Goodbye to my Focus Electric?

[Gatorman82]

My wife and I just sold our house in the 'burbs and are moving into the city. We will be living in a condo with dedicated parking spaces in a parking garage. I have tried to contact the garage owners to see if they would let me install a charger by one of the dedicated spots, but I haven't gotten a response after a week. I think I'm going to have to sell my FFE.

I love this car. I have also owned a Supra, MR2, and A4. But I love my FFE more than any car I have owned. I just wanted to post this on a forum where other people understand how I feel. I likely have less than a month of ownership left. I have always loved driving this car, but every day feels special now.

I will own an EV again as soon as I can. Until then, I will be envious of every one of you. So please enjoy.

 

[TexaCali]

That is a bummer. Not sure where you live, but I have seen news articles about some areas passing (or attempting to pass) laws that would require landlords to allow tenants to install EV chargers. It might be worth checking, or at least hounding the property owners/managers a bit more. Hope it works out for you.

 

[EVA]

That will be a sad day indeed. Too bad you can't find a way to keep it.

 

[hybridbear]

My wife and I just sold our house in the 'burbs and are moving into the city. We will be living in a condo with dedicated parking spaces in a parking garage. I have tried to contact the garage owners to see if they would let me install a charger by one of the dedicated spots, but I haven't gotten a response after a week. I think I'm going to have to sell my FFE.

I love this car. I have also owned a Supra, MR2, and A4. But I love my FFE more than any car I have owned. I just wanted to post this on a forum where other people understand how I feel. I likely have less than a month of ownership left. I have always loved driving this car, but every day feels special now.

I will own an EV again as soon as I can. Until then, I will be envious of every one of you. So please enjoy.

Have you researched local organizations that work with landlords to promote EV infrastructure? What about just using a 120 V outlet in the garage?

Here's one example of an organization that works with building owners: http://www.multihousingcharging.com/

 

[Kakkerlak]

Man, I would push harder. Condo associations often drag their feet through a couple of rounds of board meetings.

Many municipalities have special rules where you can get permits more easily and tax discounts on the hardware when you're doing EVSE installation.

I'm laying the groundwork now for my condo association: we have an outdoor parking lot that has fewer spots than we have households, so convincing them to not only let me install a charging pedestal but also ask residents to leave the spot open is going to be a hard sell. There's only six hybrids in our community so far, and no BEVs.

I'm offering to pay up front for the estimated energy use for my FFE as well as any guest BEVs who use the spot. That should overcome the cost concerns.

I'm going to do the same at work. The key is that our biggest customer's senior engineer drives a Leaf, and I'd love for him to have a nice green-lined parking spot right in front of the building when he visits.

 

[michael]

If they won't let you install an EVSE, you could try for a 220 outlet and use a portable charger

 

[TexaCali]

If they won't let you install an EVSE, you could try for a 220 outlet and use a portable charger

Heck, you could probably even live with a 110 outlet. Most of us probably got by with only the 110 for the first few months (I'm one month in and still waiting for a 220 setup).

 

[Hugh]

We went more than a year with only 115volt and it worked fine. There are a lot of charging hours between getting home in the evening and leaving for work. I finally got the higher voltage charger after sometimes using up range on longer trips during the day. I still don't use it much in the summer.

 

[WattsUp]

If they won't let you install an EVSE, you could try for a 220 outlet and use a portable charger

Heck, you could probably even live with a 110 outlet. Most of us probably got by with only the 110 for the first few months (I'm one month in and still waiting for a 220 setup).

Good point.

You should easily be able to recover 50% charge in 10 hours (which is "overnight" for most people) using the OEM EVSE and a regular outlet. Alternately, if you can charge on a regular outlet while parked at work (which is, again, 10 hours for most people), you can also get 50% that way.

But, if you can do both (charge on a regular outlet both at home and work), then you should be able to get "100% charge" (although the 100% may not all be stored in your battery at the same time) and be able drive the "full" range of 76 miles on a daily basis (again, you may not be able to drive the 76 miles in one trip). If you can do 50% charge at home and work, then your longest single trip (on a daily basis) might only be able to be 30-40 miles, but that could be still be very useful depending on your situation.

 

[Zurc]

I'm taking advantage of Fords ridiculously long delivery time and putting in a 60 amp service to my garage.
I spent last weekend digging a 40' trench for the PVC pipe to carry the wire. I already have a 30 amp service but my electrician said it would be marginal given everything else in the garage. That, and he doesn't trust the wire running between the house and the garage.

Turns out his concerns were justified. As I was tearing out my old porch deck, I finally found out where the wire comes out of the house.
It exits an armor cable at the wall of the house and there's a short 90 degree bend in the wire and it goes down through the concrete at the base of the wall. NO idea if it actually goes through a pipe under the sidewalk to the garage or not. It comes up through a steel water pipe encased in concrete in the garage.

