International Plug-In Day! Bring out your Plugs!

Generous readers, I'm happy to announce it's that time of year again!  Time to show your friends, neighbors and general passers by our shared love for Electric Vehicles.  Yes, it's International Plug-In Day, the day we all go out and display our love for cars powered by the ubiquitous plug.

This year, Plug-In Day is a two day event, and here in the greater Washington, D.C. area, we're taking it to the neighborhoods!  So mark your calendars, 28 September 2013!

View Plug In Day 2013 in a larger map

Because we have 2 days of events, we've decided to have regional events on Saturday and one huge event in downtown DC on Sunday.  We hope everyone can show their support at their local Saturday event and then everyone come down to Washington for the regional event Sunday on the steps of the U.S. Capital.

Saturday, 28 September 2013, 10:00–14:00: Herndon, VA

Hello from your Herndon Event team captain!  As the organizer of this event, I hope it to be the biggest of all the regional events.  This is the only gathering scheduled for Northern Virginia.  As such, I hope folks from Arlington, Alexandria, Loudoun, Prince William, Manassas and even Stafford Counties and Cities can make it out to western Fairfax to join us in sharing our love for EVs.  Come and commiserate over our failed attempt for equal taxation regardless of propultion and the $64 tax we now have to pay for as both hybrid and electric vehicle owners.  We're planning to have LEAFs, Volts and Tesla Model S a plenty to show, as well as all kinds of electric vehicles.  Learn about Dominion Virginia Power's Time-of-Use Rate Schedules and the Green Option for energy credits.  And teach folks about the around 50% Personal Property Tax discount for Electric Vehicles in Arlington, Prince William and Loudoun Counties.  (Sorry fellow Farfaxians, we still have to pay full price for our tax in our unprogressive county.)

Saturday, 28 September 2013, 10:00–14:00: Waldorf, MD

Overall Waldorf event organizer and my friend Mark Czajka from MDVolt (the current source for LEAF Meetup events).  Ironcially, Mark doesn't own a Volt—he has a Ford Fusion Energi—but is an amazing event organizer and without him this year's Plug In Day wouldn't be nearly as amazing as it's turning out to be.  The MOMs in Waldorf is in a beautiful, new building and will be an amazing place to discuss all the exciting things going on for EVs in Southern Maryland.  This is a must-see event for anyone in the area, I guarantee.

Saturday, 28 September 2013, 10:00–14:00: College Park, MD

The College Park event in suburban Maryland, just on the outskirts of Washington, D.C., is at one of my favourite MOM's Organic Markets, being about half-way between work and the normal EVA/DC meeting in Silver Spring, MD.  Word of warning that the EVSE (Electric Vehicle Service Equipment) stations at this location, two out-of-the-way units around the left side of the building, are often either broken or occupied by a completely occupied by an often full electric vehicle.  However, anyone needing a charge just contact my friend and Team Captain Lanny Hartmann who will help you find a unit that's available and working as well as work to make sure these units are function come Plug-In Day and beyond.

Saturday, 28 September 2013, 10:00–14:00: Timonium, MD and Baltimore

The Timonium event is our closest planned event in the greater Baltimore Suburbs.  Located in Central Maryland, the event is just north of the Baltimore Beltway and just off of I85.  As such, I've never personally been there since getting my LEAF, which was before MOM's in Timonium opened.  However, my friend Barry Larkin is hosting this event and I've every confidence he's going to do an amazing job so please show your support Baltimore and bring out your EVs!

Sunday, 29 September 2013, 10:00–16:00: Washington, D.C.

For the regional Sunday event, we're extremely fortunate to be getting permission to have our display right in front of the U.S. Capital building, on Third Street SW, in front of the Reflecting Pool and near the US Botanical Gardens.  This is thanks in no small part to the work of Maryland's Senior Senator Barbara Mulkulski (D).  This website would therefore like to express their personal thanks to Senator Mulkulski.  We're working on sixty spots to display our EVs so that visitors to the Capital can see just how affordable, obtainable and ubiquitous Electric Cars have finally become!

Everyone Welcome

At each event, we hope to have opportunities to test drive our electric cars including, in Herndon and Washington, CO2Fre, yours truly's very own Nissan LEAF.  So come one, come all, see how easy it is to plug in your car at the 2013 International Plug-In Day events!  And if you'd like to show off your car, just click on the link at the start of each event to register with the Plug-In Website.  Hope to see you there, and thank you!

EV Taxicabs failure can be blamed chiefly on one, corrupt politician

In a recent article in the Sun-Gazette, Arlington Board of Supervisors member Libby Garvey was praised for standing up to Supervisor Christopher Zimmerman in a case of clear conflict of interest.  Having closely followed the proceedings which led to the denial of EV Taxicabs bid to win a licence to operate in Arlington by a vote of 2 to 3, I would lay more blame on Mr. Zimmerman than any other county Board member for this fiasco in county political history.  Zimmerman was EV Taxicab's chief opponent with a naïve, prejudged opinion, which derived from a failure to even read a line of supporting documentation, leading to his inane decision to fail to support and argue against Jay Fisette's and Garvey's seconded motion.  The proposal was to support EV Taxicabs bid for merely 40 new cabs, less than 5% of the overall fleet, in exchange for free infrastructure that the citizens of Arlington could all benefit from at liberty.  The equipment EV Taxicabs would have been providing would all have been installed without any taxpayer money being spent, and where Arlington Businesses could have taken advantage by luring in folks like me who drive an Electric Car and would therefore have an excuse to visit the county, as I've written about before.  There's a reason the EVA/DC didn't consider meeting in Arlington in 2013 for any of it's monthly meetings and that's more than anything thanks to Mr. Zimmerman's myopic view toward Arlington's better future and financial benefit.  So shame on Mr. Zimmerman for failing to take advantage of one of the best deals in County history and thank you to Ms. Garvey for standing behind Mr. Fisette in supporting it.

Incoming chair J. Walter Tejeda, please be advised I know you're trying to keep an opened mind on this whole EV thing so please keep learning because I know eventually with enough knowledge you'll be on our side, standing with Jay Fisette and Libby Garvey against the FUD of Mr. Zimmerman and Mary Hynes.  That's why I'd encourage Arlington voters to cease their support for the politician who works against their common interest.  Christopher Zimmerman must go!

