Cracker Barrel Restaurants Create E-Car Charging Network in TN

[haha]

Tennessee Will Get Electric Car Chargers at Cracker Barrel Restaurants - Transportation - GOOD

This is part of a Public/Private effort to roll out charging stations in several regions, called the EV Project.

The EV Project » Home

Ha

 

[brewer12345]

Cracker Barrel?! Good for them, but probably the last restaurant chain I would have expected to do this.

I don't follow this market at all, but are the utilities prepared for anything more than a tiny trickle of electric vehicles?

 

[ERD50]

One of the advantages of EVs is you can charge them overnight when the utilities have excess capacity. I've read (not sure it's true) that in the 'wind down' phase they actually produce excess as you just can't slow down a thermal process that quickly without stressing everything. That is actually 'free' electricity from an environmental standpoint.

But putting chargers at restaurants means people will charge at lunch and dinner which are peak times. Not good on a hot day with peak A/C loads.

Now, adding them to hotel/motel for an overnight charge could be good, and I'm sure some are doing that. Not so sure restaurants are a good idea.

-ERD50

 

[Alan]

Cracker Barrel?! Good for them, but probably the last restaurant chain I would have expected to do this.

I don't follow this market at all, but are the utilities prepared for anything more than a tiny trickle of electric vehicles?

Last year I remember reading an article that said the current grid could handle it easily if every single person with a 25 mile each way commute had an all electric vehicle to go to work.

 

[ERD50]

Last year I remember reading an article that said the current grid could handle it easily if every single person with a 25 mile each way commute had an all electric vehicle to go to work.

I suspect that means charging at night, which would be the sensible thing for daily commutes anyhow. - ERD50

 

[Texas Proud]

The one thing I wonder is which plug are they going to use....


From what I see (commercials, pics online)... almost every plug in car has a different plug...

 

[Alan]

I suspect that means charging at night, which would be the sensible thing for daily commutes anyhow. - ERD50

Exactly - short range commuters don't need to re-charge except at night.

For the long term there is lots of research and talk about "smart grids" where electric hybrids actually store more than they need and feed back into the grid overnight. There are decades to go before we get anywhere near the numbers of electric cars to put a serious strain on the grid.

 

[Alan]

The one thing I wonder is which plug are they going to use....


From what I see (commercials, pics online)... almost every plug in car has a different plug...

just like cell phones

I'm sure there will be a supply of various convertors very quickly available.

 

[ERD50]

Exactly.

For the long term there is lots of research and talk about "smart grids" where electric hybrids actually store more than they need and feed back into the grid overnight.

Yes, but just the opposite approach is what they are talking about. They would charge and absorb more than they need at night (when there is excess capacity), and then buffer the grid with that energy during the day (to supply the peak need).

I don't put much stock in that idea anyhow. Batteries are already the most expensive, limiting part of an EV - why would you want to have any excess capacity? Esp capacity that you have to use energy to move around with you. Doesn't make any sense to me at all.

I'm sure that some stationary energy buffer would be much more cost effective. I've seen plans for room sized flywheels. You bury them in the ground to cover the safety issues, and small ones scattered through neighborhoods would provide nice, local, distributed buffering.

There are decades to go before we get anywhere near the numbers of electric cars to put a serious strain on the grid.

Not in regards to the OP. On a hot day we already stress the grid with A/C. Adding a single EV to that situation during the day is adding a strain.

-ERD50

 

[Alan]

Not in regards to the OP. On a hot day we already stress the grid with A/C. Adding a single EV to that situation during the day is adding a strain.

-ERD50

Very true, and I'm sure next time there are rolling blackouts during a heat wave there will be news reporters blaming it all on the "greenies".

But, did the planners take into account the trend to build Macmansions over the last 20 years that had to have had a very large impact on electricity usage.

I just don't see EV's becoming so popular so quickly to overcome the grid capacity.

 

[Rich_by_the_Bay]

Cracker Barrel is a "vehicle" oriented chain. The are known for RV-friendliness, often allowing overnight stays.

Gosh - get the right adapters and you could hook up your RV and enjoy all the amenities without draining your batteries or propane.

 

[Sam]

Gosh - get the right adapters and you could hook up your RV and enjoy all the amenities without draining your batteries or propane.

And save one whole dollar? That would be what, the equivalent of driving one mile? ;-)

 

[NW-Bound]

And save one whole dollar? That would be what, the equivalent of driving one mile? ;-)

It's not the $1.

In order to get $1 worth of electricity while stopping for the night, an RV'er might have to drive to an RV park which may be out of the way and also charges $30 for parking.

