Infrastructure Updates
- DWP (Helena Hsieh)
Helena reported that the 1st phase of the Quick
Charge program has been completed, resulting in
179 chargers (101 inductive) at 39 locations
within DWP territory. They are now in the process
of overhauling their web page to document all of
the locations, including photos, Thomas Guide grid
coordinates, hours of operation, and where needed,
local maps for large facilities. They will also
be going back to each charger site to insure that
the proper signs are up to minimize ICE vehicle
blockage of the chargers, and to install holders
at the sites for public outreach brochures.
Some specific location updates:
- Getty Center - They are working with the
plant engineer to coordinate with the
reservations manager so that reservations
for the EV charging slots are handled
separately from normal reservations. Also,
if an EV1 driver shows up without
reservations, they will not be turned away
if the parking spot is available.
- UCLA - An EV1 driver was recently ticketed
for parking adjacent to a blocked charging
spot. This is being resolved so that
further incidents can be avoided.
- LA Zoo - The poor initial placement of
chargers will be rectified, but at the
moment, the staff is occupied with other
matters. Patience is requested here!
- LA DWP downtown - Someone pointed out that
non-charging EV's were blocking these
popular charging slots, so Helena said she
would take care of these.
- Other sites coming soon via the new EV
Charge program are the Hollywood Bowl,
Natural History Museum, beaches, the
Citadel, Staples Arena. Paramount Studios,
which apparently did not happen under Quick
Charge (due to delays in their approval
process) is back in the queue for EV Charge.
In the plans for the future are City of LA
sites, Griffith Park, Beverly Center, Dodger
Stadium, and hotels (in partnership with
Budget Car Rentals).
- Edison EV (Enid Joffe)
- Enid reported that more chargers will be going
into Santa Barbara since their air pollution
control board has extended their incentives
program. In addition a prominent property
developer is supporting the installation of
chargers.
- New sites include Legacy Restaurant in Hollywood,
which will have a big official opening event
in about a month. The two Disney hotels are
also now operational.
- Edison EV and GM are cooperating and submitting a
response to a Postal Service RFP. This is a
perfect application for electric vehicles,
where ICE vehicles operate very
inefficiently. The initial quantity is 500
vehicles, but a potential exists for several
thousand dirty ICE vehicles to be replaced
with clean electric technology.
- Edison EV is looking into replacing certain
chargers which often generate service calls.
The will be reviewing their service records,
but if you have a site which you feel is
down excessively, please email Enid or
Gloria.
- Bad news - Excessive complaints by EV drivers of
blocked chargers and claims by store
managers that EV charging spots are sitting
empty, denying stores of income, have caused
Costco to pause and re-evaluate whether or
not they should continue to install
chargers. Enid will be asking for some
support here, and for some positive
feedback to be passed to store managers when
you visit Costco.
- Good news - A presentation was made to the
management of Fry's Electronics to install
chargers at all stores. This is looking
very promising. A decision will be made
when owner John Fry returns from Europe.
- MSRC (Michelle Kirkoff)
Michelle Kirkoff, head of the MSRC (Mobile Source
Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee) reported
their latest activity:
- The MSRC $5000 buy-down incentive has been
applied to 575 EV's thus far, but activity
has slowed in anticipation of NiMH EV1's.
The incentive applies to the EV1, S10, EV+,
RAV4, Ranger, Altra, Solectria Force, and
Chrysler EPIC van, and continues until
June 31, 2001.
- Since last summer, the MSRC has also been
providing a charger installation buy-down
incentive of $1250 for home chargers. This
is administed by the California Energy
Commission via the EV dealerships, and will
continue until June 31, 2001.
- The MSRC has now allocated about $150,000
for public outreach or advertising to
raise public awareness about electric
vehicle technology. Additional details
will be reported when the program
is worked out.
- Progress on installing freeway signs
continues, but slowly due to the number of
bureaucracies involved. The Inland Empire
will be the first trial area, with 100
combination inductive/conductive locations
targeted. Each site will involve a sequence
of signs beginning 1/2 mile from the freeway
exit with "EV Charging Next Exit", then
arrows pointing the way to the charger from
the exit, and possibly additional signs on
the property where the chargers are located.
The universal icon for EV charging is still
being debated by FHWA, so room will be left
on the signs for the icon to be retrofitted.
- The new EV Charge program is now getting
off the ground, targetting new charger
installations at major destinations (e.g.
malls) near freeways, but also looking at
private employment sites and new
construction sites. The goal is to have
chargers within 1/2 mile of the freeway every
5 miles along major corridors.
Having learned from the Quick Charge
program, the new EV Charge program will have
a streamlined application/approval process
as well as have very specific requirements put on
the recipient of the chargers. The
application materials can be found on the
internet at
http://www.planningcenter.com. Approval
will take 6-8 weeks (as opposed to up to
a year on Quick Charge), and the facility
will have 6 months to install the chargers
or lose them. They will also be required to
specify what they will be doing to address
enforcement of parking in the spaces.
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