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Date:         Sat, 15 Sep 2012 08:11:50 -0700
Reply-To:     fel paj <felpaj@GMAIL.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         fel paj <felpaj@GMAIL.COM>
Subject:      Re: vanagon Digest - 15 Sep 2012 - Special issue (#2012-161)
In-Reply-To:  <50549079.9389e50a.5209.ffffc008SMTPIN_ADDED@mx.google.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1

We took delivery of a 2012 LEAF on AUG 19th, and since have put over 1,100 miles on it for use w/ our family of 4. Daily commuting (mainly freeway) as well as errands and weekend family adventures. One Saturday on a full charge we went from our home in North Seattle, down to Kent, up to Kirkland and back home (again, mostly freeway.) Effectively a loop around Lake Washington.

Here in the Pacific NW, we get a lot of electricity from dams on the waterways, less from coal/nuclear. We now have 3 DC Quick Chargers in the city of Seattle, that will get me to 80% battery capacity in 20minutes - this will get us 60-90 miles, dependent on conditions. There is a network of these DCQC's being built out along the "electric highway" - starting in Bellingham along the WA/Canada border, down to the OR/CA border. CA is working on their network to complete the connection to the Mexico border.

LEAF owners have regularly made the trip between SEA & PDX, as well as across WA2 to Wenatchee. Sure, there's a lifestyle change with the "range anxiety" - but I've learned in the 18 months of owning my Vanagon, that part of the adventure is the drive moreso than the destination. I go 150 miles in my van before I like to fill up, not too far off with the range we get in a full charge in the LEAF.

... just wanted to make sure some decent "real world" info on current electrics is getting passed around.

CHEERS! -Fel Seattle, WA

On Sat, Sep 15, 2012 at 7:10 AM, Automatic digest processor < LISTSERV@gerry.vanagon.com> wrote:

> There are 7 messages totalling 1118 lines in this issue. > > -----Original Message----- > From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of > Tom Hargrave > Sent: Saturday, September 15, 2012 12:56 AM > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > Subject: Re: Electric conversions (Chevy Volt) > > Electricity for electric vehicles comes from natural gas or coal burned at > the local power plant, unless you live near a Nuclear Power Plant like I > do. > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM] On Behalf Of > Scott Daniel - Turbovans > Sent: Friday, September 14, 2012 11:36 PM > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > Subject: Re: Electric conversions (Chevy Volt) > > Obviously the shift from the Age of Oil to the Age of the Electron will > happen, has to happen. > > I would also say there is a serious problem, in the bigger picture, about > where all this electricity will come from. > > On 9/14/2012 8:17 PM, Dennis Haynes wrote: > > My company in its effort to be green has installed a dual charging > > station in two of our facilities and let electric car owners us them > > free > of charge. > > We have a brother/sister pair with a "Volt" each, one black (his) and > white. > > The two of them just rave about driving them. I am curious though if > > they are effective for long distance use say NY to Florida. I am > > currently down in Florida and ended up renting a 2011 Ford Focus. In > > mixed driving it is still doing ~33mpg. Doing highway from the airport > > to moms house it was doing almost 40mpg. Except for lots of tire noise > > from worn out tires, the slipping transmission, and confusing controls > > at first I am almost beginning to like it! > > > > Dennis > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On > > Behalf Of Kim Brennan > > Sent: Friday, September 14, 2012 10:23 PM > > To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM > > Subject: Electric conversions (Chevy Volt) > > > > I recently replaced my main commuter car with a (leased) 2013 Chevy Volt. > > I'm addicted to electric only (300+ all electric miles only on it > > since I got it. > ----- > No virus found in this message. > Checked by AVG - www.avg.com > Version: 10.0.1382 / Virus Database: 2437/5268 - Release Date: 09/14/12 > > ------------------------------ > > Date: Sat, 15 Sep 2012 08:53:22 -0500 > From: Dave Mcneely <mcneely4@COX.NET> > Subject: Re: Electric conversions (Chevy Volt) > > Well, for right now, electric only cars like the Leaf are not for highway > use, they are for commuting. Hybrids, whether Volt type or Prius type are > for use on the road. I guess the Volt remains to be proven. > > Eventually you will be able to pull off the road into a battery station, > swap batteries, and keep moving, no longer stop than you do now for liquid > fuel. > > American manufacturers have been reluctant to build electric vehicles > because of the cost of development and the cost of proving the market, not > because they are a bad idea. > > I agree that the manufacturers will reach 50 mpg for a sedan. They won't > reach the equivalent of 80 or 100 mpg, unless they opt for electric > propulsion. > > mcneely


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