Please note the opinions expressed in this article are purely those of the author and do not reflect the positions of any Arlington County Board members, the EVA/DC or EV Taxicabs except where explicitly noted.

More Level 2 Charging coming to Maryland

Last Friday, a woman calling herself Amanda on the MyNissanLEAF forum posted an urgent request for help in organizing the distribution of one hundred Level 3 Charging Stations.  Needless to say, this caused quite a local buzz as these would be the first L3 Chargers South of the Mason-Dixon Line East of the Mississippi, outside of Tennessee and certainly the first in the Mid-Atlantic region.  Between that and my copy of the Diablo III Collector's Edition arriving it has been one incredible weekend for this EV Reporter!

Amanda reported that the stations in question will be the ChargePoint Level 3, CHAdeMO / SAE J1772-DC dual-gang equipment as pictured.  While the QuickCharge Wars rage between TEPCO's CHAdeMO and the SAE's J1772-DC extension heat up, this unit hedges its bets by supporting both, making everyone happy.  Great choice!

After a bit of digging I found more information about the company Amanda represents.  Thier full name is actually EV Green Stream and they're a Baltimore-based company.  I spoke with Zack at EV Green Stream and he confirms they're looking for homes for about 30 or so units, but nothing is concrete until contracts are signed.  However, some urgency must be added because they need to have signed documents by 1 June so it behoves us all to help out and make sure those wonderful L3 stations find homes that our Nissan LEAFs and Mitsubishi iMiEVs would like to visit!

But wait, the title says Level 2, not Level 3!?

You are very astute or just read the comments and realized that we were in fact being taken for a ride.  You see, on Monday, after I'd posted this, Amanda amended her request to say that in fact it was one hundred Level 2 stations being installed, not Level 3.  Yes, she confirmed Level 3 on Friday even after someone posted a link to the unit pictured above, but what's done is done, and now we know the truth.  Level 2, though great, is pretty common in Maryland and to a lesser extend in Virginia—less so in Washington D.C. since most of the units there are in garages that aren't even opened on weekends.  None the less, we should all help to give these Level 2 stations homes even if they're not quick charging.

But there is a catch; the locations must conform to the following rules:

1. They have to be installed in the State of Maryland somewhere.
2. They have to be accessible to the public (this is supposed to be infrastructure buildout.)
3. It cannot be in an automotive dealership.
4. It has to be a commercial business.
5. We will charge for the installation but the charger is free.
6. We have to have a signed contract on installation by June 1^st.

So, no locations in Virginia, Deleware, West Virginia or Pennsylvania!  Also, note that Amanda estimates the cost of installation to be about $3,000.  As for the electricity cost, we know the LEAF for instance takes about 20kWh to go from 0% to 80% on a quick charge (more like 16kWh according to some posts in the MyNissanLEAF forum) and at 13^¢⁄_kWh that's only $2.60 at Level 2, the Nissan LEAF draws about 3.8kW of electricity so in one hour that represents about 49.8¢ based on 13^¢⁄_kWh, the regional average rate.  For the Ford Focus Electric with its 6.6kW charger, it comes to about 85.8¢ but most EVSEs can't put out more energy than that so at $1.⁰⁰ per hour, you won't be making the LEAF and Volt (3.3kW) drivers happy but at least the Focus Electric folks are getting their money's worth.  Overall not a huge loss for the free advertising you get on sites like PlugShare.

Now, for me, my main goal would be to see them put in at the National Harbor, where they held the first Nissan LEAF event in the area and as the perfect first rest stop on the I95 corridor in Maryland going North.  I've also suggested Maryland House and Chesapeake House—need to contact HMS Host about that— but they don't really make sense for Level 2, only Level 3 as people don't stay there for hours.  Others on the MyNissanLEAF forum have suggested the US Route 50 corridor and I would add the I270 / I70 corridor and a site around Bethesda.  Finally, I'd suggest one in Silver Spring where we hold the EVA/DC meetings, though alas not the Library as the Library isn't a commercial business—and hopefully not The Blairs if they're gonna have the same connectivity problems the current EVSEs there do.  What would you suggest?

Oooh!  So excited!  Squee!

Almost made the 100 mile club…

Coming back from the EVA/DC meeting yesterday I almost achieve what I thought impossible: entry into the elusive 100 mi club.  Normally when I attend the EVA/DC in CO2 Fre Nissan LEAF I need to top off but thanks to my LogCARWINGS.py script I was able to verify after a half-hour of battery leveling my LEAF settle on 70.091 mi (112.800 km) range under normal drive (though I drive ECO) or 58.876 mi (94.752 km) with climate control.  In the spring I generally don't use climate control and a quick check on Google showed that the trip home with the stop off in Silver Spring would only be about 54.1 mi (87.1 km) so I should be able to make it.

This, after all, is the ideal option because when I charge at Silver Spring, I have to use the Sema Connect stations at the Blairs and pay $3.00 for three hours of charging when I only need about one.  Of course, that assumes they're actually able to communicate with the network that night, otherwise I don't get to go home!  And yes, that had happened but my friends at the EVA/DC had helped me out so of course I had arrived home and am able to tell you about it.  Thanks to Bryan and Rob (that's Bryan's Volt in the picture to the left), we had been able to get CO2 Fre the necessary electricity even though the sun had long since set at the solar EVSE at Suntrust in Bethesda.  Needless to say I don't like those EVSEs at the Blairs.

Yesterday I got home with 9 miles (14 km) left in ECO mode and one bar remaining.  I didn't even get to the first low battery warning.  But the car did report 6:30 of Level 2 Charging (18 hours of Level 1, 19 after the battery leveling 40 minutes later).  Since I try to keep my charge window at 01:00–06:00 to avoid higher electricity rates, my car finished charging with 30 minutes of Level 2 (50 minutes of Level 1) remaining and eleven of twelve bars.  Knowing that I could probably manage a normal commute with ninety percent battery charge I decided to risk leaving without topping off.  I'm guessing I should have no problem getting home as my car now reads seven out of twelve bars and 3:00 hours of Level 2 charging (8:30 of Level 1), more than half a pack.

