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Forum Index : EV's : Everything Electric - Sydney
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Trev Guru  Joined: 15/07/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 640 |
'Everything Electric' (last year called 'Fully Charged Live') put on by the 'Fully Charged' youtube channel people, is on again. https://au.everythingelectric.show/ Trev @ drivebynature.com |
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| Trev Guru Joined: 15/07/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 640 |
All packed up and ready to go. T-Rev and EV Hilux  Trailer with Electric Quad and Electric outboard motors  T-Rev speedo  EV Hilux speedo  Trev @ drivebynature.com |
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| Trev Guru Joined: 15/07/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 640 |
Left home this morning at 5.14am. Just starting to get light  Drove 139km to Carmila. Only 1 type outlet working. I have reported this not working numerous times before. Anyhow got EV Hilux plugged in to the good outlet. Connected orange jumper cable from EV Hilux to charge T-Rev.  Trev @ drivebynature.com |
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| Trev Guru Joined: 15/07/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 640 |
Not long charging, I got out breakfast. I heard a bang. Everything went out. I talked to chargefox and they could not reset the station. No more charging. Plan B. Kaitlyn in EV Hilux, run the genny's to get enough. I thought I had enough power in T-Rev to make it, but 14km short. The battery was way too low to risk trying to make it. EV Hilux went ahead and picked up some charge and returned to dump power to T-Rev.  Edited 2024-02-04 18:42 by Trev Trev @ drivebynature.com |
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| Trev Guru Joined: 15/07/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 640 |
Dale found that the 3ph charger (blue box on EV Hilux) was blown. So that means down 60A charge capability. The trip will be longer. It was way too hot at Marlborough so only charged enough to get to Rockhampton.  Found blown resisters in the blue charger and so Dale went ahead to get some from Jaycar Rockhampton. Charging at Rockhampton. The shadows are getting longer.  We had another look, fitted a resister that was obviously blown and tried the power. Smoke out of another place we has not seen before. Trev @ drivebynature.com |
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| Trev Guru Joined: 15/07/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 640 |
Left Rockhampton just on dark after 2hrs 53min of charging time. Now just doing a little charging at Mt Larcom. Only 1 outlet working, so EV Hilux gets it. T-Rev will make it through to Miriam Vale  Edited 2024-02-05 08:38 by Trev Trev @ drivebynature.com |
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| greybeard Senior Member  Joined: 04/01/2010 Location: AustraliaPosts: 161 |
Hope you make it ok this time with no more issues |
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| Godoh Guru Joined: 26/09/2020 Location: AustraliaPosts: 453 |
Hi Trev, I hope that the rest of the trip goes smoothly. We have just purchased an EV. An MG ZS EV 2021 model with 17000 kilometres. We live off grid, so are upgrading our solar system at the moment, but so far being summer we have plenty of extra power to charge the car. It is great here to follow your adventures. Have a great trip Pete |
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| Trev Guru Joined: 15/07/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 640 |
Thanks for your best wishes fella's. I know you all will be praying for save travels.... thanks. Good one Pete, another step closer to independence. Day2 Left Miriam Vale at sun up, 5.17am. No picture. Too dark last night and forgot this morning. Too eager to get out of there. The flying foxes started coming in to roost around 3am. Thousands of them. Heaps of noise. They were still coming in even when we left. Kaitlyn and I drove to Childers while Dale went to Bundaberg to try and get some more electronic parts ... for the big blue charger. Charging at Childers. My standard type 2 cable would not work so got out the Tesla cable. Charging from both outlets.  For one reason or another I have not posted any numbers. From Miriam Vale to Childers here are some numbers EV Hilux. 153km using 32kWh   T-Rev. Same distance, 153km and down to 85Ah remaining. Used 115Ah x 156v = 17.9kWh  Edited 2024-02-05 09:45 by Trev Trev @ drivebynature.com |
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| Trev Guru Joined: 15/07/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 640 |
Screen shot of Chargefox EV Hilux  T-Rev  We had them connected longer than needed for charging. Dale arrived and we changed some more components in the big blue charger. Got more smoke from other areas.  Charging Gympie  Trev @ drivebynature.com |
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| Trev Guru Joined: 15/07/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 640 |