So my digging has been worth the while and I'll have a nice level 2 charger to greet my new FFE (which incidentally. my wife is getting ready to pounce on). :roll:

The condo issue is certainly something which I think in the coming years is going to continue to rear its ugly head.
It's probable that building/housing designers are going to have to accommodate Vehicle chargers on a larger scale as time goes on.

I wouldn't let my EV escape that easily though. All the comments here indicate that there are options. Another option is that you could move to some place more EV charging friendly.

Zurc

 

[unplugged]

We will be living in a condo with dedicated parking spaces in a parking garage.

In case some of you don't regularly read the official Ford Forum (I don't very often) there is an excellent point made by a poster regarding the law in California. Enacted in February 2012, California requires condo associations to allow charging stations at the resident owner's cost. If the cost is unreasonably expensive, the association must provide a dedicated parking space near electrical power.

So if Gatorman82 lives in California, he's in luck. (Which brings me to a suggestion that each of us make sure our info is updated with location.)

Here's the statute: SB 880 http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml;jsessionid=73210777ecf27e4ea7ed74add052?bill_id=201120120SB880

 

[Zurc]

Nice catch Unplugged.

Zurc.

 

[pjam3]

We will be living in a condo with dedicated parking spaces in a parking garage.

In case some of you don't regularly read the official Ford Forum (I don't very often) there is an excellent point made by a poster regarding the law in California. Enacted in February 2012, California requires condo associations to allow charging stations at the resident owner's cost. If the cost is unreasonably expensive, the association must provide a dedicated parking space near electrical power.

So if Gatorman82 lives in California, he's in luck. (Which brings me to a suggestion that each of us make sure our info is updated with location.)

Here's the statute: SB 880 http://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml;jsessionid=73210777ecf27e4ea7ed74add052?bill_id=201120120SB880

It's definitely a step in the right direction, but I've never read or heard about a Condo Association or landlord needing to provide a space near an electrical outlet, especially if you're in a complex that doesn't have many in garages or parking lots anyway.

It's a good start, but a lot of people haven't had it done because it's quite expensive to have a professional contractor install a charging station in a multi-dwelling unit , plus you have to get a $1 Million insurance policy and you're responsible for any maintenance or repair issues and you have to include the electric into your own electric bill. Some of that is normal, but when you live in an apartment or condo, it's hard to fathom spending a ton of money for a place you might leave in 12 months. And that charging station essentially becomes pointless.


And the law specifically states you need a professional to do it and not some fly by night install it yourself. I'm sure if you were buddy buddy with the landlord or association none of this would matter anyway. It would be like spending a nice sum on improving your condo only to move out in 12 months and not getting any return on it. At that point kind of defeats the purpose.

Plus to me, a car is rather pointless in many cities. You have a car to get out of the city and go on some weekend trip. Which kind of means the FFE or Leaf become pointless.

 

[Hugh]

I'm not feeling your enthusiasm for electric vehicles. I'm delighted with my FFE, even though I live in the northeast.

 

[scoops]

Plus to me, a car is rather pointless in many cities. You have a car to get out of the city and go on some weekend trip. Which kind of means the FFE or Leaf become pointless.

Not in Atlanta (and most other American cities)

 

[hybridbear]

Plus to me, a car is rather pointless in many cities. You have a car to get out of the city and go on some weekend trip. Which kind of means the FFE or Leaf become pointless.

Then why on earth do you have one???? :?:

 

[Zurc]

I have to argue with that.
My wife and I are currently doing over 90% city driving with two vehicles neither of which appreciate short trips which is what we do a lot of. I've been led to believe that electric cars are more efficient in the city compared to the highway so I'm thinking we have the ideal situation for the FFE.

Pointless?? I hardly think so.

Zurc.

 

[unplugged]

"...plus you have to get a $1 Million insurance policy and you're responsible for any maintenance or repair issues and you have to include the electric into your own electric bill. Some of that is normal, but when you live in an apartment or condo, it's hard to fathom spending a ton of money for a place you might leave in 12 months. And that charging station essentially becomes pointless

First, a million dollar umbrella policy is really not that expensive. Your homeowners policy can just be increased for the comprehensive portion. Second, few people buy a condo for a year. To many, it is a home that they plan on keeping for a long time.

This is essentially about installing a 240 volt metered outlet. It's not like this will cost thousands to install. But for even $2,000, it may be the difference between saving thousands on gas and helping the environment. Worthwhile to many people.

 

[twscrap]

Plus to me, a car is rather pointless in many cities. You have a car to get out of the city and go on some weekend trip. Which kind of means the FFE or Leaf become pointless.

Then why on earth do you have one???? :?:

I've always wondered why he didn't get a Volt. Seems like it would have been a much better fit.

 

[v_traveller]

Plus to me, a car is rather pointless in many cities. You have a car to get out of the city and go on some weekend trip. Which kind of means the FFE or Leaf become pointless.

Then why on earth do you have one???? :?:

Click on his name, read his earliest posts. Basically, the dude effed up big time.

You've probably heard the saying, "There's a fine line between courage and stupidity". Well, early on I commended him on his courage.

Clearly, I effed up too.