The official registrar of the 100 mi / 161 km club is the MyNissanLEAF community which works on the honor system.  As I can't say what I started with nor remember exactly what I ended with even if I had driven 100 mi I wouldn't post it unless I could be sure.  But it's nice to know even with my mostly highway driving that goal is possible.  Who knows, maybe someday.

EVA/DC May 2012 Meeting

EVA/DC Meetup

Dear Electric Vehicle (EV) fans and members, Please join our rowdy crew on Wed, May 16 from 7–9 PM and stay for networking afterwards as long as you like.

Please forward this message to others you think might be interested.

Unfortunately, I have a business trip out of town that I could not avoid, so I will not be in attendance, nor will our VP Eric Cardwell, so our President Emeritus and Program Director, Dave Goldstein, will be leading the discussion, with your help.

Here is what I think we should have on the agenda:

1. Jean Gough from 350Green will discuss their plans for chargers.
2. Chip Gribben and updates on the 200 mile per hour motorcycle in the &fra14; mile drag race.  Finished in under 7 seconds.  Gobs of postings on this.  Chip will fill us in.
3. Bryan Murtha has updates on our EVADC license plates for MD.  Bring your checkbook.
4. Lanny Hartman will tell us about the Maplelawn meet up of EV owners/leasors.
5. George Lopez, Doron Shalvi, Dave Goldstein and others who brought EVs to the Solar and Wind Expo in Timonium MD this last weekend will tell us about how it went.
6. John Alder and Lanny have purchased Th!ink all electric cars for the LOW LOW price of $15,000 after the federal tax credit.  Wow.  As seen at the Solar and Wind Expo.  I drove it.  Feels good.  2 seater.

Hang on Charlie.  I guess you were in a hurry here: it's the Mitsubishi iMiev that's a 2-seater.  the Th!nk is a 4-seat (2+2) coupe.  Okay, my good friend and Th!nk driver Lanny has set me straight.  His Th!nk is definitely a two-seater and I've certainly been in an iMiEV 4 seat sedan.  In any case, moving on…

7. I'm sure I forgot some important items, but you all can work it out.  See you next time.

Charlie Garlow… and now it is joke time!  Get ready for groaners:

• I got a job at a bakery because I kneaded dough.
• Velcro is a rip off!
• A cartoonist was found dead in his home.  Details are sketchy.
• Venison for dinner again?  Oh deer!
• The earthquake in Washington obviously was the government's fault.
• They found a body covered in corn flakes.  They suspect a serial killer
• I'm reading a book about anti-gravity.  Its impossible to put down.
• Need an ark to save two of every animal?  I Noah guy.

Very punny Charlie. 

Also of note I'll be bringing my newest, oldest charger to show off my NEMA flexibility!

EV Gathering in Maple Lawn

Tomorrow's EV Gathering in Maple Lawn is going to be fun.

We are expecting some interesting classic and brand new EVs that you may not have seen yet.  Bryan will be coming in his 2002 Toyota RAV4 EV.  Toyota will be announcing the new RAV4 Electric next week, come see the original!  Mark will be driving a Ford Transit Connect Electric van up from Virginia.  We will have one of the first Mitsubishi iMiEVs to arrive in the area.  You will also see several of only a handful of Th!nk City electric cars that are in private ownership in the US.

Come on out Saturday between 10:00 and noon. Bring lawn chairs and sunscreen.  Let us know beforehand if you are coming from such a distance that you will need a long charge to get home so that we can help arrange that.

EV Gathering/Coffee Meetup

Saturday, May 5, 2012, 10:00 AM
Parking lot with charging stations near Sidamo Coffee
8170 Maple Lawn Blvd, Fulton, MD

Maryland Volts

View Larger Map

Thank you Lanny and good luck!&nbps; Sounds like the best meetup yet.

EVA/DC January 2012 Meeting

Hi EV maniacs!

Please share this invitation with your friends/listservs.

Our January meeting will be on Wed Jan 18 from 7 - 9 PM at the Silver Spring, MD public library on Colesville Road, just inside the Beltway and only 4 blocks north of the Silver Spring METRO.  We will endeavor to start and finish on time, but there will be plenty of time for the best part of the meeting, BS-ing, before and after the planned agenda.

Draft Agenda

1. The DC Auto Show is in late January at the Convention Center and we want to be there.  Eric Cardwell, ace VP of our club, is heading up this operation.  Lots of good ideas are percolating already.
2. EV license plates and membership categories. Bryan Murtha will update us.
3. New EVs coming to market: Tesla Model S, Model X?, iMiev, Ford Focus EV, Toyota PHEV
4. Who bought/leased a new EV? Any issues?
5. Charging stations: New ones, Where, Issues?
6. Reveng of the Electric Car.  Movie premier in Baltimore.  How did it go?
7. Charging at work with 110 volt outlets.  Cheap.  Bob Bruninga update.
8. California ZEV and Federal MPG standards.  How does this affect EVs?
9. Other agenda items you want to discuss?

Charlie Garlow, your Prez and a host of fantastic volunteers.

How about the property tax rate in Fairfax, Virginia?

P.S.

Just a reminder about tomorrow (Wednesday's) EVADC Meeting.  And to say that we got some feedback on topics, including questions about the Chevy Volt and any difficulties, including the fire controversy [overblown, in my opinion].  Here is the previous message.  Please forward to others.  Bring a friend.

Couldn't agree more, Charlie!

The EVA/DC 2011 Holiday Party

All are welcome to join in at the 2011 EVA/DC holiday party this Wednesday, 21 December 2011, 19:00 at the Patent Office in Alexandria, Virginia.  Food will be provided and there will be a bowl if you wish to contribute to defray the costs.  You'll also have an opportunity to join the EVA/DC with a tax-deductible donation to the organization, though that isn't required to attend.

I'm especially happy to hear my friend Mahi Reddy will be speaking about his company SemaConnect which now has a contract for 1400 EVSEs in the Washington and Baltimore region thanks to 350Green!  Well done Mahi!

Now here's EVA/DC president Charlie Garlow to tell you more!

We are pleased and privileged to tell you that Mahi Reddy of Semaconnect has accepted our invitation to be our keynote speaker.

Mahi has been a long time EVADC member, and after he joined, formed his new EV Charging Station company, Semaconnect, out of Annapolis.  www.semaconnect.com

Mahi will be sharing with us his vision for EV infrastructure roll-out and EV markets, and anything else he wants to talk about!