Efficiency is better on the freeway. Kaitlyn got 5.4km/kWh. Other sections higher up the coast were between 4.5 & 4.8km/kWh. In T-Rev I generally get around 8.3km/kWh, but on the freeway I got 11.2km/kWh. These numbers are driving at 80km/hr. Years ago I did the same sort of testing at 60km/hr and 100km/hr, I probably posted the numbers somewhere but don't know where. If you are interested in such numbers a good place to start is read through my other travel blogs. We went to North Lakes IKEA. Both types 2 outlets were being used but while we considered and set up maps to another charge station one fellow came and disconnected. So I plugged in T-Rev and jumper cable to EV Hilux.  Charged 1/2 hour and the other EV owner had not come back yet so we went to Hamilton North shore. Only one side of the type2 is working. I plugged in T-Rev and Dale & Kaitlyn have gone to another station. I got this picture before it got dark. It is dark now while typing this on my phone  Trev @ drivebynature.com |
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| Trev Guru Joined: 15/07/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 640 |
After leaving Hamilton North shore, I went to Springwood IKEA (where Dale and Kaitlyn were). Connected up T-Rev and dumped the power to EV Hilux. Essentially charging EV Hilux with T-Rev chargers. Started making dinner. T-Rev chargers stopped working. Attempted several times to restart but couldn't. Oh well, only 60A charge rate. We were asked to leave at 9.30pm. No picture from here. Drove to another shopping centre. Charged from both outlets, but had to ring Chargefox several times to release my cable and reset after it faulted.  When we had enough charge, we drove to Lennox Heads, arriving NSW time 3.30am (Qld time 2.30am) ( from here on if I quotetime it will be NSW time, until we get back to Qld). Both outlets faulted several times. Had to ring Chargefox to unlock my cable and reset the station. Didn't get much sleep. The carpark was buzzing by 5am. Picture taken as the sun was coming up.  Edited 2024-02-06 16:50 by Trev Trev @ drivebynature.com |
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| Trev Guru Joined: 15/07/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 640 |
I can't remember what time we left Lennox Heads or when we arrived at Coffs Harbour. I wanted to go to Grafton showgrounds but they were closed today. So had to run the genny's for an hour to get enough power for EV Hilux to make to Coffs Harbour. EV Hilux could not activate the charger at North Coast Power and Water, so connected T-Rev up and went to showgrounds with EV Hilux. Can't charge there because the electricians are upgrading all the power across the showgrounds. One motel said guests only. Another place said he was locking up in 1/2 hour. Boom gates block at the Uni. The shopping centre was barricaded off. A solar business said they just got a load of solar panels which are blocking access to their charger outlet. I couldn't dump charge from T-Rev chargers at North Coast Power and Water because it meant 2 vehicles parked together taking up too much space. Currently attempting to get a few kWh from the shopping plaza. Single phase wall outlet. It is now 6.12pm. So all day basically.  Edited 2024-02-06 17:17 by Trev Trev @ drivebynature.com |
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| Godoh Guru Joined: 26/09/2020 Location: AustraliaPosts: 453 |
Wow Trev, sounds like charging infrastructure is a challenge at the moment. Hopefully the rest of the trip will be easier and the chargers will all be working. Our car has to go to the service dept today. It has decided to throw up lots of fault lights. Still runs but lots of the wizz bangery functions don't work ( traction control, hill hold, pedestrian warnings, stability control, etc all showing faulty. Hopefully it won't be a difficult fix. We have only had the car 3 weeks so it is a bit disappointing to have faults show up that fast. Have fantastic trip Pete |
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| Trev Guru Joined: 15/07/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 640 |
None of those features in my vehicles. Don't have it, it can't break. Pete, I hope it is not too expensive for you to fix. After getting enough power from that wall outlet at the shopping plaza in Coffs Harbour, we went to Nambucca Heads. There were 2 Tesla outlets at a shopping centre there. Free charging.  Day 3 Drove to Port Macquarie and charged. Free to charge. Had to wait for another EV to vacate, to get T-Rev in. EV Hilux took the only bay left, when we got there.  From Port Macquarie, the next stop was Mid Coast Council in Taree. Another free charge  Currently charging in Newcastle. I was here in 2019 with Glen George and the electric MG. This roof is solar panels.  Trev @ drivebynature.com |
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| greybeard Senior Member Joined: 04/01/2010 Location: AustraliaPosts: 161 |
