Articles by
Paul Gipe
Tracking Chevy Bolt EV Battery Capacity
By
Paul Gipe
Everyone who has a cell phone knows that batteries don't last forever. For drivers of electric vehicles (EVs), or those considering one, the first question that comes to mind is, "How long will the battery last?" More specifically, how fast will the traction battery degrade and begin to affect the EV's range.
Sierra Club Activist Loves His Chevy Volt
By
Paul Gipe
Long-time Sierra Club activist Harold Wood and his wife Janet bought a Chevy Volt about a year ago. Wood, a Visalia, California authority on the life and times of John Muir, the founder of the Sierra Club, has been active in local environmental issues for decades.
Correction to the Death of Robert Skarski in Wind Power 2004
By
Paul Gipe
I've been alerted to an error in the second edition of Wind Power (2004): Renewable Energy for Home Farm and Business.
Replacing Rear Wiper Blade on the Chevy Bolt EV
By
Paul Gipe
Our 2017 Chevy Bolt EV is about 18 months old. The windshield wipers were beginning to streak so I decided to replace the wipers. Despite that the replacement wipers for the windshield were not exactly the same size as the originals, they were easy to replace. However, the rear wiper looked more challenging--and it lived up to expectations.
Tips for San Diego to Bakersfield Trip for a First Time Bolt Driver
By
Paul Gipe
As Tony Williams says, "plan the drive and drive the plan."
DC Ultrafast EV Charging Stations for Large Commercial Projects
By
Paul Gipe
All new large commercial projects along major travel corridors should install ultrafast-charging stations for electrical vehicles. These will serve the developers own commercial interest as well as the public's interest in expanded EV infrastructure.
Net Cost of a Lease for a 2018-2019 Chevy Bolt EV in the San Joaquin Valley
By
Paul Gipe
Since we and friends each leased a Chevy Bolt in November 2017, we've watched prices rise and stay high. Several of our friends and acquaintances have considered a Bolt, GM's first mass-produced, all-electric car. They've been turned away by the cost. In part this is due to the good deal we negotiated with our local Chevy dealer here in Bakersfield. Our non-electric friends want the same deal or something similar.
Update on CalTrans District 9 (Sierra Nevada East Side) DC Fast Charger Program
By
Paul Gipe
Proposition 6, the measure to roll back an increase in gasoline taxes, failed in California's midterm election. Projects that depended upon the tax increase, such as CalTrans' 30-30 program, will now have their funding stream restored.
Mountains to the Sea: EV Road Trip Made Possible by a 60 kWh Battery
By
Paul Gipe
While a friend was visiting from Canada, we took her on a road trip from Bakersfield, California to the coast via Mount Pinos in the San Emigdio Range. This is an easy trip in a gasoline-powered car. But we drive electric and therein lay the problem, or as we think of it, the challenge.
Madera Electrify America DCFC Station Underway
By
Paul Gipe
On our way to Santa Cruz, California we stopped in Madera to charge our Chevy Bolt EV. Just a few miles north Electrify America--the VW subsidiary ordered to do penance for its dieselgate scandal--is building a much larger fast charging station. So we stopped by to see its progress.
Electrify America’s Proposed DCFC Sites on the East Side of the Sierra
By
Paul Gipe
The most recent version of Electrify America's web site includes DCFC stations planned and those "coming soon." The online maps don't show sites on the East Side of the Sierra Nevada.
Rare New Photos Added: Chalk Bicycle Wheel Turbine & Princeton Sailwing Wind Turbine
By
Paul Gipe
I've added several rare photos and scans Vaughn Nelson found in his files from the 1970s. Nelson, one of the wind industry's pioneers, has an extensive collection of experimental wind turbines from the period.
