Author Topic: Gas Range Anxiety  (Read 1687 times)

protomech

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Gas Range Anxiety
« on: January 10, 2012, 02:10:27 PM »
Got on my GS500 today this morning to ride in. Foggy and drizzling outside, it'll be good to get in some wet weather riding practice. Temperatures at least are pleasant, mid 50s.

I reset my trip odometer each time I fill up (no fuel gauge). The odometer is sitting at 120 miles now; I have a 4 gallon tank and get about 50 mpg, so I try to fill up around 150 miles (giving me a bit over a gallon in reserve). My commute is 24 miles round trip, and I can fill up on the way back. No problem.

Gear up and ride off. Ginger with the throttle at first, but the bike is doing fine in the damp. I need to change out the rear tire soon, the tread is almost done and I avoid standing water.

Through the post gate and on to work. Riding well, little traffic this early and generally just enjoying my ride. Earlier this morning the fog had reduced visibility down to less than 50 feet; now it has lightened a bit, but still blankets and quietens the world. Headlights in the opposing lanes carve beams through the mist. Very peaceful.

I arrive at work and begin my teardown procedures to convert from a bulky biker dude to a mild-mannered cube dweller. Pat pockets to find badge. No badge. Check, and double check. Nothing.

Stomach flip-flops. I think know what happened; I must have fat-fingered the badge and either missed my pocket or not securely tucked it in. Curse my inattention and my thick gloves! I swing back onto the bike and roar off towards the gate.

They haven't seen it. I make one, then two, then three passes over the initial stretch of road leading away from the gate. No badge. I eye my odometer; it's approaching 160 miles now. I know I can swing out and refuel off-post, but it's a 20 minute detour that I don't have time for this morning. I've spent too much time on this already.

I head to the provost marshal office and submit a lost badge paperwork form and head back to work, exceedingly late and pissed at myself. Bike is sitting outside with ~185 miles on the odometer. It should get me to a pump off-post after work; but it'll be closer than I like.

***

Gas bikes typically have a tip-top full range somewhere between 100-250 miles. Depending on your comfort level, you could start a commute with 50 or fewer miles of range remaining. We're already accustomed to having to fill up somewhat frequently; we're used to keeping an eagle eye on the fuel gauge or trip odometer (no fuel gauge for me) and making plans accordingly.

On an electric bike, I will start each morning having fully charged at home, overnight. An Empulse 10 should deliver around 80-100 miles at my commute speeds (45-55 mph); that's about how much range I had in the partially-fueled gas bike this morning, so please don't read this as an indictment of gas, but rather my carelessness which is testing my range reserve.

As with most range anxiety experiences (electric or otherwise), I had options to mitigate or avoid the issue. I could fueled up on my way out, I could have put a little more gas into the bike at home. I could have accepted the schedule slip and quickly fueled up off-post before returning. Without being able to charge at work and with very few level 2 charging posts in Huntsville (two that I know of), home is the only place I can conveniently add charge on an electric bike.

That said; with today's battery technology, I would be feeling less anxiety on an electric bike than on my present gas bike. With tomorrow's battery technology? A fifty mile detour on the way to work would not be a problem at all. Or a hundred mile detour .. to go wander in the fog : )
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Gavin

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Re: Gas Range Anxiety
« Reply #1 on: January 10, 2012, 04:41:36 PM »
Nicely written...and sorry about the badge.

I will say I am looking forward to the next generation...and even more so the generation after that.

I do know I have had some close moments...do I run out of juice or do I make it home...but then I've had close moments in cars and scooters too....

But the current range is too little for me to use long term. I can't wait till electric motorcycles are on par with a 3-4 gallon tank...150 to 200 miles.

I have put 150 miles non stop on my other bike quite a few times. But I am ready to stop and stretch and grab a bite or a drink by that point.

I think within 2 generations of batteries we will be there. So 5 years? Probably. At that point we won't have this question of range.

One up side is that 110 outlets are everywhere. I am constantly grabbing juice anywhere I can.  If I'm stopping anywhere for over 30 minutes I will plug in (30 minutes gives me 5 more miles...and boy there are times I needed that 5 miles of electricity).

I'm surprised your work doesn't have an outlet you can use. Most big buildings will have outside sockets. Even at 110 you could probably fill your Empulse at work in a normal day.

