Bright Green Marin: EV's coming to a highway near you!

Bright Green Marin by Jan Alff Wiegel

The automotive demographics on Marin roads are about to change, helping to drive the County's push towards cleaner air, lower greenhouse gas emissions, reduced highway noise, and greater sustainability.   And, after attending a series of recent Bay Area events, it is clear to me that the race is on to see which mass-market all-electric passenger car will be first on local highways this year.

At the three-day Plug-In 2010 Conference in San Jose last month, San Francisco's Smart car brand manager told me that the quirky low-emissions car will be released as an all-electric car in October.

"We're going to beat the Nissan Leaf and deliver the first electric Smart in October!" promised Sammy Hermez.  "I tried to get as many cars as I could but they would only give me 250 cars to sell – and I had to really work to get that many." 

The electric Smart (photo right) will have a driving range of 85 miles.

Sustainable San Rafael (SSR) and San Francisco Electric Vehicle Association (SFEVA) also featured electric transportation at a public forum held at the Marin Youth Center in July. About 40 people attended "Achieving Zero Emission Transportation: Climate Cool Options for Your Next Car (or Bike)" and heard local EV leaders talk about Toyota Prius electric conversions, electric bikes, and the need to support EV infrastructure in Marin.

SSR President Bill Carney spoke passionately about the need for individuals to fight climate change.  Driving an EV is a good way to do that, he said. 

"We all need to think about what we can do about climate change, especially if the big guys on the national level aren't able to do anything," said Carney. "In thinking about EVs, a lot of questions come up about how we drive. When do we need to get in a car?  When can we go by bike?  The images coming out of the Gulf this summer have been very powerful," he continued "Big black clouds billowing up from the ocean. The vast oil sheens on the water. The oil-soaked birds. All that carbon going up into the atmosphere, creating more greenhouse effect.  We're living a real-life oil disaster!"

With several EV's coming to market before year's end, and more available in the next two years, consumers will have more choices, not only about what car they drive, but also how they can reduce air pollution.  Even though EV's aren't on sales lots today, manufacturers are already competing head to head. The economy, the consumer, and the climate are each going to benefit. 

Smart's Hermez gave me the clear impression that Mercedes Benz, which produces the car in a sustainable factory in France, and Penske Automotive, which holds US distribution rights, are accelerating selling the electric Smart in order to beat the Nissan Leaf to market.

Nissan representatives attended both San Jose and San Rafael events.  At the Plug-In 2010 Conference, throngs of people clustered around the new Leaf while others peppered Mark Perry, Nissan's director of product planning, about delivery dates and battery specifics.  He told me that Nissan will be launching a test drive tour "soon" and will be in the North Bay to demonstrate the Leaf.

In San Rafael, Northbay Nissan manager Ron Coury said information about the Leaf (photo right) and other competing electric cars changes so quickly, it's hard to keep abreast of new developments. 

"I just heard that the six year/60,000 mile warranty will now be eight years/100,000 miles – including the battery! I read it on Bloomberg. The media gets the information before the dealers do!" said Coury.

San Rafael's Dale Miller, president of SFEVA and a speaker at the Sustainable San Rafael event, has already received confirmation of his Leaf delivery in December.  He will be charging his car with energy produced by solar panels on the roof of his Lucas Valley home.  The car will have a 100-mile range on a single charge.

Miller feels the most critical EV need in Marin is building accessible charging stations. 

"I just received my delivery confirmation by email from Nissan," he said.  "The email said Nissan was delivering cars to those customers who lived in communities with EV infrastructure in place."

According to CleanCarMaps.com, an internet mapping site of EV charging stations in California, San Francisco has 18 operational or installed stations.  Alameda and Santa Clara counties each have 15 operational or partially operational stations, while Solano has 11 places to plug in. Contra Costa (5), Sonoma (3), and San Mateo (4) counties each have operational charging stations.

Unfortunately, Marin drivers only have one EV charging station, which is located at the Larkspur Ferry Terminal, according to CleanCarMaps.com. Because Marin's EV network has been slow to materialize, most Marin drivers will charge at home at night when electricity is cheapest.

