Electric car parking spaces being used by gas guzzlers

After owning our Nissan Leaf electric car for seven weeks, always charging it at home, I decided to check out the recently installed charging stations at the Chemeketa Parkade in downtown Salem (Oregon). 

There are four of them, conveniently located on the first floor of the parking structure near the walkway to JCPenney's. So convenient, they're tempting to drivers of non-electric cars who blatantly ignore the signs displayed between each charger.

Here's the evidence.

Two parking spaces are dedicated to each charger, as the cord can reach a car parked in either space. So eight spaces should either be empty, or filled with an electric car. Count the electric cars in those eight spaces. 

(Hint: our Nissan Leaf is an attractive light blue. None of the other cars in the photo is electric. If you came up with "one" as the answer, give yourself a carbon free prize.)

This is irritating. Most people respect designated handicapped parking spaces. Why don't they respect electric vehicle only parking spaces?

The most likely reason is that Salem doesn't have a city ordinance that levies a fine for using a space assigned to an electric vehicle charging station. I know this, because after I drove our Leaf into the only open space I grabbed my iPhone and started to snap a photo of the offending gas guzzling car parked next to me.

I hadn't realized that the driver was still in the car.

He jumped out and said, "Hey, don't turn me in. I'm with the EV (electric vehicle) project." The guy was there to fix a broken charger. He apologetically said that his work car couldn't be electric because he does so much travelling around, since the range of a EV is only about 100 miles.

OK, this was a good guy.

I holstered my iPhone camera and turned to asking him parking questions. He said that Salem didn't have any rules against parking a regular car in an EV spot. I told him that the chargers being installed by the EV Project aren't going to be of much use if owners of electric cars aren't able to use them -- an emerging problem.

Hopefully the City of Salem will change its parking ordinance so a ticket can be issued if an ICE (internal combustion engine) car uses an electric vehicle space. Apparently California has such a law, as does the city of Portland. 

California recently considered a controversial revision of its statute, AB 475.I'm not sure if it's become law.

"Pure" electric car owners in California, like us Leafies, were upset that the proposed law would (1) give equal parking rights to hybrid electric cars like the Volt, which can run on an ICE after the battery gives out, and (2) require that a car in an EV slot be actually charging.

Being an EV newbie, I wasn't aware about charging etiquette in early adopter places like California. But from this article I learned some manners:

The existing EV etiquette deems that if an EV parked in a charging space has finished charging, a nearby EV owner may remove the charger and plug it into his or her own car. Now, under the new law, the EV owner who was parked in the designated EV charging space but is now charger-less could be towed.

Well, that doesn't seem right.

But at least California has rules and an enforcement mechanism for Electric Vehicle Only parking spaces. The Oregon Legislature needs to follow California's lead. So does the City of Salem.

I'm going to do some lobbying about this, now that I've seen how many ICE people thumb their noses at EV Only parking signs.

Comments

[Wayne White]

Does the owner of a car waiting for a charging station risk being towed because it isn't hooked up?
How long does a full charge take?

[Blogger Brian]

Wayne, here in Salem at least there isn't any penalty for being in a charging station parking space, regardless of what you're doing or not doing.

So if an electric car is in a space, but not being charged, there's no penalty -- just as in most places (Portland being a possible exception) there's no penalty for regular cars parking in a charging station place.

A full charge at a Level 2 (220-240 volt) charger takes about seven hours in a Nissan Leaf. That gets you about 100 miles if the battery is fully depleted. Thus every hour of charging equals around 15 miles of driving, which makes plugging in worthwhile, even if you don't stay at a charger long enough to get back to 100%.

[Roger]

Brian,

How much of your full charge(from your home) was used to get to the Chemeketa Parkade in downtown Salem? Did you need any charging to get home? This post is very interesting.

[Blogger Brian]

Roger, I don't remember exactly, but I do know that even though we live about ten miles or so from downtown, the range remaining showing on the Leaf dashboard doesn't drop by that much when I arrive in downtown.

I think this is because we live in the south Salem hills, which are a bit higher in elevation than downtown. So going into town, there's more downhill than uphill, and the Leaf battery regenerates when coasting or braking.

