Chris Tromley wrote: > Chuck Hursch wrote: > > > My own sticky-wicket occurs when I go to pick up my gas > > vehicle (a SUV) stored some 4.3 miles away (as the tire goes) > > and over one sustained 300A (battery) hill (30 sec to a > > minute). There is no power available in the storage area > > (basically a collection of metal storage containers), so I > > cannot drive away and leave the EV in the storage container > > to charge off the grid and turn off with a timer. > > <snip> > > > So if I want to charge the > > Rabbit, I have to get out the portable 1kW portable generator > > and dump ~6A into the Rabbit's pack. To put the ~1.25kWh > > back in for a full charge takes about 1.5 hours of reading a > > book and listening to the generator blat away. I've done > > this once. 20-minutes on the generator wouldn't be so bad to > > get some coulombs back in, but 1-1/2 hours gets a bit long. > > > > Would anybody else bother to charge? Do I hear everyone > > laughing at me? :-) It would be nice to drive to the storage > > container, take off on a week's trip to the Sierras with the > > SUV, and not worry about the batteries in the meantime. Much > > easier than taking the bus or trying to walk or bike over the hill. > > Hi Chuck, > > One option is to spend that 1.5 hours walking to the SUV instead of > reading. If the exercise benefit is outweighed by the need for a > shower, maybe the easiest solution is to get an electric scooter. I > think some of them can do 5 miles including a good hill. (Don't think > Zappy - the scooter world has moved on.) If you do some shopping > around, you might find one in the $300-500 range. It might also make > itself useful by sparing your EV all the little neighborhood errands > (shallow charge cycles).
That's one possibility, although then I'd have to charge the scooter's battery, although perhaps the old Group 24 bank in the container would have the kwh to do that. Or would have to carry with me in the truck. Yes, walking is also a possibility, and has been done many a time. Scooter wouldn't hack the hill at my apt, though, steep and too narrow (menacing automobiles). I thought it was better to keep the EV's batteries well cycled (ie. by using them), than letting them die on the vine or sit on float all the time (my experience bears this out). I also used to have an electric bike (friend made it) for doing some of those close errands and getting some exercise, but the bike eventually died (not the electric part) and the apt hill is just too dangerous and fumesy (another reason for EVs!!). Chuck Hursch Larkspur, CA www.geocities.com/nbeaa
