Chevy Bolt Goes To Portland (Beaverton, OR)

I have had my all electric 2017 Chevy Bolt for a number of months and finally decided that I need to challenge myself and drive this car from my hometown of Medford, OR to Beaverton, OR (just outside of Portland, OR), a distance of 278 miles. Now the Bolt has an advertised range of 238 miles so I knew this would require charging on the road using a Level 3 Public charging station and overnight using a portable Level 2 charger at my destination. Surprisingly, a greater range can be found driving in town (City Range) than on the Highway (Highway Range). Indeed, I discovered a major difference in efficiency, measured as miles/kwh (miles per KiloWattHour), driving at 65 vs 72 mph. On the way to Portland, the weather was cool and I did not need to use the air conditioning much (1% Climate). On the return leg, it was very hot and the efficiency fell significantly with air conditioning on (7% Climate). Finally, climbing the Sexton Summit between Medford and Portland was very energy inefficient and made predicting usable range more difficult. My goal was to make one DC Fast (480 Volt) charge at a Public charging station each way and finish with about a 30 mile range at the end of each leg. I did not achieve this goal.

Level 2 240 volt AC Portable Charger at my Destination

Testing the Fast DC Charger at ChargePoint

Not every Chevy Bolt ships with a fast DC charger. My Bolt had the optional Level 3 fast DC 480v charger. This is in addition to the Level 2 240 volt charger connection that I use at home. My car also came with a Level 1 120 volt AC charger.

It has been reported that the Chevy Bolt fast DC charger can handle up to an 80 kWh charge and that the Chevy Bolt battery holds 60kW of energy at full charge. Most of the Public CCS (Combined Charging System) chargers that I encountered on Interstate 5 were 24 kWh chargers. These chargers tend to slow down significantly at 80% charge. Theoretically, you could charge a 60 kW Bolt from 0% charge to 80 % on a 24 kWh charger in two hours. I did try to charge at a Public 50 kWh charger in Salem, but it was being used. The only Public CCS fast DC charger in Medford, OR was a ChargePoint charger. I signed up with ChargePoint and obtained two ChargePoint tap cards. I installed the Chevy Bolt, ChargePoint and PlugShare apps on my iPhone. My first step was to test the fast DC charger in my car by charging my Bolt at the ChargePoint charger in my home town. I touched the ChargePoint card to start the process. This triggered a ten dollar charge to my credit card. I plugged in my car to the charger. I tapped my card to start charging. I could see my charging progress on the ChargePoint app on my iPhone and on the dash in my car. To complete the charge, I tapped the ChargePoint card at the charger to finish. I was able to top off my battery for $2.40, 53 miles in 57 minutes. Charges at ChargePoint charges vary widely. Some charge 15c/kW, others 20c/kW. Some also charge for parking after thirty minutes to discourage parking after your charge is finished.

***If you unplugged the car before stopping the charging process (accomplished by tapping your ChargePoint card to the charger), you will get an "internal fault" warning. Just plug the connector back in and start a new charging sequence, tap to start, tap to stop and then disconnect the cord. I worry if you just leave, the next user will find a disabled charger displaying an "internal fault" warning, requiring a remote "reset."

Testing the Portable Level 2 240v Charger at Home

My next step was to test a portable Level 2 240v charger at home. Since these chargers are only allowed by code to have about 12 inches of power cord, I also purchased a heavy duty extension cord rated for 40 amps. If you plan to use a 30 amp 240v dryer plug at your destination, you may wish to consider a variable amperage charger or a 12-24 amp charger for use on a 30 amp dryer circuit. The Chevy Bolt will not let you "down charge" at 24 amps when using a 32 amp charger. My destination in Beaverton had a 50 amp 6-50 NEMA plug so I was able to use a 32 amp portable charger at my destination.