 

[samclem]

In the short time you are eating lunch or dinner, a typical EV wouldn't be able to suck down much juice, probably just enough to assure the car can get clear of the parking lot before crumping out. Cracker Barrel is just trying to keep their parking lots unobstructed.

 

[Sam]

According to the article they are "Blink" chargers capable of bringing an empty Volt to 80% charged in 20 mins (most likely shortens the battery life simultaneously.)

 

[ERD50]

Very true, and I'm sure next time there are rolling blackouts during a heat wave there will be news reporters blaming it all on the "greenies".

But, did the planners take into account the trend to build Macmansions over the last 20 years that had to have had a very large impact on electricity usage.

I just don't see EV's becoming so popular so quickly to overcome the grid capacity.

You are right, but the difference is that no one building a McMansion would be credibly stating that they were doing it 'for the environment'. But most of the EV owners are, and if they are trying to charge during peak hours, it's just wrong.

-ERD50

 

[NW-Bound]

So, good intentions do not count?

 

[ERD50]

So, good intentions do not count?

heh-heh - DW loves Halloween, and she was watching a bunch of 'B' movies during the season. One was called "Highway to Hell", and I just looked up from time to time when I passed the TV. They panned the camera past a construction crew working on said highway, and the company name lettered on the side of the Bulldozer was:

"Good Intentions Paving Company"

cracked me up

-ERD50

 

[NW-Bound]

Heh heh heh back at you.

Now, if good intentions can lead us to you-know-where, should I even mention "bad intentions"? Yes, siree Bob. There's a lot of those out there. Hence the public tends to look warmly at good intentions. It's human nature.

 

[ERD50]

Heh heh heh back at you.

Now, if good intentions can lead us to you-know-where, should I even mention "bad intentions"? Yes, siree Bob. There's a lot of those out there. Hence the public tends to look warmly at good intentions. It's human nature.

Not me. When someone has bad intentions you know just what they are up to - no good, so you deal with it. But someone with good intentions ends up convincing others that it really is good - so let's all do it. And then real harm is done by the masses of followers. It's an especially insidious kind of evil

-ERD50

 

[NW-Bound]

Well, proponents of "a bad intention" would not call it that. They would sell to you as "a good intention" too. But I see your point.

 

[chinaco]

Here is Nissan's EV... Sales are supposed to begin in the US soon.

IMO - it is a little pricey. Gotta be a diehard greeny to pay up for it now... the TCO seems high. $32k before the tax credit of $7.5k. I think $25k is too much... when the equivalent size small gasoline car can be purchased for half that and apparently the estimated cost for charging it for $15000 miles/yr is about $560/yr. I think the battery has a 10yr/100k warranty... that might help some. The cost of replacing those batteries is probably high.


Nissan Leaf - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[ERD50]

Here is Nissan's EV... Sales are supposed to begin in the US soon.

IMO - it is a little pricey. Gotta be a diehard greeny to pay up for it now...

No you don't. Remember, we are ALL paying for it, whether we want one or not:

$32k before the tax credit of $7.5k.

I think $25k is too much...

And I think $32K is too much. But if someone wants an EV, then they ought to fork over the $32K of their own money. That's fine with me.

I'd like to buy a 1959 sunburst Les Paul. I think it would be so 'green' to re-purpose an old guitar, rather than have a new one made. Anybody/Everybody want to subsidize my hobby?

-ERD50

 

[fisherman]

The Nissan Leaf is made in Smyrna TN and Cracker Barrel headquarters is in Lebanon TN about 35 miles away. Since the Leaf is made here Cracker Barrel is just one of many locations in the area that are putting in charging stations for the fast charge of the Leaf batteries.

This is TVA country so yes the grid can handle it. That is not to say that the grid at all CB locations can however.

Being a resident of middle TN and Nissan my former employer This is a vehicle I am certainly interested in for local use. The Leaf production added 1000 jobs to the Smyrna plant in the last three years!

 

[Gone4Good]

I don't put much stock in that idea anyhow. Batteries are already the most expensive, limiting part of an EV - why would you want to have any excess capacity? Esp capacity that you have to use energy to move around with you. Doesn't make any sense to me at all.

I don't think anyone is suggesting using bigger batteries for the benefit of the utilities. The idea is that most folks don't use a full tank of gas (or a full charge) every day so they're running around with a bunch of extra storage that they don't always need. I think most people would be willing to sell some of that excess back to the utilities at a premium price, on occasion. And it makes a ton of sense for the utilities to buy it that way too.