geeky things recently learned!

We took two separate-yet-same trips north this past week, and we learned a few things. 

1) EV data

Our new Niro EV is a great driving computer. That's the best way I can describe it: a computer that rolls and behaves like a car. We're still getting accustomed to the new way of doing car things, but it's going pretty well. It claims 235 miles per charge by EPA standards, but when 100% charged the reading is generally above 280 miles. Coming down from our hill-top home it tries to add power with the brakes but we generally get the too-full-to-regenerate message every time.

The trip north to Anacortes is about 215 miles via I∙5, and we made it up on trip #1 with no recharge. The in-laws' home only has 110v so recharging is slow - but the local Safeway has higher-amperage charger (with 2-hr parking limit) so that helped to get us ready to come home. That trip was notorious in its huge delays in both directions; a 4-hour trip was about six each way that time. Thank goodness we weren't burning fuel while stopped, and regenerated a good amount with all the braking..

The night before heading north again we visited my mom in Portland, and we did not quite have a full "tank" going north. We still made it up on trip #2 in one charge - but only about 40 miles was available upon arrival! The mileage numbers on ev-odometers is definitely not a given fact, more like "guidelines". Going uphill and downhill, turning on climate controls and lights.. pretty much any given hour of driving will give a different result. We returned on a partial refill and stopped in Olympia for a boost at a high-kWh charger, and stopped at 125 miles for the 75 mile drive home. 

We almost didn't make it! With lights on the whole time and both stereo and climate in nearly full use, we hit Kelso with about 15 miles on the meter. With the last miles uphill, I turned off the headlights and fan and went the last mile or so with running lights. We reached home with 4% battery life and six miles of available range.

What we learned: the Niro EV range is accurate and is dependable nearly to 0% charge. Knowing this is good, but I don't ever wish to drive like that again!! Assuming about half the maximum range will be a new practice as darkness and cold descend on us. We've found faster chargers on US30 at the PUD south of Deer Island and in Rainier, plus some at Three Rivers Mall off I∙5. Costs vary quite a bit (the Deer Island site is a clear winner there!) but it's still pretty inexpensive compared to our former Fiat, which would need a full tank on that trip (at least $25-30, and more as gas prices rise). 

p.s. Charging at home gives us about 5kW at 220v, Safeway was close to 7kW, and the two CCS chargers in Olympia and Deer Island were about 70kW. The in-laws have 110v outside and it conflicts with the waffle iron! They are contemplating options that could give us a stronger option, while we consider how to repay them :^)

2) portable 'power station'

We recently picked up a 300W power station for remote camping or star-gazing. It can run our cpap device without an adapter (though it needed a cable adapter to work directly) plus AC converter, cig-lighter adapter and multiple USB plugs. It can charge from 110v, car battery or solar panels (definitely Not Included).

I brought it up on the trips to evaluate; the first time I did not have the cable adapter so it wasn't used, but I had what was needed the second time! The cpap came along too, but not the heater/humidifier - just the pump, which is definitely the lower power draw of the two.

The first night started with 100% screen readout. I had left a small cig-lighter flashlight on in the tent to find it more easily at bedtime, but it died before I went to bed. I also drained the phone while driving and it needed about 70% of charge. I plugged in the back of the flashlight and turned on the DC controller (far-right black button), plugged my phone into one USB port and my old CPAP used the 12v DC output port (lower right). I slept for 9-ish hours with the cpap and awoke with fully charged phone and flashlight - and it took 20% off the station. Yay! Night two was just the cpap and the next morning we were about 70% of original charge. 

What we learned: Apparently one cpap machine could work for 4 days or more with a phone charge or two thrown in - and with solar panels or other form of recharging it could go for longer! It won't be going backpacking, but a good night's rest is generally a good thing. It's a fine substitute for our kind of camping; we recently cashed in our RV/trailer and won't miss it much.  We were getting very little use from it since 2014, and paying a good amount for the privilege of parking it in our driveway..

We bought this particular model because it has both 12v and 24v DC inputs, so if my next cpap takes the higher voltage it should still provide a couple of good nights' rest. Some day we'll add the solar panels.

3) driving by Puget Sound

We found a new way to avoid the misery that trip #1 inflicted on us. For those of us who have no plans to stop in the Olympia-Everett metro corridor (other than the single rest area) driving through the area via I∙5 (with or without 405 'bypass') makes Zero sense. I've always preferred the Port Townsend to Whidbey Island ferry, but for several years now that route has had limitations and strongly-advised reservations needed. For trip #1 no ferries were available except the last one, and the system knew this several days in advance! That's no way to run a dependable ferry, so it had forced me to take I∙5 - although now and then we've taken the Mukilteo ferry, by then the damage of high-stakes driving has taken its toll.

What we learned: This time we turned left at Olympia and right at Shelton, which isn't a fast road* but leads to the Kingston-Edmonds ferry. That route is well populated with two ferries, and needs no reservations - well not at the moment. The total mileage is within 20 miles of the I∙5 route and brings only Everett into the high-density freeway driving. We went up and back this way, and it was far more dependable than the Interstate System. 

That's how I spell RELIEF.

* trip #1 had dead stops or sub-15 mph driving in Centralia, Tacoma and near Seattle northbound, and north of Everett plus many points from Seattle through the Fort Lewis area southbound.