Outlets on the way home?

Hi, in Austria there some sites listing plugs for public charging:

ELEKTROTANKSTELLEN:
www.elektrotankstellen.net
www.drehstromnetz.de
www.ebike-tankstellen.de
www.e-zapfsäule.at
www.e-tankstellen-finder.at

3 Outlets are direct on my direct ways I drive, but 2 Years ago I
had similar problems finding public available plugs.

Are there no compareable sites for your country on the Web?

Greetings Mike

There is also a website in the uk that gives the location of public EV charging points at:
http://www.newride.org.uk/recharge.php

We have a recharging network around Catalunya:
http://www.volttour.net/vtcat/index.php?apartado=punts
It will be integrated in the LEMNET.
http://www.lemnet.org/

In case of emergency do you guys know where you would plug in if you were not going to make it home. I have been running too low and fear the next time I will be towing it. I have looked for a public outlet. Wish there was a guide to them.

-Randy

Well, there's a public charger at the City Hall. I'm reading that of 8 stations someone tracked down, 3 are actually working. Alameda Point has their stations fenced off. The Bank of Alameda has 2 stations, one EVI Avcon-paddle and one MagnaCharge Inductive. The elecric Automotive Association has an East San Francisco Bay Chapter, you should get in touch with them.

http://www.ebeaa.org/index2.html

Have never been NEAR the City of Alameda, don't know what to say. Every charging station I've tracked down in my county is like a science fiction movie: You only THINK you'll find the help you need, in fact it's long deserted/reduced to junk. I should post a picture of the one station a short walk from my house with the post rusted at the base, leaning at 45 degrees. It's the EV story Plug-in American DOESN'T want you to hear.

1 Alameda Bureau of Electricity 2000 Grand Street Alameda 94501 1
2 Naval Air Station Hanger 20 Alameda 1
3 Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) Ashby Station Eastern Lot 3100 Adeline Street Berkeley 94703 1
4 Dublin Honda 7099 Amador Plaza Dublin 94568 1
5 City of Emeryville Emeryville 1
6 Costco 40580 Albrae Street Fremont 94538 1
7 Chabot-Las Positas IN PROGRESS Hayward 1
8 Chabot-Las Positas IN PROGRESS Livermore 1
9 Jack London Square Underground Parking Broadway & Embarcadero Oakland 94607 1
10 Shell Oil Station Highway 24 Oakland
11 Stoneridge Mall Entrance by Nordstrom/JCPenny One Stonebridge Mall Pleasanton 94588 1
12 Costco 1900 Davis Street San Leandro 94577

Electrical Vehicle Administration Alameda Municipal Power 748-3901
Electrical Vehicle Charging Stations Alameda Municipal Power 748-3901
Electrical Vehicle Maintenance Tom Woods 748-3101

Hi Randy,

This might help:
http://www.evchargermaps.com/

Hi,

The map above (evchargermaps) lists charging stations with these types of connectors:

• SPI
• LPI
• AVC
• TSL
• DCQ
• J1772
• OC

Which of those if any are usable for Vectrix charging?

Are adaptors available for any of those that aren't usable that would allow them to work for Vectrix charging?

Whre I live, (Pittsburgh, US) I developed a mental map of electric outlets around town on a mix of private and public-owned facilities. Since changing to lithium on my e-max, I rarely use them, but I keep them in mind.

Besides the occasional outlet on the front side of a building, productive places to look are planters and sidewalk trees, where outlets installed for decorative lighting or Christmas-lights and parking garages where outlets can often be found on columns or walls. The alleyways behind stores or restaurants are also a good prospect. There are park-benches at one of our U. campuses that have outlets specifically for charging laptops. Develop a sharp eye for typical weatherproof outlet boxes. Make sure to test the outlet (with a circuit checker or just a night light) before being in a situation of having to rely on them.

I also charge at the US government facility where I work. Since they already allow use of personal toasters, heaters and other personal high-wattage devices, they can hardly tell me I can't use my 550 watt charger.

In one case, my scooter came up in a conversation with the owner of a store in the bar next to her store. She offered me the use of her outlet in the alley behind her store.

