequent stops would be slightly similar to using a horse for such a trip. Also it is commonly accepted fact that highway miles is less “wear and tear” on a vehicle than city miles. I wonder if the fast charging will greatly reduce the battery pack’s life which could possibly make highway miles more abusive than city miles.
JeffB(Quote)
Road trips are not made for electric vehicles. Case in point, Los Angeles to Las Vegas, next week 325miles. I plan on making one stop for rest and fuel in my gas guzzling Nissan SUV. What can I say, Nissan is never been known as a fuel efficient car maker. Enter the Leaf, if I was really lucky I would have to stop at least 4 to 5- times for 30-minutes. That’s another 2.5-hours on a 5-hour drive. Yuk! Now I have seriously looked at the Long Beach, CA CODA, which has done summer highway speed testing and has posted solid numbers and it is a nicer styling car in my humble opinion than the Leaf. Not as sharp as a Volt but passively sporty. They have said they will have cars to sell in December, and test drive in Santa Monica, CA around October-November. We shall see!
Vegaselectric(Quote)
Whack at using our electronic cigarette as a safer alternative. Smokeless cigarettes are proper increasingly more popular bulk smokers and in short order to be quitters.
Stewart Kisler(Quote)