232 Mile Long Distance (cold weather and mountain terrain) Attempt: Los Gatos, CA to Truckee, CA on 2/15/17

[rfenchel]

Hi Chevy Bolt Friends:

I picked up my 2017 Chevy Bolt (Silver - Première) on 1/17/17 from Capitol Chevrolet in San Jose, CA (paid full MSRP). Enjoying the car with each day I drive it. I only have 350 miles on it so far as I am lucky to have a short commute to work.

I am itching to break in my EPIC ski pass and enjoy some snow in the Sierras. Weather permitting (no chance of snow and chain requirements) I am going to wake up at 5 am on 2/15/17 and depart Los Gatos, CA and drive 147 miles to the EVGO DC fast charging station located in Loomis, CA. Assuming the station is working I will attempt to fast charge in two sessions (I believe this will cost me $10 each session as I will be using my credit card...not sure it is worth signing up for a plan as it is very rare I will do this trip and use EVGO charging stations but who knows). From what I understand EVGO terminates each session after 30 minutes. I plan on staying Loomis, CA for 60 minutes at the minimum. There is a Starbucks in the shopping plaza so I can work a bit while my Bolt gets some juice. I secured the solo hall pass so no huge rush during this two day adventure.

My next leg will take me 84 miles from Loomis, CA to NorthStar ski resort...I will watch my environmental controls closely but would hope this will not be an issue with a full charge. I am a new EV driver so extra cautious. I think this will be a great test of the Bolt's range (cold weather and severe elevation gain...I will get some regen on the downhill sections though).

I read on http://www.hybridcars.com recent Bolt review that a Chevy communications rep clarified that the Bolt is estimated to go 170 miles at 70 mph.

If you are interested here is link to my trip details plotted on PlugShare and Google Maps:

https://www.dropbox.com/s/y3lw1zw0kb4bqtr/Chevy%20Bolt%20-%20Long%20Distance%20Cold%20Weather%20Mountain%20Adventure.pdf?dl=0

Noticed today on PlugShare.com that they have deleted the Auburn, CA EVGO location from the map...one of the two chargers has been down and now it is gone from the map...that is my backup plan if Loomis is broken or busy...the plot thickens.

I will take some video and record energy usage during the trip.

Fingers crossed the weather is clear or else I am taking our 2013 Audi Q7 TDI...have to laugh...one car is clean and the future of transport and the other is super dirty...Q7 has all wheel drive and tons of torque for the mountains...until VW AG repairs it.

Thanks to everyone who posts information to this forum.

RBF

 

[boltage]

Remember that your economy / range will be worse going up the mountain, but you will be better on the way down.

 

[SparkE]

Personally, I would avoid EVgo if I could. I dislike the company (in general) AND they are real expensive. You can use either GreenLots or ChargePoint for your trip (or both).

1) Sign up for a ChargePoint account. They are free to set up. You can start charging from your SmartPhone before your card comes (or call in on the phone to start a charger) if you set up the account with the necessary Credit Card info.

2) Sign up for a GreenLots account. They are free to set up. You can start the charging using your SmartPhone (if you set up the account with Credit Card info).

These accounts usually charge your CCard in increments, say $20. So if you start a charge and have $0, it charges your CCard $20, credits your charging balance with $20, then deducts the amount of the charge from the $20 and leaves the balance in your 'charge balance' for use at a later time.


ChargePoint is sort of all over the Bay Area, and GreenLots has quite a few fast chargers around Sacramento.

ChargePoint has a 50 kW charger in Danville (0.30/kWh), just off I-680. Nice place to stop on the way back. They also have both a 50 kW *and* a 24 kW charger at their headquarters building in Campbell just N of CA-85 and Winchester Blvd (0.25/kWh). You might find that useful in general. There's also a 24 kW ChargePoint DCFC very close to the outlets in Vacaville (if you need an emergency top-up on your way up or back).

There are Greenlots 50 kW DCFCs around Sacramento, and they are relatively inexpensive (22 cents/kWh) : Downtown Sac (Amtrak station near I-5 & J street), 'sort of' downtown Sac (FoodMart near CA-99 & US-50), Citrus Heights (Antelope Rd near I-80), and Elk Grove (if you decide to come back via I-5, then Tracy, to I-680 through Livermore). A single $10 session at a GreenLots DCFC should get you around 40-45 kWh instead of two $11 sessions at EVgo.

There are a few L2 spots in Truckee, AND an EVgo CCS DCFC if you really need it (you shouldn't).

If you are really tight on electrons on the way back, Colfax has some ClipperCreek Lev-2 40-amp stations : the train station and the Chevy dealer.

Have a nice trip (and remember to post charge info in PlugShare for the units you tried to use, successful or unsuccessful.

 

[rfenchel]

SparkE:

Thank you for the great info. I will check out GreenLots. I already subscribe to ChargePoint...my office is about 1 mile from their HQ in Campbell, CA. I hit their DCFC units a few times before my L2 setup was installed at home. I look forward to when they come out with their higher power DCFC units later this year. Good people.