I've plugged in at work, my brothers house, my other brothers house, a bar, another bar (both times for FOOD), Walmart, Subway, a High School and a couple of other places...I have had no problems nor anybody refusing me.


Now once I get my Enertia +3 (Enertia V3? Enertia 200) in 2016 that goes 160-200 miles on a charge I will be quite happy....

Gavin

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Re: Gas Range Anxiety
« Reply #2 on: January 10, 2012, 05:44:28 PM »
I feel your pain. For me, filling up is a huge inconvenience as there is only 1 gas station on the way to work. It feels like even more of a PITA when I know I wont have to deal with it much longer :). Enough range to get a full day of riding in is enough for me so the Empulse 10.0 will serve my needs and then some. I guess im not hard core enough to cruise more than 100 miles in a day. Besides, the twisties are right around the corner from where I live: http://www.empulsebuyer.com/?p=126 I am going to try and keep my Empulse for the long haul, at least 5 years... then I can see myself buying another Brammo Empulse 20.0, or something crazy like that.

protomech

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Re: Gas Range Anxiety
« Reply #3 on: January 10, 2012, 08:19:37 PM »
Gavin, our parking lot is well set back from the main building. I've checked with the facilities manager and while he acknowledges that there is an increasing interest in worksite EV charging (both from the top and the bottom), he says there's no way to accommodate that at this time.

I'm not convinced that there is not an accessible outlet; I haven't seen one wandering around the lot, but the lot is friggin' huge. I need to do some exploring.
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ttxgpfan

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Re: Gas Range Anxiety
« Reply #4 on: January 10, 2012, 08:58:12 PM »
It seems to me a bigger problem with the Enertia is not pack size but it's small 800w charger.  You can pull 1.5kW out of a normal socket.  That is full charged in 2 hours.  And instead of 5 miles for a 1/2 hour charge, you would get 10.

The thing about smaller and lighter batteries is that you can put a bigger charger in there, and then add more battery.

I have been doing interviews for a special podcast I am making about charging.  I am beginning to think we need to push for 9.6kW chargers as a minimum, and 12kW ones to take advantage of RV outlets.  And, as the racer wannabe type, it would be nice if tracks had a 48+kW charger at the track.  All with the ability to DC fast charge.

00049 (AKA SopFu)

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Re: Gas Range Anxiety
« Reply #5 on: January 10, 2012, 10:42:07 PM »
I've arrived to work with my badge flapping in the wind - it fell out of the map pocket of my tank bag but the lanyard saved it from disappearing entirely.

If you're at Redstone, just park at a different building.  I'm sure your facilities personnel would be able to accommodate, and I would be willing to bet there are already EVs on site somewhere.  If nothing else, I'm sure you could point to a presidential memo that says all fed facilities shall accommodate EVs.
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Gavin

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Re: Gas Range Anxiety
« Reply #6 on: January 11, 2012, 12:54:13 AM »
Gavin, our parking lot is well set back from the main building. I've checked with the facilities manager and while he acknowledges that there is an increasing interest in worksite EV charging (both from the top and the bottom), he says there's no way to accommodate that at this time.

I'm not convinced that there is not an accessible outlet; I haven't seen one wandering around the lot, but the lot is friggin' huge. I need to do some exploring.

The beauty of an EV motorcycle...you don't need a parking lot, parking structure etc etc...park at the back of your building... I almost guarantee there will be a 110 outlet somewhere along tHe back or side of your building...

I've  plugged in in front of a Walmart, in front of a Subway, behind a bar, in front of a bar...plugs are everywhere...

Gavin
« Last Edit: January 11, 2012, 01:34:59 AM by Gavin »

Richard230

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Re: Gas Range Anxiety
« Reply #7 on: January 11, 2012, 06:38:01 PM »
Speaking of gas range anxiety, the AP reports that a Honda Civic Hybrid car owner has filed a class-action lawsuit that is going through the LA courts right now. This woman bought a Honda Civic Hybrid and was told (she claims) that she could get 50 mpg from the car. The contention is that sales people were claiming that the car would get 50 mpg on the highway and the woman says that her car only gets 30 mpg. which she claims is due to defective batteries and lying Honda salespeople.  (I guess no one told her that the batteries don't help much when traveling at 80 mph on the freeway.  ;))

Apparently, Honda is concerned about the suit and has proposed settling it by giving each Civic owner $100 to $200 cash and a $1000 credit toward the purchase of a new car. The lead plaintiff, Ms. Peters, bought her car in April 2006 and filed her lawsuit in March of last year. She still owns the car and wants to be compensated for the money lost on gas, as well as punitive damages, amounting to $30,000, according to the article.   ::)
current bikes: 2018 16.6 kWh Zero S, 2011 Royal Enfield Bullet 500 Classic, 2009 BMW F650GS, 2007 BMW R1200R, 2005 Triumph T-100 Bonneville, 2002 Yamaha FZ1 and a 1978 Honda Kick 'N Go Senior.

