% The roar of an old-EVangel % [This post is inter-mingled with some of my personal issues as they are affecting how-much EVangelizing I can still do after the recent health issue cropped up]
One of the many-many doctors I have been paraded around to changed my heart medications which after a couple of days (today), I felt pretty good (slept better, had energy, and that bright-go-getter/Get 'er Done attitude). Sort-of felt like the old-lion that still had a roar left in it. So, I got some planned chores done (recycling old junk, etc.) and still had energy. I had planned to swing by a couple of stores to prepare for this holiday weekend (get it done before the crowds, etc.). On a whim, I stopped off at my local Ford dealership to check on them (see what has changed and what has stayed the same). I have posted about them before, so my expectations were not all that high. This dealership is quite old (goes back to the early days of selling the Ford model T) so it small yet they have a large remote parking area that holds their new vehicle inventory. Using my cane for support (ignoring the arthritic pain in my hips and joints), I did my old-n-slow old-man walk to the dealership, I noticed the one Leviton (re-badged as Ford's) 6kW EVSE on their building wall was charging one of two plugins parked near it. As I got closer, I saw they were Ford's Fusion Energi pih: a metallic-silver and a metallic-black one. Though they did not have their license plates, they did already have their green HOV (car-pool-lane) stickers (using the sticker as a selling point). I went in and hit up a sales type (a tall slender older man, groomed for sales). I did my usual break-the-ice chit-chat with him to get him going, "Those are good-looking vehicles" (he smiled). I asked how many focus Electrics he had in stock, he said 'one'. And I asked what color it was (usually customers would ask that, so I was playing along with what he would expect to be asked). He said it was tuxedo-black like the pih outside (we were looking at through the window). I asked how many Fusion Energi he had, he said "Oh, we have a slew of those (a lot of them). (Then I went a little on the attack to put him little off balance), "So you like selling the Fusion Energi over the Electrics, you like gas over Electrics, right?" He dropped into selling mode by saying, "The Electrics don't sell because they can't go that far, those (Fusion Energi pih) can drive to LA. You could not even get to Bakersfield (265mi away) in the Electric" (This told me he has not a clue of the Focus Electric's range nor the EV charging infrastructure). I told him that if the Focus Electric has level-3 charging that would not be a problem, and that their EV could then actually compete with the other EVs (those words just seem to wash past him like a light breeze). He tried to say that Ford was working on it, and I cut short (in a friendly way), that I really-really knew about plugins and no, Ford is not working on level-3 for their EV. (he paused, which meant he acknowledged my words). I told him, I was for both Electrics and plug-in-hybrids, as I support both (then I quickly turned his attention to the showroom so as not to lose him as there were no customers at that time). I asked about the pih he had on display, and I mentioned that a member of my nonprofit had a Fusion Energi, that they liked the additional room it had over other pih (this let him drop into a more comfortable selling mode). He pointed to the Cmax hev, and said "Then you ought to sit in one of these." He mentioned that either the Cmax or the Fusion came in either hev or pih models. He used my appearance to yak up the needs of the AARP (older/retired) buyer. When a potential customer came in, before he noticed, I thanked him and suggested that he go help them (to meet his sale quota), which he eagerly did. Clearly, Ford is still not that interested in selling EVs as they have not made an effort to make their one and only EV model have the options to compete with their competition (i.e.: level-3 charging, having at least 3 driving modes - rainy/mountain-driving, normal, eco/long-range, etc.). Ford is still quite happy selling pih and ice. So, not much has changed at that dealership, except a new batch of sales staff. After leaving and at my last shopping stop, I paused the shopping cart I was using like a walker to gaze on a new white Leaf EV that was pulling into the disabled parking spot (near the store's entrance). I gently approached the driver who had two toddlers in the car seats in the back seat, and who seemed to be waiting for someone to come out. She let me talk to her and what a pleasant experience that was. Though her Leaf did not have its license plates yet, she said it was a 2013 model (?). She told me it was the trim that had the more powerful on-board charger. I complemented her on her wisdom in that choice, as it can only help her now and later as a better resale value. I had mentioned that I had just come from the Ford dealership and asked if she had thought about the Ford Focus Electric before purchasing her Leaf. She said the Leaf had such a long standing reputation as a a good EV. I nodded in agreement and mentioned that the Focus Electric was after-all just a compliance car. She smirked, and shook her head in disappointment. I asked if her Leaf had different driving modes, and she said yes. I told her that the Focus Electric didn't and it did not even have level-3 charging. She emphatically said she goes too many places to not have a level-3 charging ability (meaning she is quite happy with what her Leaf EV gives her). (Her toddlers at this point were eying me as 'Who is this Big Guy talking to Mommy?!?) I asked her if she knew of the different EVSE rfid cards Chargepoint and Blink, and she quickly said yes. And she also already knew about plugshare.com and recargo (for looking up where public EVSE is located). Again, I complemented her as out of the last 12 new Leaf drivers I had talked to, they knew nothing of the plugshare, and were only told to use carwings (the on-board infotainment system's display of where charging is located). She strongly agreed that carwings is basically useless compared to plugshare or recargo for finding EV charging. I was very impressed by this gal (she was one sharp new-EV driver). She also already knew of the myleaf forum. So, at our parting (I did not want to take up all her time though she was quite nice about chatting with me), I let her know of the free Silicon Valley EAA's EVent being held at De Anza College Sat. Sept 20th 2014 http://eaasv.org/ When I mentioned that it usually has everything there, including lots of things the kids would be interested in, the toddlers' eyes perked up in interest. I mentioned that I hoped she would come, get a free charge while enjoying the EVent, and leave anytime they wanted. ... Talking to her (as a new Leaf EV driver) just made my day. Though she was already on top of many of the things I usually have to inform newbies of, just talking to her gave me the EVangel rush so familiar, that I hoped I still had in me. It isn't everyday that I feel as good as I did today. I hope I feel this good on the day of the eaasv.org Rally so I can enjoy it. It is always a good time for all. ... On a personal side note, the doctors at the hospital are mentioning that they want to do surgery on my thyroid (its a little large on one side, hardly noticeable). So before these surgeons begin carving this big turkey (me), I want them to ensure I really need it done. It isn't that I am vain, it is that though I am now old, I am not that hard to look at and my large physical presence is like a walking billboard. I am not a celebrity, but I do have a large visibility factor (all my life, everyone has noticed Bruce). So, when I do my talking to the public about EVs/plugins (EVangel work), I use that presence to help promote the EV-cause. I am concerned that if I end up with a zipper scar on my throat like http://i56.tinypic.com/no5zly.jpg http://0.tqn.com/d/create/1/0/t/q/A/-/Dana.jpg that the public will not hear my EV-cause words but stare at the scar. That would knock me out of the game (like being permanently benched). Which would seem a shame if I still had the ability to promote the EV-cause. Well, we will have to see how this ends up (I will hope for the best). {brucedp.150m.com} -- View this message in context: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/EVangel-About-Ford-still-pushing-their-pih-One-smart-new-Leaf-driver-tp4669625.html Sent from the Electric Vehicle Discussion List mailing list archive at Nabble.com. _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org For EV drag racing discussion, please use NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