Please RSVP if you are coming and how many friends you will be bringing.  Can't come?  Time to send some love: http://www.evadc.org/members.html

Update: Veggie and meat lasagnas will be the main course.  Beverages of various "octanes".  Salad.  Desserts.  Want to bring a special dish?  RSVP.

Here are the details we sent you earlier for the Holiday Party

---

Hello everyone,

You are invited to the 2011 EVADC Holiday Party.  I have secured the National Inventors Hall of Fame and Museum at the Patent and Trademark Office in lovely Alexandria, VA for our party.  The event will be on December 21st, starting sharply at 7:00pm and going until 10:00pm.  The museum is located directly inside the Madison Building located at 600 Dulany St, Alexandria, VA, 22314.  The location is metro accessible from King St. Metro.  There are two Level-2 Chargers located within a short walking distance from the PTO as well as there are plenty of 110 outlets located in the adjacent parking garages.

The National Inventors Hall of Fame and Museum features a display of the 460 National Inventors Hall of Fame Inductees.  Large panels present the names of all Inductees, and an interactive kiosk allows visitors to learn more about each Inductee.  The Hall of Fame and kiosk shares with visitors the significance of the inductees’ life-changing work and also the importance of their induction into the National Inventors Hall of Fame.  The Museum currently features: Exercising Ingenuity: Inventions in Health and Fitness.  This new exhibition is a tribute to the importance the health, fitness, and nutrition industries have played in American lives over the years.  Exercising Ingenuity highlights the historic advances, current trends, and future technologies relating to a healthier body and mind.

Further details, including food, and detailed maps including location for the meeting and chargers will follow shortly. If anyone has any food ideas they would like to bring please contact me directly.

Mark your calendars and bring friends.  RSVP with the number of people coming.

Have a great week,

Eric Cardwell
Vice President EVADC

Charlie Garlow,
President, EVADC

Dave Goldstein,
President Emeritus, EVADC

and a cast of thousands.

View Patent Office Parking in a larger map

Walking from the King's Street Metro?

We've got you covered:

I hope everyone can make it to the holiday party at the USPTO this Wednesday. I highly recommend taking metro since it is very convenient. The USPTO is about a 7 minute walk from the metro.

When you arrive at King street and exit through the main metro station doors you should be looking at the kiss and ride parking lot and the bus pickup. Across the street you will see the Embassy Suits hotel. When you exit the King street station, just follow the side walk to your right, it will take you up a short hill and from there you will see a red light and main busy intersection of Duke street, just keep walking to the right and follow the side walk through big iron gates, it will lead you down to an underground tunnel that will take you under Duke street so that you don't have to cross that busy intersection. When you come out the other side just continue to follow the side walk (to the right). You will come up on another red light. Continue walking straight across. Follow the side walk straight a block further and you should be within the USPTO Campus with a green grassy middle area surrounded by buildings. Straight a head of you should be a building with a huge glass atrium, that is the madison building, just keep following the side walk until you get to the main entrance of that building. When you enter madison building, turn right and there is the USPTO Museum where the meeting will be held.

The EV Project in Washington, D.C.

For a number of months as I've read wonderful news about the progress ECOTality has made with The EV Project in terms of both improving the charging infrastructure here in the United States as well as working with we EV owners to try and learn how a typical EV Driver uses his EV.  One of the ways ECOTality is helping EV Owners is by providing them with the free installation and use of an EVSE in their home.  In return, via a networking connection on the EVSE and the car, the EV owner provides The EV Project with detailed statistics on their vehicle's at-home and around town charging pattern.

The EV Project has been very active on the West Coast in California, Oregon, Washington and Arizona as well as Texas and Tennessee.  They've worked closely with both Nissan LEAF and Chevrolet Volt buyers to identify homes which qualify for their program.  In these states, ECOTality contracted Blink to provide the EVSEs for the program.  However, the Washington, D.C. region has been mysteriously absent from all but a handful of press releases.  In fact its hard to find any press release about the capital region beyond the one announcing the region's addition.

For months now I've been trying to get answers from ECOTality as to why there's been no news of installations in the D.C. region.  Yet every inquiry I made was met with silence.  And until recently I thought I was alone in this curiosity, but the topic is now become quite popular in the Capital LEAF Owners Facebook page as well as among the EVA/DC members.  So I was happy to finally hear back from Robert Nowaczewski from the Blink Network Support with some information that can finally shed some light on The EV Project in D.C.

officially only the Chevy Volt qualifies… not even the Nissan LEAF

It turns out that The EV Project won't will be using Blink chargers for the home EVSE program; the SPX EVSE isn't part of the program.  However, they are subcontracting the installation to SPX.  SPX produces the the official EVSE recommended by GM for the Chevy Volt.  What's more, officially only the Chevy Volt qualifies under The EV Project in the D.C. region, not even the Nissan LEAF.

The reason for this is likely due to Nissan's seven month delay in opening up orders for the D.C. region.  But now the LEAFs are popping up like weeds in the D.C. region and there's no excuse why this car can't also be part of the project in the nation's capital.  Unfortunately, this isn't the only injury the LEAF delay has caused.

As for which zip codes qualify for The EV Project, these need to come from SPX.  I've yet to hear from Mr. Nowaczewski or SPX with a list of qualifying codes.  Thus, I'm unable to provide any details for Chevy Volt owners to apply, however I will update this post when new information arises.

Come see Revenge of the Electric Car

Come to the Washington, D.C. premier of Chris Paine's latest documentary, Revenge of the Electric Car tonight at the E Street Cinema at 7:45.  If you missed it's first showing in Silver Spring, MD earlier this year, now's the perfect opportunity to see the best film this year!

And as a special treat tonight there'll be a special panel after the film that the EVA/DC will be holding where you can get special insight into the latest in Electric Vehicle news, advocacy and information.  Finally, join us outside for a tour of some of the group's member's own EVs, including the Smart ED and, hopefully, even CO₂ Fre, my very own Nissan LEAF.

So come on down to the E Street Cinema and see automotive future in the making!