***You can buy a Nema 10-30 or 14-30 240v dryer adapter that reportedly works with an OEM Chevy Bolt "120/240 volt" charger that shipped with a 120v plug. This reportedly allows you to charge at Level 2 12 amps using the factory "charger" and a dryer plug.

What is a Charger Anyway?

As I understand it, the charger is really in the car. I have a 32 amp ClipperCreek "Charger" at home. My understanding is that this device is actually a very smart high voltage relay. A low DC communication current is carried to the car and when the car asks for a charge, the ClipperCreek" Charger obliges by sending 240 volts down the line. This is similar to how a gas engine car ignition switch and starter relay works where a low amperage current in the ignition triggers a large amperage current to the starter using a "relay." In a gas engine car, a relay prolongs the life of the ignition switch. In the Bolt, a relay should prevent high voltage from being carried to the connector unless the connector is properly communicating with the Bolt. So, hopefully, this means no worries when the neighborhood kid sticks a screwdriver into the CrippleCreek connector.

I think it would be correct to say that ClipperCreek sells a charging station.

Types of Connectors

Combined Charging System Connector with Fast Charge 240 Volt DC Connectors Exposed

While traveling, you will want to find a Level 3 Fast DC charger with a CCS (Combined Charging System) connector for the Bolt. This connector has both a fast charge 480 volt Direct Current plug and a 240 volt AC plug (J1772) _combined_ into a single plug. To use this plug, flip down the red cover exposing the lower 480 volt DC connectors. Be sure to CLOSE the car door cover when you are done charging and before you get back on the highway.

*** Don't panic if you forget to close the charging door. The wind will try to close the door, not open the door in the wind. It is not a "suicide door."

Companies with Level 3 CCS Chargers in Oregon

I found two networks with Level 3 chargers for the Bolt as of Aug. 26, 2017, ChargePoint and OPConnect. AeroVironment seems to mostly support the competing CHAdeMO standard. I joined ChargePoint. OPConnect should work with a credit card. If not, you should be able to call OPConnect's support to start a charge.

Planning Your Trip, Residual Charge, First and Last Chance Locations

Here is where it gets difficult. Sometimes a charger may not be working or it may be in use so you cannot be assured of using a charger in a given location. It is more like flying an airplane. When flying, a pilot tries to keep an extra minimum 30 minutes of fuel in the tank at the destination and has an alternative airport in mind within 30 minutes of the primary airport. When driving, I recommend that you try to reach your destination with a "Residual Charge" of 30 miles to spare, giving you room for unexpected travel challenges. I also recommend that you plan a stop at the "First Chance Opportunity Location" where a charge will get you to your destination. For example, I planned to charge in Roseburg, OR which is 98 miles from my starting point and 175 miles from my destination. That should have left me with more than 30 miles to spare when I arrived at my destination. It did not.

You should have alternative locations to charge in case the first location is not working or is being used. While I was charging in Roseburg, two other Chevy Bolts arrived hoping to use the charger. Remember, it will take two hours on a 24 kWh charger to charge a Bolt from 0% to 80%. You many not want to wait on a "in use charger" for two hours just to start a charge (unless it is your Last Chance location!). You can then stop at every location until one of two things happens: 1) You find an unused working fast charger. or 2) You reach the last location where you must charge as the next charging station is "out of range"! This is important. You need to decide what is the furthest location with a _working_ charger that you can make on a full starting charge. You must charge before you reach this location or you need to wait at this location to get a charge. I am going to call this location the "Last Chance Opportunity" working location. So determine your "First Chance Opportunity Location" and your "Last Chance Opportunity Location" and note all the chargers in between. I would then drive until you find an empty station or reach your "Last Chance" location. Ideally, you should end up with a "Residual Charge" of 30 miles at your destination.

How to Determine Working Locations?

No guarantees here, but social networking helps. I used both the ChargePoint and PlugShare apps to determine working locations. If a location was listed as not working and it worked for me, I would post my findings. Also if a location is posted as working and is not, consider posting the problem that you encountered.