So I'm pleased with the range we have once we get into town. I was worried it could be less than it has turned out to be. Of course, driving home uses up some of the benefit that the car gets on the way into town. There's a fairly lengthy downhill stretch just before our house, though, so by the time the Leaf enters our carport it is showing a pretty healthy range again.

The lesson, which our salesman mentioned to us, is that the remaining range estimate on the Leaf shouldn't be given a lot of credence, as it is based on the most recent driving experience. The level of charge bars are a much better gauge (more like a fuel gauge).

[Roger]

So, the charging, done by your car's altenator(?) engages in a greater rate, than by the charging station? That is, 10 minutes of charging by car vs 10 minutes of charging at a charging station. If so, that would be some good information.

[Blogger Brian]

Roger, I don't think you're saying this, but it'd be perpetual motion if the car could recharge itself while moving and gain more miles than it uses.

The Leaf does recharge while going downhill and braking, but I'm pretty sure this isn't as great a recharge as plugging in the car to a 220 volt charger is. Plus, downhills don't last forever.

My point is that the Leaf does better than I expected getting to downtown Salem. Even with the ups and downs, the direction is more down than up, which is friendly for an electric car.

[Wayne White]

Brian I've just read about an "Air-Car" that runs on Compressed Air. Have you heard about it and what do you think about the concept of air-power.

[Roger]

Brian,

Sorry, I didn't do my homework on the Leaf. Thought it had a gas engine, for recharging. That one is the Volt.

I did find,

A fully charged new battery has a range of 138 – 62 miles. range is most affected by the following factors:

-Climate control – the more extreme the temperature is outside, the more energy used to heat or cool the cabin.
-Speed – higher speeds require much more energy to overcome air resistance.
-Driving style – smooth acceleration and deceleration will extend range while aggressive acceleration and deceleration will decrease range.
-Cargo and topography – heavy cargo and driving up steep long inclines will reduce range.

--- Going approx. 38 mph is Ok. Did you travel to Salem at 38mph? And, on a severely cold/hot day, will the Leaf be garaged? I don't picture you with a harsh driving style and Serena is probably the heaviest of loads you will encounter.

As said, this topic is very intersting.

[Blogger Brian]

Roger, I drive our Leaf pretty normally, speed-wise. I go 50 or so on the two lane road into town, then stick close to the speed limit in town. The mileage of the Leaf really goes down only at freeway speeds, 60 and above.

[Used Cars Louisville Guy 99]

I'm wondering if there is some way if an EV does get unplugged by another EV owner and a cop comes by, can there be some way he can find out if the 1st EV had charged? That way a ticket can be avoided, that is if the cop is inclined to check.

[Tyra Shortino]

Sad to say, your observation rings true as regards the use of parking spaces for electric vehicles by those driving non-electric vehicles. Let’s hope compliance with such parking rules would eventually improve. It is only through reminding people about these regulations that they will eventually develop the habit of compliance.

[giddyup]

Someday most of us will probably own an electric car. Hope they get this figured out before i do. Makes sense to put handicap spaces near a conveneient walkway. But i wonder why they would put the charge stations in such a coveted location. Property managers are usually more forward thinking. I would glady park a bit further away for free gas. It would be great if people respected the property and rights of others, but human nature (lack of consideration) by many says they often won't. Landscape designers understand this so they try to predict where people might walk across the grass and they put a sidewalk there first instead. It would make more sense to think ahead and put the stations where others are not already tempted to park. Much more sense than creating a whole new layer of legislation and beaurocracy to control selfish human beings.

[Brian Hines]

giddyup, good points. I was told by a Blink maintenance guy that the reason four chargers were put where they were in Salem's Chemeketa Parkade was because that's where electrical wiring already was close by.

Putting the chargers in a location away from the skybridge to Penney's and elevator would have been much more expensive. it's a concrete structure, after all. Can't snake wiring through dry wall.

Your idea makes sense, though, in areas where there are options for installing the chargers.

[Wes Plate]

I totally agree, put parking spaces where ICE cars won't be tempted to take them. I just got an EV so I am starting to pay attention to this issue. More and more businesses should offer charging to their customers, but they should feel free to use less valuable real estate to do so.