Capital Area Nissan LEAF Owners Group & Meetup

I've been looking into setting up a meetup for all you Northern Virginian, Washington D.C. and Southern Marylanders to gather and talk shop about their brand-spanking new Nissan LEAFs.  Although I considered using Meetup.com for this like I do my Reston Writers Roundup where I share my work on Project Kronosphere, I decided that since Facebook would give this too me for free, that's the best place to begin this organization.  So hop on down to the Capital Area Nissan LEAF Owners group and help me plan our first official meeting!  Not on Facebook?  We also have a Yahoo! discussion and planning mailing list at Capital Area LEAF Owners!

Of course, if you don't want to do this through the behemoth that is Facebook, please suggest another site in the comments as I'm truly agnostic about the how or the where save that we'll typically meet in Northern Virginia since my beloved EVA/DC typically meets in Southern Maryland.

The EVA/DC October Meeting in Silver Spring, MD

Recently elected president of the EVA/DC and my friend Charlie Garlow has published information about the next EVA/DC meeting this Wednesday.  The meeting is at the Silver Spring Library, opened to the public and all are invited!  His invitation is as follows:

Dear EVeryone, Please forward this email far and wide. Bring your friends.

What a great time we had this weekend at the National Plug In Day on the Capitol Mall at 3rd and Pennsylvania Ave NW.
Great cars, and e-bikes/e-scooters, and great people joined the great weather. Does it get any better than this?
Three Volts, one LEAF, one Smart, one Solar Prius, one RAV4EV, one Tesla, one BMW Z3 EV, one Chevy S-10, two Vectrixes [Vectri?], two A2B e-bikes. Phil's three wheel leaning trike, other leaning e-trikes, what else did I forget? Oh, and the honky tonk band, the Capitol Hillbillies on piano, harmonica and guitar.

For some photos on the action, go to http://www.flickr.com/photos/npid2011/page11/

October Meeting of the Electric Vehicle Association of Greater Washington, DC. www.evadc.org is this Wednesday, Oct 19, 7:00 PM at the usual Silver Spring, MD public library. Pizza and beverages will be available as usual, but if you really want to bring in your home-baked apple crisp with brown sugar, I won't object @!! It is harvest season.

Agenda:
Recap of last month's EVents, including

1. the National Plug in Day events all around the US. Joe Lado and others tell all.
2. Jr Solar Sprint races in Arlington, VA. Doron Shalvi and Charlie Garlow.
3. 3. Solar Home Tour on Oct 1 - 2. Rob Neighbour, Bryan Murtha, Mark the Sparkie and others talk EVs and PV.
4. 4. Solar Decathlon EV Workshop on Oct 2. Bob Bruninga and Eric Cardwell.
5. 5. Public Outreach efforts. Speech at the Rotary Club. Dave Goldstein at conferences.
6. 6. Others I forgot?

Plans for upcoming events: Univ of MD EVent on November 16 and a field trip to Frederick, MD to see the Merit Builders' solar canopy charging system.
Your topics that you want to bring up....charging? Prices for new EVs? Lease vs. sale?

EVs for Sale.

1. Peter Jancik is selling his converted 1999 white Chevy S-10 pickup truck Cell 202-413-1797. Asking $6500, but it is worth more than that in parts.
2. Suhas Malghan is selling his black MR2 asking $7500. 40kW continuous, 90kW peak Siemens AC motor, EVision, Brusa charger and I have spares to redo the front suspension among other things. Not yet running, but Suhas is working on the capacitors. This is an oversized motor. Zoom. Pictures are at http://turanga.com/blog/?page_id=31
3. thegreencommuter.net in Takoma Park, MD is selling all sorts of e-bikes and e-scooters.

Charlie Garlow, President
Dave Goldstein, President Emeritus
Eric Cardwell, Vice President
gobs of other officers and EV advocates.

View Larger Map

Note: Like the Tyson's Pimmit Library, the Silver Spring Library extremely difficult to find mainly because as you go up Route 29 / Colesville Road you pass the entrance first and then see the sign for the library on your right.  The entrance is behind a tall office building and looks like an entrance to that office block's parking lot, which is why it's so easy to miss.  Shame on Silver Spring for the design!

Unfortunately I missed the National Plug-In Day event on the Capital Mall due to a Rhinovirus who's but I'm currently kicking up to Kathmandu!  And more unfortunately I'm going to miss this EVA/DC meeting because this Wednesday's my HOA's annual public meeting where I, as acting president (since the official president is out on travel) will be running the show and preparing my community for new rules which will finally allow Photovoltaic and Solar-Thermal water heating in our association!  I'm sad to miss my friends at the EVA/DC again this month but I know they all wish me luck as we make my home a little more green!

Addendum

Charlie adds:

Dear EVeryone, again,

As usual, Phil Foss with his incredible 1909 digital camera, has once again come up with the best video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lpk71BjSjqc&feature=youtu.be

And another agenda item. How could I have forgotten the Chevy Volt Meet-up at Lincoln Theater's back parking lot, featuring Alexandra Paul, Hollywood star and EV Activist who got arrested in Who Killed the Electric Car?, and featuring Bryan Murtha and Joe Lado with their Chevy Volts, and a host of other EVers in attendance. Everyone got to drive the Volt. What a night ! Alexandra Paul gave me her Hello I'm Alexandra Paul sticker, which I will keep forever.

Charlie

To be quite honest, Alexandra and her green activism makes her one of my heroes so thank you for the update Charlie and though I don't always speak highly of the Volt, I do think overall it's a wonderful car for those Americans with a 30 mile or less commute, unlike me.

And finally, Peter, the owner of the Chevy S-10 Pickup wanted to add that his vehicle is available for auction on eBay:

Thank you very much for mentioning my truck in the e-newsletter. I was wondering if it would be possible to let know EVA/DC members that the converted S10 1999 will be sold for $3250 or more on eBay. Here is the link to the auction:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=300610524303

If the car will be bought by EVA/DC member I will contribute 2% to EVA/DC.

Thank you,
Peter Jancik

Maryland forges ahead as a leader in EV Preparedness

New Study Outlines Alternative Energy Options

A new report by WJZ, the main CBS affiliate in Baltimore, MD, has a new story about how Maryland is leading the charge to charge your electric vehicle!

Featured in this story is my friend and fellow EVA/DC member Mahi Reddy, CEO of SemaConnect EV Technology.  Congratulations to Mahi for an excellent interview and for SemaConnect for helping make Maryland a leader in the green revolution!