Monitoring Your Charge

My Bolt does not beep when connected successfully to a fast charger. Instead, the dash display shows the current charge state.

The ChargePoint app _should_ show the charger is not available to other users when you connect to the charger. It does not always work as advertised. So just because the app says the charger is available does not mean the charger is available.

The ChargePoint app _should_ keep you informed of the current state of your charge when you leave your vehicle. If not, you can use the "myChevrolet" Chevy Bolt app. When properly set up, you can touch Vehicle Status and then "pull down" on the screen to update the vehicle status. The app should show an "updating" icon and then show the current battery level. You can tell the app to text message you when the car is fully charged or charging is interrupted. If you stop at 80% charge, that is considered an interrupted charge. Text STOP to stop a "interrupted charge" text message from being repeatedly sent to your phone.

*** You can also lock and unlock your car with this "myChevrolet" app.

Monitoring Your Driving

Changes in speed, road conditions and climate controls can dramatically change your range on a full charge. On your first trip, take it slow and plan on a conservative range, say 190 to 200 miles. You can monitor the expected "residual charge" at your destination by comparing the mileage gauge on the Bolt and the mileage to your destination on your gps navigation device. I use my iPhone and ApplePlay for navigation. If I find my residual charge falling below 30 miles, I reduce my speed or turn down the climate control, until I can "build back up" my expected charge at my destination.

Cool weather (77 F) and a 1% Climate Setting.

Hot weather (99 F) and a 7% Climate Setting! Ouch.

More often than not, I did NOT end up with 30 miles of charge at my destination.

Limping home on yellow. Beware of the Sexton Summit!

Conclusions

My trip in an all electric Chevy Bolt from Medford, OR to Portland, OR and back was very educational. First, inter-city travel CAN be done with proper preparation and expectations. Second, the existing Level 3 CCS infrastructure on I5 in Oregon is populated primarily with single 24 kWh charging sites that do not exploit the full potential of the optional 80 kWh Chevy Bolt Fast DC charger in my Chevy Bolt. The infrastructure needs to be updated to sites with multiple 50-80 kWh chargers.Third, the use of air conditioning in 99 degree heat and the climb over the Sexton Summit confounded my range calculations.

As the competition for chargers increases, users of public EV chargers may want to plan more carefully. This planning can be simplified by first determining the "first chance charger opportunity" and "last chance working charger opportunity" along the chosen route. The use of smart phone apps like ChargePoint, PlugShare and myChevrolet makes traveling much easier. User reports of "out of service" and "in service" charging stations is invaluable.

Given the current state of the Public charging infrastructure, gas+EV (Plug-in Hybrid) cars may be more practical for single car families, supporting both long distance and intra-city traveling. The widespread deployment of well designed charging sites with two or more 50-80 kWh CCS charging stations would facilitate speedy inter-city charging and allow for the widespread adoption of pure EV cars. Multiple Level 3 fast chargers could be located at off highway shopping malls, generating more mall foot traffic. Motels and hotels with banks of Level 2 chargers and an overnight charger reservation system may be in our future.

With the advent of the affordable 238 mile EV Chevy Bolt, intra-city drivers no longer need to worry about running out of charge during their daily commute. Long range EV cars like the Chevy Bolt are a joy to drive and are well suited for everyday driving in urban environments, promoting the physical separation of power generating structures from high density, or smog shy, urban environments. Families may choose to add an all electric  EV car to augment a conventionally powered vehicle. A household with an all electric EV car and a Plug-in Hybrid could efficiently share a single home charger, leveraging their investment.

Have fun being an early adopter!

Jeff

TIP

*** If your center screen freezes, reportedly you can reboot the system by holding the physical HOME and FastForwad buttons at the same time.

Short Term Storage

I decided to use a battery tender/buddy for short term storage. I chose to leave the battery terminals connected and use the remote jump start points to keep the 12 volt battery charged.

Positive to battery.

Negative to remote jump point.