I know that many people will insist that you ask first; I generally have not asked. In the case of a park or other public facility, it would probably require that it go all the way to the city or county council, and they would likely say "no". Am I "stealing" and technically breaking the law? Yeah, I'm stealing about a nickel's worth of electricity. I don't want to, but I have no other choice, except go back to burning gasoline. Environmental responsibility sometimes calls for such stuff.

If you are going to "opportunity charge" do it safely. Don't create tripping or electrocution or fire hazard or run long cords. In the case of my e-max, even the minimum 15 amp (US) circuit is plenty for two scooters (about 11 watts, so a Vectrix shouldn't over tax any outlet.

Being that CA has a fair amount of EV's there maybe they have what MA has? An EV opportunity charging site. http://neeaa.org/charging.htm
We post our names for others to stop on in and get a charge,chat and go. Our list isn't up to date and I have found lots for my own personal list too that are not on our list. Some are like Wal-Mart having a coke machine and borrowing an outlet while shopping.

I also charge at the US government facility where I work. Since they already allow use of personal toasters, heaters and other personal high-wattage devices, they can hardly tell me I can't use my 550 watt charger.

Sure they can. I work at a US government facility near Washington, DC, and they've told me exactly that.

If you are going to "opportunity charge" do it safely. Don't create tripping or electrocution or fire hazard or run long cords. In the case of my e-max, even the minimum 15 amp (US) circuit is plenty for two scooters (about 11 watts, so a Vectrix shouldn't over tax any outlet.

The Vectrix draws close to 15A (14.3A, in my experience) and can easily trip a 15A circuit if there is much else on the line, so you do have to be careful. I agree with the suggestions on looking for decorative lighting and restaurant outlets. I usually try for hardware stores, which are typically receptive and have easy access. I always ask first unless there are no other options, as there are too many vigilantes out there looking for a reason to cause trouble with your e-scoot.

Any sufficiently advanced technology is INDISTINGUSHABLE FROM MAGIC.
-Arthur C. Clarke

OK, colour me impressed,

Oh no, don't be impressed. Although I'm often told I have a mutant power worthy of the 'X-Men' when it comes to finding things online. Your city was on your profile, then of course we're talking charging sttaions, so any other word I might throw in matter of me as the cunning linguist. Charging Station Sites for Electric Vehicles in California Amazing I found that again, sometimes I can't get one back.

That part about the 8 stations and only 3 working was indeed on the EAA site, but I notice there's no navigation on the site to bring it up. I guess none of us are strangers to that particular foible for websites. Google took me to that page and I just posted the homepage for it. Scroll to the middle of the page for the May 19th meeting. http://www.ebeaa.org/history-01.html

Tell me about long dead, that nifty map that MitchJi posted lists locations near me as working when I know they're long dead. You just get used to info online being out of date. (Am I correct in understanding that California has over 99% of the chargers, dead or alive?) Which only increases the value of reading blogs, messageboards, etc. People skip those, but the posters will be discussing what is working and what isn't. They'll link things up. The messageboards are the absolute hub of the web.

And dash it all, I saw the perfect Google parody graphic last night to put in this post, but I didn't save the location. Ah well, there's always plenty more.

Hi

Here's another site. I didn't check it at all so no idea if its useful or not.

http://www.afdc.energy.gov/afdc/locator/stations/

Hi Randy,

Looks like a lot more choices in about a year (excerpt quoted below, use the link if you want to read the full article):
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/10/27/BAD81G284U.DTL

Electric cars to get boost from Bay Area grants

John Coté, Chronicle Staff Writer
San Francisco Chronicle Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Envision a time when 1,000 charging stations for electric cars sprout at parking garages, shopping centers and other public spots across the Bay Area. Some taxis, rather than filling up with gas or waiting for a recharge, will simply swap their battery out at a changing station. Home chargers will be able to monitor utility rates while you sleep and recharge your electric car's battery at the lowest price.

That time, San Francisco environmental officials say, is one year away, thanks in part to almost $14 million in grants for regional electric vehicle projects that the Metropolitan Transportation Commission is expected to award at its meeting today...