Forgot to mention I am crashing at Cedar House Lodge that evening in Truckee and they have two L2 chargers for guest use...will plug in Bolt all night as it will get pretty cold...assuming their chargers work...in fact, I am gonna bring my JESLA evse ( http://shop.quickchargepower.com/JESLA-is-THE-40-amp-J1772-portable-charging-solution-JESLA.htm ) and my 40 foot JLONG ( http://shop.quickchargepower.com/JLONG-40-Amp-J1772-extension-cable-JL40A.htm ) so I should be good to go if I need to go guerilla.

Again, thank you for the detailed info.

RBF

 

[SparkE]

If you can fully charge overnight up there, you are not going to have a problem at all. A stop on the way back in Citrus Heights or Danville for 20 minutes will be plenty to ensure you make it home with 80-100 miles of range left.

 

[Anonymous]

Good luck with such an ambitious journey! And I thought going from North Hollywood to Santa Cruz in about 10 days was going to be ambitious!! hahaha

SparkE: do you know if the monthly fee charged by EVGo is applicable against usage fees, or is it just thrown away and useless?

Any ideas when Interstate 5 between LA and SF are going to see some usable DC Fast Chargers that work with CCS/SAE?

 

[SparkE]

SparkE: do you know if the monthly fee charged by EVGo is applicable against usage fees, or is it just thrown away and useless?

Any ideas when Interstate 5 between LA and SF are going to see some usable DC Fast Chargers that work with CCS/SAE?

The EVgo subscription fee is ... a subscription fee. It doesn't offset anything. It *does* get you less expensive rates.

The state (if forget exactly which sub-group of which dept) already has allocated money for additional charging stations. The locations and the vendors have been chosen. No word yet (that I know of) on *when* the stations will be completed. There's a thread on this forum with a link to a map with all of the proposed sites, and which companies will be installing them. Can't remember where, offhand. Try a search on "map".

 

[SparkE]

Ha! You are in luck - somebody posted to that thread in the past 12 hours. Here's the link : https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?mid=1VEJLK0-wcAhWV8Q0MirTLULd5mg&ll=37.81957353741522%2C-119.38891739999997&z=6

It look like Recargo will be adding DCFCs on US-101, and ChargePoint will be adding them on I-5.

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks! Glad to see it will be ChargePoint on I-5!

Now we just need a bit of luck getting them up and running sooner than later!

Kind of like the Metro buildout in Los Angeles (i.e. will I live to see the subway/expressway tunnel through the Sepulveda Pass - doubtful! haha):

http://la.curbed.com/2017/2/3/14492...panies-to-speed-up-two-big-measure-m-projects

 

[rfenchel]

Hi Bolt Friends:

I have been tracking the weather window and it is a bit tight to make my Los Gatos to Truckee run this week on 2/15 (sunny) and 2/16 (possible snow)...I will update next weather window that works with my schedule. Looking forward to a long drive in the Bolt and some snow.

Thank you for posting your long drive information.

RBF

 

[SparkE]

Did you ever make this trip? Any conclusions, or advice?

 

[rfenchel]

HI SparkE:

Sorry for late reply...life seems to be getting in the way these days.

Yes, the trip was great. I left Los Gatos with full charge and topped off in Auburn at the dreaded EVGO 30 minute cap charger. I did two 30 minute sessions that comfortably got me up to NorthStar Ski Resort. Weather was perfect...no snow on the roads, etc. The Bolt cruised up the mountains with ease. Super fun passing ICE vehicles struggling with the elevation, etc.

I did get to NorthStar where I planned on charging at the wall of L2 and Tesla Destination chargers. Unfortunately, the L2 Clipper Creeks were all down. There were 3 Teslas charging...a Tesla employee was taking a car for a spin and he parked next to me. We talked EV for a bit...he had great interest in my silver Bolt. I ended up parking in one of the broken L2 EV spots so in the end it all worked out well as parking was crazy.

I posted on PlugShare about the out of service NorthStar L2 chargers and then got a email from PlugShare member that told me about the http://shop.quickchargepower.com/JDapter-Stub-Tesla-Charge-Station-Adaptor-JDPTRSTB.htm which could have solved my issue if all the Tesla Destination Chargers were not in use. I bought one as there are zillions of places with Tesla Destination Chargers (like hotels, resorts, etc.). This adapter will not work with SuperChargers just Destination Chargers. I am in the insurance trade and believe always better to have something and not use it then need it and not have it. I am covered.

Did you end up buying your Bolt? I hear there are some good deals to be had at Bay Area dealerships.

I still LOVE my Bolt...minus the Apple CarPlay but I think it might be my iPhone 6+ that is dying...in November it will be 3 years old...just about the time Apple triggers the auto-obsolescence mode.

Best,

RBF

 

[rfenchel]

SparkE,

I forgot to add that I took your advice and used GreenLots DCFC in Sacramento on the way home (also used one of their L2 chargers in Truckee during the trip).

I am BIG fan of GreenLots...thanks again for the heads up.

RBF