Some manufacturers are working with local jurisdictions to make driving EV's long distances easier, but not in Marin, apparently.  According to its web site, Nissan has formed more than a dozen partnerships across the county, in states including Tennessee and Oregon, as well as San Francisco, Sonoma County, San Diego, Phoenix, Tucson, Seattle, and Washington D.C.

Nissan also help individual buyers plan home charging stations before their cars are delivered. SFEVA member Andrew Wiegel of Mill Valley, has already met with an electrical contractor referred by Nissan to evaluate the charging needs of his new Leaf.

Coury of Northbay Nissan promises to install a Level-3 (fast) charger at its Petaluma facility as soon as the industry adopts a standardized charging format.  He predicts the cost to put in the commercial charging station will be about $40,000. (The cost for home charging stations will be significantly less.)

Numerous types of battery-charging options are becoming available for home and office use.  In anticipation of brisk EV sales, several battery-charging companies attended the Plug-In 2010 Conference to tout their products, including Shorepower Technologies, Blink by ECOtality, Coloumb Technologies, and A Better Place.

Jeff Kim, president of Shorepower in Portland, told me Oregon is building a network of charging facilities to encourage EV use across several markets.  His company builds "electrified parking spaces" (EPS) at truck stops, rest areas, travel plazas, warehouses, truck depots, terminal, shopping malls, businesses and other parking areas in the Pacific Northwest and across the country. Kim, who grew up in Marin County, would love to see EV infrastructure built for County residents.

He showed me how easy it is to use Shorepower's freeway charging station (photo at left), an electric reincarnation of vintage pedestal gas pumps from the 1920's and 1930's (shown below right) . Drivers can charge their vehicles' "charge" on their credit cards the same way they purchase gas now.  When drivers plug into an EPS, it will read the vehicle model and type of battery, how much battery storage remains, and what billing account is to be charged. Kim's company has already installed EPS's on major trucking routes in the Pacific Northwest, including interstate highways 5, 80, 84, 99 and 105.  Additionally, there is a Shorepower partner site at the 49er Travel Plaza in Sacramento and the California Air Resources Board is considering expansion of Shorepower into Southern California, according to the company's web site.   Earlier this year, the company received a $2.5 million grant to build 150 EPS's along interstate highways throughout southern Arizona.

Portland is further down the road than Marin in establishing EV-supportive policies.  Last month, the City adopted an eight-step plan to encourage the success of EV's in Portland.  Adopted to comply with Portland's climate action plan, the EV policies encourage expediting permits for charging stations, creating charging station signage, purchasing an EV fleet, working with car-share companies to increase EV availability, and educating drivers.

While other Bay Area communities are constructing charging stations to boost EV use and reduce transportation-generated pollution, Marin is playing catch-up. With San Francisco, Sonoma County, and Silicon Valley already planning and building EV networks, Marin's efforts have been limited to a couple of years studying the issue and public workshops. Chronic budget challenges, countywide road repairs, and a commitment to public transportation, have pushed opportunities for purchasing and installing charging stations further down the list of local transportation priorities. 

The Transportation Authority of Marin (TAM) recently voted to place a measure on November's ballot to establish a $10 per-vehicle registration fee that would fund transportation improvements within the County.  If it passes, the estimated $2.3 million annually raised by the fee would be allocated to a variety of projects, including improved transit for seniors and the disabled, school pedestrian safety, congestion and pollution reduction, and road and bike-way maintenance.  A small amount (less than $200,000) would be reserved for "alternative fuel" planning in the County; it is unknown if any actual infrastructure could be installed with those funds.   But it would be a start.

Along with other local proponents, SFEVA's Miller has called upon the County to press forward in identifying charging locations.  Both he and Carney have testified at recent TAM hearings to preserve EV funding. Without charging stations, they say, EV ownership in Marin will be limited and so will reductions in the County's greenhouse gas emissions. In addition to his SFEVA duties, Miller is probably the most knowledgeable "go-to" person in the County if you have questions about EV's or want to advocate for electric transportation.  