Meet your Dealership: Brown's Fairfax Nissan

Welcome to Brown's Fairfax Nissan, in Fairfax, VA

On Tuesday, 15 March, I dropped by Brown's Fairfax Nissan to test drive, for my very first time, the all-new, fully electric Nissan LEAF.

I was running a little late that very busy Tuesday and, turning a corner, I arrived at Brown's around 09:30.

I promptly parked in the customer parking lot to the left of the main building.

The Sales Manager, James was actually out testing the LEAF when I arrived so I wasn't able to see the car when I approached the building.  Instead, I entered their lovely showroom.

In the showroom, I met the Nissan North America representative, Dylan — who was also the person who conducted the EVA/DC the following Saturday.

I chatted with Dylan briefly, unable to contain me clear love for this particular electric vehicle, then asked to see the dealership's LEAF expert.  This is when I met Sharon.

Sharon Connacher-Donovan has been working for Brown's Fairfax Nissan for 27 years and can boast a 98% customer satisfaction rating, receiving the Platinum Level award.  I then went to explore the dealership while I waited for James to get back with the Blue LEAF.

When I saw the Calling All Visionaries sign, I became quite excited — my first test drive of the LEAF was coming…

The Customer Waiting Lounge at Brown's Fairfax Nissan is quite comfortable and there's a large, flat-screen television which you can see to the left of the photo.

The lounge is capacious and seats about 15 people.

Between the customer lounge and the showroom is a play area for the little ones.

There's also your standard assortment of yummy snacks.

And of course, though you won't need a regular oil change with the LEAF, their friendly service staff are well equipped to solve your electric vehicle needs.

Of course, the big question for the prospective EV owner is where are the EVSEs?  Well, Sharon pointed the first 2 out to me right there in plain sight, at the left corner of the building.  They only have the Level 2 AeroVironment chargers at all the Nissan Dealership and I must admit this EVSE is pretty.

And there's a third located on the exact opposite side of the building, near the back.

You can't go wrong with Brown's Fairfax Nissan and you can find no better sales specialist than Sharon.  When you buy from Brown's Fairfax Nissan, you become a friend for the life of your vehicle.  Sharon is very knowledgeable and can answer all of your LEAF-related question.  The customer service at Brown's Fairfax Nissan is excellent and I'm sure you'll be as happy with them as I was during my test drive.

Finally, James arrived back with the Blue LEAF and I finally got behind the wheel of my first LEAF, with Sharon by my side, which I'll discuss in another post.

Brown's Fairfax Nissan is located at:

11000 Main Street
Fairfax, VA 22030
703-591-8009

View Brown's Fairfax Nissan in a larger map

Brown's Fairfax Nissan, your neighborhood Nissan Dealer.  Welcome!

More Visionaries needed!

Come Test Drive the Nissan LEAF at Criswell Nissan in Germantown, MD!

Sometimes, it's great to be wrong!  It looks like if you can't be in Silver Spring on Tuesday, 15 March to test Drive the all-electric Nissan LEAF, why not try Criswell in Germantown?

Of course, I can't say I'm surprised.  I knew the Drive Electric Tour had more than one car and figured multiple dealerships would be getting it on the same day.  Criswell has been a friend to the EVA/DC for a while and is my favorite Chevy Volt dealer in the area so naturaly if there were any spares, they'd be one of the dealerships to get one.  They also support the MSRP guarentee on the Volt, which is more than you can say about most Volt dealers!  I'm only sad that I didn't hear it directly from them.

As you may recall, I contacted 30 of the area Nissan dealers last December about providing free space to pimp their dealership.  So far, only a few dealership have replied; most of them have merely sent promotional materials for their other cars.  Herb Gordon stayed on point, and I have a good relationship with Brown's Sterling Nissan.  But in this case, Criswell Nissan didn't bother to reply to my inquiries or contact me, ever.

But that's water under the bridge, folks, because I happen to like Criswell's dealerships, especially Criswell Chevrolet and Criswell Nissan and now I'm very happy to pass on an invitation to you brought to my attention thanks to the EVA/DC:

New Nissan LEAF Electric Car at Criswell Nissan Dealer in Germantown, MD

The Criswell Nissan LEAF Test Drive Event will be Tuesday March 15, 2011

We will provide you the opportunity to learn all about the Nissan LEAF. You will be shown the highlights, attributes and benefits of this ground breaking 100% electric ZERO Emissions car.

But the best part is that you can drive the car for yourself! You will be able to drive the car on a pre-determined course with a ‘co-pilot’ to answer your questions and show you all the interior features of the car.

Due to time limitations each LEAF Test Drive will be by appointment only.

Please call 888-475-1240 to schedule your LEAF Test Drive.

Join us on Tuesday March 15, 2011 and be one of the first to drive a Nissan LEAF!

(Only those with a registered drive time will be guaranteed a test drive. Non-registered guests will be able to drive the LEAF on a first come first served basis or can experience the LEAF as a passenger).

The site continues with information about the car that you can read there.  All in all, this is great news for the week of 14 March, the week of the Washington, D.C. LEAF!

Help make Maryland EV Friendlier

Support for 3 bills currently before the Maryland Senate

In the current session of the Maryland Senate there are three important bills which will effect EV drivers in the state.  At this month's EVA/DC public meeting, group vice-present, the extremely affable Charlie Garlow brought to my attention these bills and as we both support these issue, with his permission I am reproducing them here. As I don't actually live in Maryland I don't have a state Delegate or Senator in the Maryland General Assembly, I don't have anyone in the legislative branch to whom I can write, but I'd be happy to address letters of this nature to the Governor's office as a concerned citizen of a neighboring state, but as he proposed these bills, I'd just be preaching to the choir.  I would encourage anyone in the state of Maryland to look up your Delegate and Senator and send them a letter like the ones below to encourage them to pass laws that will keep Maryland green!

Electric Companies - Pilot Program for Charging Electric Vehicles (SB 179)

Requiring the Public Service Commission to establish a pilot program for charging electric vehicles by June 30, 2013; authorizing an electric company to request to participate in the pilot program; requiring the pilot program to include incentives for residential, commercial, and governmental customers to recharge electric vehicles in ways that will accomplish specified goals; and requiring the Commission to report to the Governor and the General Assembly on the program by February 1, 2015.

