__San Diego is one of the first cities where Nissan has launched its first
mass-produced, plug-in electric car, the Leaf, a five-seat compact. __ Thomas
Franklin of San Diego was the first to take delivery of the car in Southern
California when he quietly drove off in his new Leaf earlier this month.
Franklin is a patent attorney who works with clean-technology companies.
Becoming the first owner of an electric vehicle (EV) in San Diego placed
Frankling in the media spotlight. He also became an immediate hit with
colleagues, clients and friends.
“I keep handing over the keys to someone else," Franklin
said. "I’ve driven around about half the people in the office; I’ve taken
out my clients. Everybody is just tickled to be a part of
history."

Franklin, who was chosen from a list of buyers, expected to get his car
sometime in 2011. The real surprise was that he's be the first in town to get
one. He said the car is quick to respond, unlike a gasoline-powered vehicle
which lags between when you step on the gas pedal and when it actually moves
forward. "There is no transmission, it’s direct drive," Franklin said. "And the
reaction is instantaneous."
He can walk to shopping and dining from his La Jolla home, Franklin said. He
only drives to work and to ferry his children to their activities.
“My commute is about 20 miles, so I haven’t had to worry about
it.”
The Leaf has a range of 70 to 100 miles (110 to 160 km) and needs
about seven hours for a full charge with a 240-volt charger.
The base model retails for around $32,000, compared with more than $40,000
for the Chevy Volt. But qualifying buyers get a federal tax credit of
up to $7,500 and a California state rebate of up to $5,000 on the new electric
cars.
The Volt is a plug-in hybrid. It will hit the local streets in
February.
The Volt is primarily an EV that can get up to 40 miles (60 km) on an
electric charge. After the battery runs out, a gas-powered motor kicks in and
continues to propel the car.
The Volt sells for about $41,000 and is eligible for the federal tax credit,
but not the state rebate because it does not qualify as a zero-emission
vehicle.
A good portion of those switching to EVs happen to be people who
currently drive the Toyota Prius.
Mike Ferry is the transportation programs manager at the California Center
for Sustainable Energy, which administers the rebate. (Its web site has
guidelines on how to apply.) He said it’s exciting to be a part of this new
era. “We are at the forefront of this revolution in automotive
transportation.”
San Diego was picked to be a launch market for a couple of reasons: The
state policy which promotes zero-emission vehicles; and the cooperation of San
Diego Gas & Electric. “San Diego was able to partner early on in the
process and bring these companies into the area,” Ferry said.
The San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG) and SDG&E were
instrumental in setting the city up, both as a key launch market and to
participate in the EV Project, funded by the Department of Energy.
The $115 million EV Project enables several states, including
California, Texas, Oregon, Washington, Tennessee and the District of Columbia,
to receive free charging stations for public areas, such as malls, residential
charging units for the first 1,000 buyers of EVs, and fast-charge stations near
freeways.
So early Leaf owners such as Franklin receive a free charging unit
that is installed in their home; they only have to pay for the
electricity. “San Diego is the cornerstone of the EV Project in
California. There is none in the Bay Area and L.A was added only
recently,” Ferry said.
The EV Project will collect and analyze data on vehicle use in diverse
terrain and climate conditions, evaluate the effectiveness of the charging
infrastructure, and conduct trials on various revenue systems for commercial
and public revenue.
Ecotality is an EV service provider that is working with the DOE to supply
the free charging stations. __Andy Hoskinson, area manager for Ecotality, said
charging costs will be minimal in public places. __ 
“You may see some locations where the cost to refill the vehicle
is free, because the host has elected to pay the cost. And you might see that
range up to a $1.50 or so for every hour that the vehicle is connected and
charging,” Hoskinson said. Ecotality’s charger, called the Blink,
costs $1,200 for residential units, $2,500 for the ones installed in public
places and $20,000 for the fast-charge units that will be located near
freeways.
If you were to plug your car into a 480-volt quick charge station, it would
take about 30 minutes to get to an 80% charge.
For depleted batteries, it will take about seven hours when plugged into a
240 volt residential or public station.
An EV plugged into a regular 110-volt socket will take about 20 hours for
the battery to go from empty to full.
Aside from the Blink, there are other brands sold by different EV service
providers such as Coulomb Technologies, Better Place and AeroVironment.
Charging an electric car at home increases the load, which could lead to
power outages without proper planning. Coping with the increased load is
something SDG&E has anticipated for several years. The utility has worked
with Ecotality and Nissan dealerships to pinpoint residential areas where there
will be a concentration of these cars.
Hoskinson said the area around state route 56, which starts at the end of
Ted Williams Parkway in Carmel Mountain and goes through Rancho Penasquitos and
Carmel Valley, is one such cluster.
“We anticipate electric vehicles will be popular where today's hybrids
are located,” said April Bolduc, communications manager with SDG&E.
However, she said the utility is still working on identifying these areas.
Charging an EV is equivalent to running an electric dryer. It draws
about 3.3 kilowatts per hour from the grid.
Car owners are encouraged to charge at home between midnight and 6
a.m., off-peak hours. Leaf owner Franklin said he plugs his car in when he
comes home and the built-in timer begins charging at midnight.
Bolduc said SDG&E is working with the California Public Utilities
Commission to develop rates that will give EV customers an incentive to charge
during off-peak hours, at night and early mornings when costs are low. That can
save as much as 75 percent compared with using gasoline. “Drivers get a low
rate, there is a reduction in harmful air emissions, and we reduce the need for
building and operating new power plants. It's a cleaner win-win for
everyone,” Bolduc said. When it comes to dealing with the increased demand
for power from EVs, Bolduc said a smart grid is the answer. “The great
thing about smart meters is that they are going be able to help us predict what
the condition is of the transformers that are in a particular neighborhood. So
over time we’ll be able to make those transformers smarter,” Bolduc
said.
Source: KPBS, by Padma Nagappan, December 21, 2010