EV popularity is growing due to environmental concerns, gas costs, and tax incentives.  Federal ($7,500) and State ($4,500) tax credits for purchasing an eligible electric vehicle reduce purchase prices significantly. Still, manufacturers closely guard release of purchase and leasing figures until they see what prices competitors set.

Chevrolet announced the price of the Volt (photo left), its new plug-in hybrid, at the Plug-In 2010 Conference -- $41,000 before credits, which raised a lot of eyebrows.  Many voiced surprise at the cost since the Volt has a very limited 40-mile range.  Volt uses "a range-extending gas generator to power it for hundreds of miles on a single tank of gas," according to the manufacturer.  Some may think the Volt is the best of both worlds, but EV purists opine that Chevrolet is having a hard time moving away from the polluting gasoline engine.

Before tax credits, the Leaf will sell for $32,750.  The current Leaf production (20,000) almost sold out in less than a month last spring. Purchasers who have ordered their vehicles online and paid a $99 deposit are already installing chargers in their garages.  Nissan is still accepting reservations for new Leafs.

Northbay Nissan's Coury informed SFEVA members at its San Francisco meeting this month that most Leaf dealers are increasing sales prices over the manufacturer's suggested price due to anticipated high demand.  His dealership may offer a small discount to SFEVA members, however.

Smart USA is taking a different marketing approach -- the electric Smart (diagram at right) will not be for sale.  Customers can lease a vehicle for four years at $599 per month, based on a value of about $34,000.  Hermez says Mercedes' investment in battery research, vehicle development, and manufacturing each two-passenger Smart amounts to $500,000, which can't be recouped in the market value of the vehicle. When the lease period expires, he explained,  "We want those cars back.  You won't be able to buy the car at the end of the lease. We're going to evaluate their performance and determine how we can improve the car."

SSR's Carney speaks for EV proponents when he says, "I never want to pump another gallon of gas. I never want to buy another gasoline car.  The good news is that I won't have to!  I'm going to buy an EV at the end of the year at a reasonable price. And," he concluded, "by plugging into renewable energy provided by Marin Clean Energy and driving an EV, I'm going to be able to reduce my carbon footprint by 80%, which is what the scientists say we have to do."

Additional resources:

• California EPA Zero Emission Vehicle program
• California Air Resources Board Drive Clean news and articles
• Plug In America

(photo credits; Smart USA, Plug-In 2010, Nissan, Chevrolet, Coloumb Tech, Shorepower)

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A 25-year resident of Mill Valley, Jan Alff Wiegel is Vice-President and Director of Sustainability for the Wiegel Law Group PLC in San Francisco.  She is a 2010 graduate of the Environmental Forum of Marin, a 37-year old volunteer organization which promotes environmental education and advocacy.  Currently completing her Certificate of Sustainable Practices at Dominican University of California, San Rafael, she also served on the Marin County Planning Commission for many years.

Jan can be reached at Jan@WiegelLawGroup.com.

Comments

[Jan Alff Wiegel]

Dear readers,

I have just received an update from Dale Miller of SFEVA on the number of charging stations already in place and planned in Sonoma County -- 31. Kudos to Sonoma for estabishing itself as a leader in EV support.

Here's more from Dale:

"Where Marin needs charging stations most and first is at County and City municipal locations and at employers with employees who drive from Petaluma and farther North such as the County of Marin, Marin General, Kaiser, College of Marin, etc.

"Sonoma County also has plans to buy new electric cars and trucks for municipal fleets.

"People like Andrew Wiegel and me are unlikely to plug in if we go to a meeting a the Marin Civic Center or go to Home Depot or the Village or Northgate Shopping Centers. But someone coming from much farther away to attend an event or shop will need to plug in with this generation of cars.

