LA EV Meetup and Rally to Southern Cal Edison's CTAC

Things To Do While You Wait for Your LEAF
As my Nissan online "dashboard" remains firmly stuck on a delivery date of "Month of April, 2011", I'm looking for interesting things to do that focus on the developing electric transportation scene.  A great opportunity appeared this weekend in the form of the LA Volt CAB Meetup and Rally.  Many thanks to EVNation, a LEAF owner from www.mynissanLEAF.com for getting us involved in this great event.

(Photos are Clickable for Enlarging)

Tesla Roadster and GM Volt

GM Hydrogen Fuel Cell Development SUV

Two LEAFs Join the Volts and Other EVs at the Meetup

The Los Angeles GM Volt Customer Advisory Board is a group of influential EV enthusiasts to each of whom GM lent a new Volt for three months of use in exchange for their suggestions and publicity. To commemorate the end of their Volt stint, the group sponsored a meetup and rally for Saturday morning ( Feb 5) to which they invited Volt owners and other EV owners and anyone else interested. The start of the event was a meetup in Burbank at GM's Advanced Technology Center, and the destination of the short rally drive was Southern California Edison's Customer Technology  Application Center in Irwindale for a short tour.

As the Brits say, we "turned up" to see what it was all about.  I managed to interest Gary from the MyNissanLEAF forum to drive up with me (actually to drive me up) in his nice 2010 Prius.  One hour and some enjoyable chat later, we arrived to find ourselves part of a very friendly and happy group of EV enthusiasts indeed.  Most of the cars were Volts, but a multicolored array of at least ten Tesla Roadsters showed up, as did two or three Mini Es, two new LEAFs, about three ten-year-old Toyota RAV4s, a Chevy S-10 EV truck and a Monotracer two-wheeler (actually a gasoline version that the owner is using while he waits for the EV version).  More LEAFs and an interesting converted VW pickup with lead-acid batteries joined us after the quick freeway run to CTAC in Irwindale.

Tesla Roadsters in a Rainbow of Colors

The Electric Mini, BMW's First EV Customer Test Project

Five Varieties of Plug-In Cars in a Row

At the GM meetup site, there were several bright human stars in the world of EV enthusiasm along with the cars themselves.  Actress and now EV blogger Alexandra Paul was videoing interviews with Volt and EV owners for her blog.  Chelsea Sexton, blogger, reporter and EV activist who helped to organize the event, was there to chat, to learn and to help educate.  Paul Scott, co-founder of Plug In America and now LEAF salesman at Santa Monica Nissan, came with his new red LEAF.  And Bill Nye ("The Science Guy") was there as well.

The gathering at the GM lot was really fun and very friendly.  There was no evidence of competitiveness between the various groups of EV owners and lots of people were interested in learning about the other cars. There was a real feeling of fellowship and appreciation that we were all engaged in the same enthusiastic movement toward the future of transportation.

Actress Alexandra Paul and her Video Camera

Chelsea Sexton Chats

Gary Waits to Greet Paul Scott, Arriving in his New LEAF

Paul Scott, in Conversation as Soon as He Gets Out of His LEAF

The Fascinating Monotracer

Thousands of Volts (well... maybe twenty)

At the SC Edison CTAC Site

After the drive to the Edison CTAC site, the group was met by more EVs whose owners had chosen to go directly there.  Many of the cars were connected to the 12 Level II Charge Point EVSEs (with Level I connections as well) that are fed by Edison's 21.75 kW DC rated solar rooftop array.  The Mini Es and some other cars used some of the other 110 volt receptacles available.  Ironically, the LEAFs were given priority at the EVSEs, bumping some GM Volts because the LEAFs are battery-only.

Charging Up on Solar Power from SCE's 21.75 kW DC Solar Canopy

Film Crew (from Japan, I think) Covers Paul Scott Plugging the LEAF in to Solar Power

VW Pickup Truck EV Conversion

Mini E "Opportunity Charges" at a 110 volt outlet

Inside the Center, Edison experts led groups through the Smart Energy Experience, Edison's demonstration home for intelligent and sustainable energy technologies.  A few of the technologies on display were solar panels, solar water heating, a 500 Watt residential wind generator, a Coda electric sedan, LED interior and exterior lighting, smart energy metering with connections to home air conditioning, lighting and appliances for owner interactive energy reduction during power emergencies, sustainable materials and home automation systems. 

http://www.sce.com/b-sb/energy-centers/ctac/tour-ctac/smart-energy-experience.htm 

500 Watt Residential Wind Generator

Home Energy Use Display

Coda EV Sedan in the Demonstration Home's Garage

Coda EV Sedan and Lear Charging Dock

Dimmable LED Home Lighting Solutions

Sustainable Bamboo Flooring and Recycled Glass Counter Tops

SC Edison and their staff were very welcoming, providing a nice lunch and a comfortable, inviting customer education facility..  As we watched the Volts and other plug-in cars arrive, there was a real sense of the arrival of a wave of the future cresting and arriving at a center for the new source of transportation energy.

More coverage of the event from EVNation and Paul Scott at:
http://www.ev-nation.org/   and http://evsandenergy.blogspot.com/