860

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Re: Gas Range Anxiety
« Reply #8 on: January 11, 2012, 08:44:20 PM »
Speaking of gas range anxiety, the AP reports that a Honda Civic Hybrid car owner has filed a class-action lawsuit that is going through the LA courts right now. This woman bought a Honda Civic Hybrid and was told (she claims) that she could get 50 mpg from the car. The contention is that sales people were claiming that the car would get 50 mpg on the highway and the woman says that her car only gets 30 mpg. which she claims is due to defective batteries and lying Honda salespeople.  (I guess no one told her that the batteries don't help much when traveling at 80 mph on the freeway.  ;))

Apparently, Honda is concerned about the suit and has proposed settling it by giving each Civic owner $100 to $200 cash and a $1000 credit toward the purchase of a new car. The lead plaintiff, Ms. Peters, bought her car in April 2006 and filed her lawsuit in March of last year. She still owns the car and wants to be compensated for the money lost on gas, as well as punitive damages, amounting to $30,000, according to the article.   ::)


I'm not sure where you read that article, but there are a ton of errors in what you wrote.  Here is the actual article.


http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jbKQzVYp6Il-Anudku2pWRKIT_eg?docId=5ba8b31353a4476285daf84daa22bc3f

Fixes to your post:

1)  There was already a class-action case that Honda offered to settle long before Peters filed her small-claims case, she didn't file a new class-action suit.  She opted out of the class-action case because she didn't agree with Honda's settlement offer.  All class-action cases allow for an opt-out just like this, exactly for this reason.

2)  The problem isn't with just her car.  It isn't a case of a single driver's driving style.  Honda pushed a software update to all Honda Civic Hybrids of this same vintage that is widely reported to have greatly reduced MPG for all drivers, regardless of driving style.  That's why Honda already offered to settle the class-action case.

3)  Peters isn't the "lead plaintiff", she is the only plaintiff, because this isn't the class-action lawsuit, this is her own small-claims case.  Honda has not offered a cash settlement in Peter's small-claims case.

4)  She isn't asking $30,000 dollars, she is asking for the limit in the court of $10,000 dollars.

Seems like you got a lot of the story jumbled.

00049 (AKA SopFu)

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Re: Gas Range Anxiety
« Reply #9 on: January 11, 2012, 09:31:21 PM »

The beauty of an EV motorcycle...you don't need a parking lot, parking structure etc etc...park at the back of your building... I almost guarantee there will be a 110 outlet somewhere along tHe back or side of your building...

I've  plugged in in front of a Walmart, in front of a Subway, behind a bar, in front of a bar...plugs are everywhere...

Gavin

That works out in public, but having an unknown vehicle parked next to building occupied by military folk may not be met with the same curious inspection. 
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Richard230

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Re: Gas Range Anxiety
« Reply #10 on: January 12, 2012, 11:00:53 AM »
Sorry about that 1416. I was reading from a short article in the business section of my newspaper that was in front of me at the time.  The source of the article was said to be the Associated Press.
Apparently, the article was a poor and inaccurate summary of the actual facts.

When I saw the article I thought it would serve to illustrate that the general public is going to have unrealistic concepts about what new technology can do in the real world and will misunderstand the limits of this technology, resulting in lawsuits.  I still think this is the case, especially in California, where everyone gets sued about everything as we have an overabundance of lawyers per capita, in my opinion. 
current bikes: 2018 16.6 kWh Zero S, 2011 Royal Enfield Bullet 500 Classic, 2009 BMW F650GS, 2007 BMW R1200R, 2005 Triumph T-100 Bonneville, 2002 Yamaha FZ1 and a 1978 Honda Kick 'N Go Senior.