"We (Marinites) can drive to San Francisco and back, no problem. But if we are going to Santa Rosa, San Jose, or Sacramento we will want to charge. Those locations will have a lot of charging stations if they continue with their plans, so Marin residents should be OK if they quell their range anxiety.

"But who will come to Marin if there are no locations here?

"I believe the need for charging stations is not proportionate to the rate of adoption of electric cars, but charging stations are needed at first to convince the public that it is OK to buy an EV.

"As time goes on people will become less nervous about range anxiety and battery technology will improve, therefore we won't need to rely on public charging quite as much."

Thanks, Dale.

Jan

[Ron Gremban, CalCars Tech. Lead]

As a Corte Madera resident, CalCars Technical Lead, and owner and driver of the world's first plug-in Prius conversion (now upgraded to a commercial Plug-in Conversions system), I got in line for both an early Volt and an early Leaf. If we can afford it, my girlfriend/partner and I will become a PHEV/BEV two-car family. In contemplating this, and thinking about what the Leaf can and can't do depending on charge point availability, I have come to the following personal conclusions:
1. Despite working in a home office, I regularly drive beyond the 12-15 mile EV range of my Prius conversion (I seldom opportunity-charge during summer days, as my time-of-use electric rate makes this as expensive as buying gasoline). The Volt's pure EV operation combined with its 40-mile EV range should relegate my gasoline consumption to unusual days only, most of which will be within the Leaf's single-charge range.
2. Except for an occasional desire (but no real need) to opportunity-charge at level 2 speeds during the day -- e.g. at a store or restaurant -- overnight 120VAC charging, at 3-4 miles of added range per hour of charging, will be totally sufficient for the Volt, and actually often -- though not always -- sufficient for the Leaf, too, as we will usually drive it 40 miles or less each day (I do plan on installing one level 2 ESVE). (to be continued)

[Ron Gremban, CalCars Tech. Lead]

(continued)
3. While level 2 charging specifications allow for charging at up to a 19 kW rate (80A, 55-75 miles of added sedan range per hour), most charge points are likely to be limited to 10 kW (30-40 sedan miles per hour) or less. The Leaf will initially come with a 3.3 kW (level 2) charger, capable of adding only 10 miles of range per hour (that will be doubled in future model years). At either rate, adding significant additional range during the day will require many hours, infeasible unless one has a reason to stay for a long time at an intermediate destination with level 2 charging.
4. Nissan has provided the possibility of charging the Leaf to 80% (up to 80 miles range) in less than a half hour, via 50 kW level 3 chargers. It would require such chargers -- for which there is not yet a North American standard -- placed strategically every 70 miles or less to make occasional cross-country travel with a Leaf or similar EV practical. For example, I could visit my mother in Reno (a ~210 mile trip) via two half-hour (vs. 7-hour, level 2) charging stops. Kudos to Ron Coury at North Bay Nissan in Petaluma for committing to install a level 3 fast charger as soon as a standard emerges (Leaf dealers are only required to install level 2 charge points). That will make it easy to visit my neice in Healdsburg purely electrically.
5. What would it take for me, personally, to find gasoline entirely unnecessary? no more than an EV with a 200-250 mile range, combined with level 2 home charging and common availability of 50 kW public charge stations (capable of ~1-hour chargìng). With Nissan committed to production of 200-500k EVs per year, already talking of doubling EV range in a few years, and helping site many fast chargers, this level of capability is not that far off; and stopping for a bite of food and rest every 3-4 hours on a trip sounds inviting anyway.

[Jan Alff Wiegel]

Dear Ron,

Thanks for all the technical information and sharing your experiences with EV's.

You have highlighted a lot of the conundrums associated with consumer acceptance of EV's. You've articulated a willingness to be flexible in travel planning and make changes in your behavior in order to successfully use the new EV models. Kudos to you for setting a good example!

Once Marin joins the Bay Area charging station network and EV drivers throughout the region begin using it in their daily lives, I think drivers will be pleasantly surprised at how easy it is to drive electrically and they'll feel great about reducing their addiction to oil.

Thank you for your comments.

Jan