Articles by
Paul Gipe
Slovenian Electric Vehicles
By
Paul Gipe
While touring Central Europe with a Rick Steve's group I didn't see a single wind turbine (my specialty), but I did come across some electric vehicles--my current passion--and one DC fast charger.
Charging at Electrify America
By
Paul Gipe
As part of its penance for the diesel-gate pollution scandal, Volkswagen is building a continent-wide network of DC fast charging stations for electric vehicles under the brand of Electrify America.
What’s that Number on PlugShare Mean?
By
Paul Gipe
Short answer: High number--the station is relatively reliable; Low number--station is unreliable. Drivers want to avoid stations with low numbers.
CalTrans’ District 9 in Bishop has awarded DCFC Contract
By
Paul Gipe
CalTrans' District 9 office in Bishop, California has finally awarded the contract to build DC fast-charging stations as part of CalTrans' 30-30 program.
NR 44-4612: One of the Ones that Didn’t Make it Home
By
Paul Gipe
On the glacial plain just north of the High Tatras Mountains that separates Poland from Slovakia is the village of Koniówka. Unlike the surrounding foothills with their ski slopes and second-home villas for the wealthy of Poland and Russia, Koniówka is remarkable for only two things. It's flat and everywhere else is not, and on 13 September 1944 an American B-17 Flying Fortress crashed nearby.
Transformer Installed at EA’s Bakersfield Station
By
Paul Gipe
Sometime in the past week PG&E has installed the transformer for the Electrify America station in Bakersfield, California.
Recargo’s DCFC Station Contract on 101 in Central California has expired
By
Paul Gipe
Recargo's California Energy Commission contract to build eight DC fast-charging stations from Buellton, California to the San Francisco Bay Area on Hwy 101 has "expired."
Setting a Charging Schedule for the Chevy Bolt EV
By
Paul Gipe
I was talking to a Chevy Bolt newby and in the course of the conversation I found that they knew another Bolt driver who charged off-peak using a cheap 120-volt timer you can get at any big box store because of the lower electricity rates. This rang several alarm bells.
Martin Frey’s English Language Version of Baedeker Guide to Renewable Energy in Germany
By
Paul Gipe
Martin Frey's wonderful little guidebook to the Energiewende in Germany is now available in English. Germany - Renewable Energy Experience Baedeker Guides. Frey's book is highly recommended for students of renewable energy traveling in Germany.
Battery Degradation Comparison Chevy Bolt EV and Nissan Leaf
By
Paul Gipe
We are approaching the two-year anniversary of leasing a 2017 Chevy Bolt EV. This is a good time to take stock of any degradation in the Bolt's traction battery capacity and how that compares with a 2015 Nissan Leaf we leased previously.
When it doesn’t go Right–Plan B Charging of a Chevy Bolt EV
By
Paul Gipe
Experienced EV drivers always have a Plan B for charging on the road, and for good reason. Charging network reliability, especially for non-Tesla EVs, can be spotty at best even in "green" California. We found this out--again--on a recent 500-mile round trip to the coast.
Update on Sierra Nevada East Side Non-Tesla DCFC Stations
By
Paul Gipe
As noted previously, there are no public non-Tesla EV charging stations on the East Side of the Sierra Nevada from Mojave, California to Gardnerville, Nevada on US 395--a distance of more than 300 miles.