Dominion Virginia Power is proactively developing new Electric Vehicle Residential rates, part 1 of which is available in a previous post, and it only seems fair that the state of Maryland should consider the same.  Currently, 6 power utilities (PU) operate in Maryland:

• PEPCO
• BG&E
• Delmarva Power
• Allegheny Power
• Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative
• Choptank Electric Cooperative

Of these, PEPCO and BG&E are the biggest.  This bill would act similarly to the Dominion Virginia Power EV pilot program in that it would establish special billing rates for a limited number of homes with electric vehicles.  It would then monitory electricity usage by these homes in order to establish a long-term resource requirements as the number of homes with electric vehicles increases within the state.

As of 17 February, the bill has passed the Maryland Senate on its third reading but has yet to be taken up by the Maryland House of Delegates.  The text of the bill can be found here.

Maryland Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Council (SB 176)

Establishing the Maryland Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Council; specifying the membership and staffing of the Council; requiring the Governor to designate the chair or cochairs of the Council; prohibiting members of the Council from receiving specified compensation, but authorizing the reimbursement of specified expenses; requiring the Council to submit an interim and a final report by specified dates; defining terms; etc.

This bill would establish a commission to investigate the needs of the state of Maryland in support of an increasing Electric Vehicle population in the state.  The main focus will be to establish public Electric Vehicle Service Equipment (EVSE) stations at locations convenient for on-the-go charging.  The establishment of such a panel will go far to mollify the fallacy of range anxiety.  What's more, there's a good chance my friend Charlie could be appointed to this committee, and as vice-president of the EVSE he's well-versed about the needs of electric vehicle owners on Maryland.

As of this post, this bill is stuck in the Maryland Senate Finance Committee since 26 January.  Sending letters to both your state Senators and state Delegates will go a long way to moving this bill through the general assembly.  The text of the bill can be found here.

Income Tax - Tax Credit for Electric Vehicle Recharging Equipment (SB 177)

Allowing a State income tax credit for tax years 2011, 2012, and 2013 only, for 20% of the cost of qualified electric vehicle recharging equipment placed in service by a taxpayer during a taxable year; providing for administration of the tax credit by the Maryland Energy Administration; limiting the credit to taxpayers receiving initial tax credits from the Administration; limiting the tax credit to $400 for each individual recharging system; etc.

This bill has piqued the most interest for me personally.  When the EVSE Tax Credit was extended in 2010, it was restored to its pre-2009 levels of 30%, $1,000 max.  This meant that, effectively, the credit has been reduced your credit by 20% of your original installation value between 2010 and 2011.  SB 177 plugs that gap by restoring that 20%, up to $400, when you file your Maryland state taxes.  Although I've already taken my credit (though have yet to file), many people in Maryland are waiting for when they can buy an electric car, and 2011 is looking good here, so it's very likely if you're buying an EV in 2011, you'll want to install an EVSE in 2011.  Thus, this credit should be quite popular this year.

What's more, as I stated in a previous post, many people won't be able to declare the EVSE tax credit in 2011 if they buy an EV the same year.  What's more, if one installs photovoltaics or other Residential energy credits, one could also easily face the AMT pitfall.  Thus, for many people, this credit for one's Maryland taxes may be the only tax credit one sees for the purchase of an EVSE in 2011.

As of this post, the bill is stuck in the Maryland Senate Budget and Taxation Committee since 26 January.  Sending letters to both your state Senators and state Delegates will go a long way to moving this bill through the general assembly.  The text of the bill can be found here.

Opened Letter

This open letter was written by Charlie Garlow and is provided as a sample for you to use, which I have modified slightly, to compose your own letter to your state Delegate, state Senator and Governor Martin O'Malley.  You can find your Delegate and Senator here or simply call 1-800-492-7122.  So show your support for making Maryland an EV friendlier state and write today!

To:

Members of the Maryland House of Delegates, Members of the Maryland Senate Annapolis, MD 21401

Dear Governor, Senators and Delegates,

I am an electric vehicle owner and advocate and urge for your support for SB 179, which would establish a pilot program for residential electric vehicle charging, SB 176, which would set up a commission to improve Maryland's electric vehicle infrastructure and SB 177, which would enact an electric vehicle service equipment (EVSE) tax credit to supplement the credit reduced by the federal government in 2011 and would still be available when faced with the Alternative Minimum Tax elimination of the credit at the federal level. I ask for you to vote for these bills, sponsored by the Governor because it will promote clean, electric transportation in Maryland and will make Maryland a leader in new technologies, drawing more clean inductry and jobs to our state.

Sincerely,
Your name, address and e-mail

First LEAF, First Smart Electric and the Solar Prius

First Electric Smart Car Delivered to Silver Spring Woman

My friend Mindy is the proud owner of the first, number 1 of 250, absolutely fresh off the factory floor, before any other in all of the American Hemisphere, Smart For Two Electric Drive.  She is the Gudy / Olivier (alt) of the East Coast and quite frankly my hero!  Now, Mindy didn't create Azureus but like Olivier, who took ownership of the very first consumer-level production Nissan LEAF on 11 December 2010, Mindy signed the lease that would make history.  At the Smart Dealership in Tyson's Corner, Virginia, Mindy braved the the nightmare Washington Snow Day of 26 January 2011 to attend an event featuring Penske Automotive Chairman Roger Penske And Smart USA President Jill Lajdziak.  And as a show of the tremendous dedication of Mindy to the Electric Vehicle movement and the Electric Vehicle Association of Washington, can you guess what Mindy did after the ceremony?

Well, sir, what she did was load that brand, spanking new first in the Hemisphere Smart Electric onto a truck and have it carted into Washington, D.C. for display at the Washington Auto Show!  Now that's dedication!