Someone's got to mention that it seems to be nighttime in the the last pic  I admire your enthusiasm but can't help feel that even if the charging infrastructure was working everywhere that there aren't a few fundamental shortcomings to be resolved in the entire EV scheme. It seems to me that, whilst the idea has merit, the idea of replacing existing ICE vehicles in a similar way/use isn't going to work with the technology currently available (or in use). We have ICE's built like barges weighing in the 1000's of kg being used to cart a 100kg human around the place. Most of the commercial EV's seem to be trying the same concept. I don't know the answer but it just seems counterintuitive to me. It's just highlighting the shortcomings of the current EV's. A (very) wise engineer taught me about the 'laughter test'©™ early on in my career and it was a lesson well learnt. He said you stand back and watch a group of people in a meeting spending hours debating a subject/design/decision and finally they write up their conclusion on the white board, they stand back and pat themselves on the back for a job well done. He said you then wait for the (with all due respect) the cleaner to walk into the room and look at the white board, if they wet themselves laughing at the conclusion then it's probably a pretty stupid idea and it's failed the 'laughter test'©™. I'm envisaging the cleaner's in the automotive companies producing ICE barge replacements with a like for like EV version busily mopping up the remnants of the 'laughter test'©™ All that said, keep at it Trev, I'm enjoying your journey's and someone's got to get out there and do it. Rod [edit] ps. Just had a re-read of my post, I'm not having a crack at you Trev. I suspect the 'T'rev' is leaning more towards what should be rather than the auto industry trying to shove multi tonne barges with a battery inside at us and expecting to be patted on the back. Edited 2024-02-08 10:06 by greybeard |
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Revlac Guru Joined: 31/12/2016 Location: AustraliaPosts: 1020 |
I really hope the vehicles stay the same as the ICE's have over the last 30 or so years, cars utes and station wagons (enclosed ute's) are this way for a reason, because it works, you can put more people in on some occasions or fill it up with junk as I do, also its safer to have a lot of metal around you for protection from other's  These things should have a separate topic. I don't want to pollute Trev's thread, I totally enjoy watching the trips and the real world experience, highlighting some of the issues faced along the way, Keep going Trev.  Edited 2024-02-08 14:20 by Revlac Cheers Aaron Off The Grid |
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| Trev Guru Joined: 15/07/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 640 |
All comments welcome. It does not pollute the thread. I am a school teacher. Everyone's input is how we learn and grow. I have always been open and honest. Say it like it is. All my students respect me for that. Trev @ drivebynature.com |
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TassyJim Guru Joined: 07/08/2011 Location: AustraliaPosts: 6089 |
I find the number of faulty outlets rather disappointing. I tend to think that when they are providing free power, the value of them is seen as low. To the traveler, the value is much higher and I will be glad when the charging points are seen in the same light as the 'old' fuel outlets. In Tasmania, there are two new United Fuel outlets. One on the outskirts of Hobart and the other in the NW between Launceston and Devonport. The ferry to the big island comes in to Devonport. Both are well located but neither has EV charging. That really pissed me off, almost as much when I saw that the new ferry terminal doesn't have EV charging either. I have had the MG for 2 years now and next week I take it to it's first service in Launceston. That will be the first time I have had to charge away from home so the lack of EV charging sites hasn't really been an issue but still a definite drag on the uptake of EVs. Jim VK7JH MMedit MMBasic Help |
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| Trev Guru Joined: 15/07/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 640 |
Well it has been a tough challenging EV drive. Other EV drive's I have been able to update the thread with a lot more info and on a more regular time. After charging at Newcastle we went to my brother's place in Cooranbong. Arrived there at 1.50am. Part of the reason for the extra challenge is the big blue charger died and we spent time searching for components and in which town and the logistics of being able to get those components. Then there is the time to fit them and try it without destroying the charge outlet. We need the outlet to continue working to charge the vehicles. Another part of the extra challenge is that EV Hilux is much more thirsty (needs charging more often than T-Rev), but in any case, a second vehicle adds that you need 2 outlets everywhere I charge. The very first charge at Carmila only had one, and it failed when the big blue charger blew up. Next charge station is 140km away with empty battery, means a generator or a tow truck. Another part of the challenge is finding a station that I can connect to and a station that has high enough charge rate. Some places don't have any stations and places that do have stations are restricted (guests only, specific app, non functioning, or specific vehicle only) Day 5 First charge was at Narara Eco Village. Only one outlet but no where else and EV Hilux really needed a bit to make the distance from Newcastle to Sydney, with enough spare to find a suitable charge in Sydney.  In Sydney the first station we went to was full. The 2nd place was slow charging. The 3rd place only 1 outlet would work. Run out of time for charging so headed off to get set up for the show.  Speedo reading for EV Hilux 150736km.  Speedo reading for T-Rev 37216  Edited 2024-02-09 06:37 by Trev Trev @ drivebynature.com |
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