Top 10 Reasons You Know You're A Brammoholic When...

[Gavin]

Ha.... Just thinking....


When the Plus price went from 9k to 11k I thought, "hmmm, wanted to spend under 10k, but I really want it, so....OK, let's get one."

Now I went out and spent 16k on a pick-up, $270 on a ramp/bed extender, bought a truck tent, tie downs, bungee net, etc etc etc...

I truly might need a 12 step program

G

[Gavin]

Getting ready for SECA....wonder if I can camp on the track overnight


Gavin

[FreepZ]

Wow, you even have a guard dog to protect your bike! I guess you can never be too safe.

[Car Loss]

... you map all the freebies outlets in your area for when "that" conceptual electric motorcycle stops being a concept and becomes a reality...   

Guilty as, umm... charged!  I even bought a little circuit tester to make sure they're all actually live outlets.

Carlos

[FreepZ]

So, how do you determine what a "freebie" outlet is?

Brammo sent out a survey about 10 months ago, and one of the questions was about where you would charge your bike. One of the options was "guerrilla" charging. I.e. Charge wherever you can.

The polite thing to do is to ask, but what if it's late and there's nobody there?

... going "guerrilla" by charging up without the property owners permission sure sounds like stealing to me.

I have to agree with that, even though the amount you are stealing may be less than a dollar.

[protomech]

On stealing:

I would have no problems charging a small device (say, cellphone) at a publicly accessible outlet. The total power draw is likely ~5W, or about 0.05 cents per hour. Negligible cost to whoever pays the utility bill.

Plugging in an electric bike is a bit more questionable. At ~900W typical, you're talking 9 cents per hour (at national average $0.10/kWh). Potentially noticeable cost to whoever provides the utility, eg assume a very high 10% utility factor for the month = $6.50/month/outlet.

But, here's another way to look at it:

I don't draw a distinction in kind between stealing a penny from someone and stealing a hundred bucks. Both are theft.

So why do I have no problems charging a phone from a publicly-accessible outlet (have done this at airports, restaurants) but raise eyebrows over a bike? Maybe it's just that charging a bike is unusual.

[Mithion]

You repeatedly inform your wife of new Brammo news eventhough every time she tells you she doesn't care at all and to stop,but you always do when something new comes up anyway!

[Deadly Silent Ninja]

So, how do you determine what a "freebie" outlet is?

I determine it by the nature of the outlet and by asking the owners, when possible. Some outlets are there to be used by the public. I have asked in many cafes and airports and the answer has been always the same: "of course you can use the outlet; that's what it is for!" Usually the answer comes with that "what an idiot" face. 

After a discussion at elmoto.net, I even asked in the local national park if I could plug in an electric motorcycle in one of the picnic outlets and the answer was the same (you have to pay $15 to enter the park, so I guess is a "built-in fee"). I imagine that, when I have an elmoto that can actually cross the park, I will simply leave an extra tip in the donation box, but I see a lot of people plugging in even some fancy electric grills and nobody has a problem with it.

I have also asked at local gas stations and most of them say that, as long as I buy something in the store, I am a customer and entitled to use the outlet. Pretty much like the cafes and restaurants. Others just said "sure!" I don't know if the answer will be the same when I actually show up with the motorcycle and a long cable, but it seems common sense that they wouldn't change their answer, especially if I am consuming something.

in government buildings, I will just go for it. Even if they wouldn't allow it, I see it as my form of protesting the fact that Virginia has no incentives for electric vehicles, so I will create my own "after-the-fact incentive." Robin Hood style.

 

[Richard230]

I topped off my Zero's battery pack today for three hours at a vacant picnic shelter in our main county redwood forest park.  As I was getting ready to leave the park, a ranger drove up and asked me what I was doing by plugging into the electric outlet. When I told him that I was recharging my motorcycle, he said "Oh, that is fine. I thought you were planning to camp out and were setting up a campsite".  I gather they have a homeless problem with squatters in the park. But he was fine with my use of the outlet.  I also told him that I had used about 50 cents of power and donated an extra dollar when I filled out my park registration form. I also mentioned that last month I had gotten the OK from another ranger at the park to charge my bike.  He waved to me as he took off and said I was welcome to use the electric outlet in the shelter any time it wasn't occupied.  

[Gavin]

I have yet to have anybody say no....

Gavin

[Shinysideup]

I currently carry a tube of quarters for parking meters. I certainly wouldn't mind leaving 1 or 2 for electrons.

[Car Loss]

So, how do you determine what a "freebie" outlet is?

Brammo sent out a survey about 10 months ago, and one of the questions was about where you would charge your bike. One of the options was "guerrilla" charging. I.e. Charge wherever you can.

The polite thing to do is to ask, but what if it's late and there's nobody there?

Let's bypass the issue entirely.  One of the recharge-finder apps, Plugshare, lets people volunteer their home chargers.  You're in the database, and show up on Plugshare maps as a private charging point.  If you're genuinely okay with the odd person taking a kilowatt, then great.  (You have to register yourself with Plugshare to see home info, so homes are not being broadcast to the world.  That, and anyone who can afford the upfront costs of electric vs. ICE can't be too much of a thug.)  It only takes a tiny fraction of homes to volunteer before many towns are well-covered by charging stations.

I'll list my place, after I get the upgraded breaker and heavy-duty, weatherized outlet.

Carlos

[Deadly Silent Ninja]

I hope once you enroll your own home the map will look better. I downloaded the app, but it only shows Nissan dealers in my area. I have a Nissan and the people at the dealer in Staunton are very nice, very different from the ones in Harrisonburg, but I am not sure how awkward it would be for me to simply show up at the dealer on a motorcycle and plug it in.

... maybe if I discuss my next oil change or talk about the new Leaf model it would get less awkward.

[protomech]

There's not much around me. A couple Nissan dealerships, a Chevy dealership, one person sharing a J1772 plug at home and two people sharing 110v outlets.

[skuzzle]

In Oregon I have charging stations all around me, including a level 2 charger at work.  I just don't have anything to charge.