Solar Powered Cars

An interesting question (well, technically an aspiration) is posted at the end of the article about Mindy's car linked above:

FuzzyDemons wrote:

now with a soalr panel on top and generators on the axles it could almost have an unlimited range

Now, as anyone who spends 5 minutes talking to me knows, I'm in love with the idea of going Electric and living off-grid on Solar / Photovoltaic, Geothermal and Wind energy.  I'll probably never be able to achieve that in my lifetime, but it's a deep-rooted aspiration for which I pine — if only my HOA would approve Solar Panels… but that's a story for another day.  As it is, I thought it worth replying to FuzzyDemons to try and instill some reality in our collective dreams of free energy and decided to post this response, which I reproduced for you here:

FuzzyDemons,

You really should visit us at the D.C. Auto Show where you can see Mindy's car and sometimes even Mindy in person at the EVA/DC display ( http://www.evadc.org/ ).  You'll recognize us by the spider-translucent Tesla Roadster and the RAV 4 EV from the Wikipedia Page; but what I want to point out to you is the Solar Prius that our friend Bob Bruninga constructed right next to Mindy's Smart for Two EV.

You see, the Solar Prius has a number of photovoltaic cells covering its entire top surface, including the hood.  Now, solar cells have advanced in the years since he's done this but turning sunlight directly into electrical potential is a tricky business.  So don't be surprised when I tell you that after 8 hours in the sun, Bob's Prius gets about 4 miles of additional range.

You see, the surface area of a car is pretty small.  Yes, a well-constructed vehicle could increase its surface area and lessen its weight to achieve much better range from sun, but to really get a car solar-powered, you're best off putting panels on the roof of your house and installing some large marine batteries to capture that energy during the day so you can feed your car from it while you sleep — or simply take advantage of Net Metering.

Now, you may only get 4 miles per day from the solar panels, but that's 4 miles for free after the initial installation cost.  It doesn't take a genius to see that those 4 free miles you get can really add up: 4 × 5 = 20 miles per week; 20 × 50 = 1000 miles per year, and in a 50 mpg Prius that translates to 20 gallons of fuel saved.  At ^$3⁄_gallon, that's about $60 per year you can save by adding panels; when fuel reaches ^$5⁄_gallon, it's $100!

So, can solar panels on the car get you to work, or the store or the mall?  Probably not.  But they can contribute to your overall savings, which is definitely good.

As for generators in the axles, that's just Regenerative Breaking; the Smart Electric already has that.

Now just to clarify, the Solar Prius gets about 1/2 per hour of sunlight, so at 8 hours of sunlight per day, that translates to 4 miles.  Of course, the sun can shine more than 8 hours, so as usual, your mileage may vary.

Interviewed

There's an interesting story from the Washington Auto Show Press Event on Thursday, 27 January 2011.  I was watching over the Bob's Solar Prius when I spotted Victoria Riess of Planet Forward with her professional camera equipment taking video of the black car.  Happy to help if she had any questions, I approached her and then agreed to an interview.  Unfortunately, that was first time I'd ever seen the Solar Prius and didn't yet know much about Bob's amazing work!  See, Bob is a physicist so you know whatever he did has got to be extremely clever; he also has a really fetching hat!  In fact, Bob has a lovely placard on the side windows of his Solar Prius explaining how he did the work of creating this piece of engineering beauty.  So, naturally, my interview was pretty bad, to say the least, and so don't be surprised if it never sees the light of day.  However, Mindy was there also, minding her number 1, first, extra special Smart Electric — one of only 3 at the show, apparently!  3 Smart Electrics but only one Nissan LEAF?  The mind boggles, but there were other interesting cars there that I'll save for a later report…  In any case, I suggested Victoria interview Mindy as a better candidate for Planet Forward since she's the Gudy of the Smart Electric community and, quite frankly, also my hero.

The 2011 Washington D.C. Auto Show

The Washington Auto Show is back again and this year, and this time I'm not just a gawker, I'm a staffer!  That's to say, I'll be helping out my friends at the EVA/DC to get the message out about the virtues of driving electric!  The show will be at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, DC and opened to the public starting Friday, January 2011.  It'll be 10 days of great cars, many of whom are battery-electric (BEV) or plug-in hybrids (PHEV), wonderful and exciting displays — including the EVA/DC Electric Vehicle booth — and your chance to meet me in person!  The show will finally close its doors at 18:00 on Sunday, 6 February 2011 so don't delay.  Tickets are $12 for adults; $5 for adolescents and tweens (6-12) and free for the babies, toddlers and pre-schoolers.  The specific hours the show will be opened are as follows:

Public Days: January 28 - February 6, 2011

Show Hours: (No entry 1 hour prior to show closing)

Friday, Jan. 28 (noon – 10 pm)
Saturday, Jan. 29 (10 am – 10 pm)
Sunday, Jan. 30 (10 am – 7 pm)
Monday, Jan. 31 – Thursday, Feb. 3 (noon – 9 pm)
Friday, Feb. 4 (noon – 10 pm)
Saturday, Feb. 5 (10 am – 10 pm)
Sunday, Feb. 6 (10 am – 6 pm)

When checking out our fantabulous display of electric vehicles, including a Tesla Roadster, a Toyota Rav4 EV¹, a Solar Prius and a fresh off the factory floor Smart EV (subject to dealer availability), please show respect to the cars being show, as you would for any museum display.  If you're reading this, you're probably not the type to be blindly hating Electric Vehicles but I would like to ask as politely as possible if you hate EVs and what they stand for, take it out on us docents and lecturers, not on the generously donated and expensive, in some cases irreplaceable cars on display.  Yell and scream at us all you want; our feelings are easily mended, but treat the cars on display as if they were owned by your dear, sweet mother, okay?  Thanks!

So, what can you see besides cars at the D.C. Auto Show?  What, like I'm not enough of a celebrity?  Okay, well a complete list of guests and activities are listed on the Washington Auto Show website.

So come one, come all to the great exhibit halls!  Cast your gaze and be amazed!  The year of the electric car is nigh, so see the show and come say "hi"!

---

¹One of the Rav4 EVs displayed in that Wikipedia article will be the very same Rav4 EV you see at the Auto Show!

There's a new EVSE on the block

Sema Connect

Thank you Mahi for your presentation for the Sema Connect at last night's EVA/DC meeting!  Sema Connect is hard at work getting their Charge Pro line of commercial chargers installed at locations throughout the state of Maryland, including the Baltimore/Washington International (BWI) Airport daily parking lots.

Also on a personal note, thank you Mahi for sharing with us your unbelievably awesome official Plug-In Prius!  It's about bloody well time we started seeing those on the streets!