Departure Day - 1: Lots to do!

First - yesterday!

So much was intended yesterday - but cold, wet weather rather messed things up!  We got the additional logos on between showers.  We are staring to run out of space!

Today 

Biggest casualty was the two-car photo-shoot. So that is planned for 2 p.m, today.  Watch this space for the first published images of the completed Green Motosport 'buggy'!

The only EV - that makes an iMiev look big!  It's Green Motorsport's buggy built to the spec of the Growing Air Foundation!  For more images you will need to switch to:  EVDA on Google+

Later 

This evening I'm currently rationalising the navigation data and getting it stored electronically - but available off-line.  Unusually for my style of EV planning I'm printing various chartlets.  It would be foolish to rely on images alone - experince says you need to know down to Postcode, street and number.   

Much Later

This evening its was the Electric Vehicle Owners Assocation (EVDA-UK) AGM.  I'd written up my report (7 pages!) in advance - so I got off qute lightly with some Q&A.  We had a firaly goot attnetance and all who signed up spoke up.  So there was a good feeling about the whole meeting!  There really great thing was the number of people who volunteered to take up committee roles.  There will be more hands to drive forward with 'liaisons' and an even bigger group working on "Marketting and Membership'!   My summary of the EVDA - AGM?  Well I think we are "on the launch pad' - engines running, crew onboard and targets identified!  So if you are not already a member  - "Proceed to Check-in Immediately - Your Flight is ready for Lift-off"!   Join now at EVDA-UK Join and expect all the news to appear in the Minutes - in a week's time!

Departure Day - 2: Time to Get in Gear!

Just Hours to Go!



We really have to close down on all non-priority activities and get the show ready for the road!  I've spent the morning trying to 'polish' this blog and in 10 mins, I will declare it live via Google+ and other social media!


This afernoon will be 100% dedicated to the completion of the graphics: since Highland Charge we've added: Action Cases, Midland Wheels, LightforLife and D-Class!  We are also 'upgrading' Big 60 Million - who are one of the two 'key-sponsors'.

You may ask who are Big 60 Million - the truth is I don't know either!  However, it seems this logo will be better known, in the very short term!


Look to our "Where are we now" page around mid p.m. and we will be at Macrovision graphics - the sources of  Signs, Banners and Vehicle Graphics -

 MacroVision Graphics

Just one more day clear before departure - early on Monday!

Join us at the WAVE - 2014 on WAVE 2014 - EV Matters! for the thrills and adventure of the biggest and greatest Electric Vehicle festival - in the world!

 | Banners | Vehicle Graphics

Signs | Banners | Vehicle Graphics

Departure Day - 3 - Paddling to Catch-up!

Plan for today

Well my plan for today was to put some more effort into the blog and then go and get the latest update to the car graphics.  I had hope to update the Garmin Satnav with update software and European Maps.  Surely as easy as pie - pay the fee, download the maps and port to the device.  Not so - they say dont try to update the maps withour first updating the firmware? Well as a geeking (sort of bloke) I though - give it a go!  Bad, bad idea - I got the files onto the DVD and followed the instructions.  Seemed to need on a Bluetooth update - not the OS!  Click on OK and wait... and wait!
Two hours on and I'm still waiting!

Plan B was to dust of the TomTom - get inspiration about having POIs - waste for ever talking to TomTom - end up explaining what an electric car is and what a charging point is.  To be fair they did come back 2 hours later with a web-site which show that Slovakia has 100s of chargers - but London has only 1!

There is no one out there trying to help EVs get mobile across Europe!

Reverted to what I could do - packed my bag and loaded the car!

Ready for the graphics update at lunch-time - message comes in cancelled!  So the grapics will now be done on Departure - 2!  Thats is an improvement on Highland Charge, where I lost the car for 4 days - only to get it back at Departure - 6 hours!

I was also hoping to hear from Plugsurfing, who rumoured delivery of software for Android and iPad Apps.  Well they too are my 'Dream On List' for the last days/hours!

We are getting there - its just not a linear process!

Departure Day - 4 : Still in disarray!

OK - some people are asking when our blog will be on line and all I can say is that we are working on it!  

Thee is lots to be collated and placed here - but at the same time there are lots of other resource hungry activities happening; however, we are getting there!

Apologies for the current state - we will get there within days!

Any comment: brian.orr@ev-matters.eu 

Surely this car will have travelled furthers (on its own wheels) - here outside Stornoway, Isle of Lewis!

+++++++++++++++++++

By this point in the planning we really should have everything buttoned down - but we haven't!

So what needs to be done:

- Declare the route?  Well that's not so easy - there is so much uncertainty about charging (availability and performance).  Ideally we should be able to chain a series of CHAdeMO Rapid Chargers and the rest should be easy.  However there is no single repository of that shows all the points with a defintion of ownership and access means.  Risk!
- Book the hotels?  Well if we knew with precision, where we would be on each night, that would be easy?  So no action there?  More Risk!
- Book the Cross Channel Ferry  Yes we have booked that certainly; however having been told that next Thur is Public holiday in Belgium, France and Germany - we know that all garage located charging will be unavailable!  Completely screwed!

So today plan(+/-) is not to have a plan - but simply to wing-it!

So today Thurs we are going over the inventory of kit that we have to take - see it listed and illustrated on the Equipment Tab!

- 1 x Charging Cable Type 2 /J1772 Cable (UK standard Fast Charge Cable);
- 1 x Charging Cable Schuko /J1772 Cable (European Domestic and Public charging cables) - donated by Charge Amps;
- 1 x Charging Cable Type-3 /J1772 Cable (French Fast Charge cable) - donated by Schneider Electrical;
- 1 x Extension Cable 25 mtrs Schuko/Schuko;
- 3 Fly-leads: Swiss 5 am/ Schuko/ Schuko 13 Amp/ Blue Commando;
- 1 Flylead: 3-Phase / Single Phase.

Our daily Blog .... starts today!

EV Matters - UK's sole car-entrant for WAVE 2014!

Hello and welcome to the EV Matters Daily blog for the 2014 World Advance Vehicle Expedition (WAVE 2014).  This set of pages will contain the routine ourflow of event news and happenings - but if this is your first visit, possibly you should first take a browse in the Overvew + other pages that take your interest!

The blog will appear in reverse order, so chronologically you may want to get to scroll to the end and then scroll back to the point, of your last visit!

Are we ready for WAVE 2014?

Well I though we were nearly ready - until the co-driver revesed the car into a tree!  So back to the body-shop asap!   Is the planning done - well so/so.  Have we booked - well the WAVE entrance fee is paid and we have the ferry tickets - but nothing else!

Are we worried - not a lot!  The whole think about operating an EV is about managing 'uncertainty' - there are just too many variables in the 'touring Europe' equation - the only constant is that things will never turn our as you plan them!  I've got lots of printouts and a spreadsheet - so we know what has to be achieved and where we might go for charging!  

Are we taking the shortest route - well no!  The shortest route is via Reims, but the French have invested nothing in creating an EV infrastructure!   I could rely on Renault garages, who certain that will offer a charge - but its the slowest charge rate that you will get anywhere!  One route is via southern Belgium - but that's pretty industrial.  The there is a proposal (from Transport Evolved's planning) to go E to Aachen and on to Cologne - but that is pedicated on a series of Nissan garages.    But will Belgian, Dutch and German Nissan garages all give charges to a Mitsubushi - I wouldn't be on it!

Our route can best be described as a 'wave' - top of the wave is Brussels, bottom of the wave is in Metz and a few more ripples will get us to Strasbourg and then up-stream to Stuttgart!

Will we make it to the start - the best I can say is 'probably'!