Drive Sustainable!

Drive Sustainable!
Our club members drive all kinds of EVs (Teslas, BMWs, Jaguars, Leafs, Bolts, Fords, Audis, electric bikes...)

Saturday, May 28, 2016

Next Meeting - Country Buffet, Citadel Mall, Colorado Springs, CO

June 11, 2016 @ 11:30am. 801 N ACADEMY BLVD., COLORADO SPRINGS, CO 80909

Message from our Founder, Mac McCauley:

The big Tesla rally to Custer, SD, went well!  At final count, there were 59 Teslas, to include 4 Model Xs but none of the new, redesigned Model Ss.  Several of our club members made the trip.  In addition, four cars from our group drove to Devil's Tower, WY before driving back home!  Great stuff!

The June meeting of the Colorado Springs Electric Vehicle Club is coming up on the Second Saturday, that is, June 11th.  Mark it on your calendar.  Location:  

Country Buffet
801 N ACADEMY BLVD
COLORADO SPRINGS CO 80909
(719) 574-1445
Why Country Buffet?  Long story follows:

Both Wilson and I (Mac) drove out to the R&R Coffee Café on different days and discovered them CLOSED.  I peeped in and it is large enough, but the parking lot behind the café is DIRT!  If it rains, it would be a muddy mess.  Without rain it would be DUSTY.  Not good for our fabulous cars.  That one factor alone, dirt lot, excludes this location.  Okay, I called the Garden of the Gods Trading Post.  I finally actually went over there and talked with their group reservations person, Savannah.  There is no chance that we can have meetings there during June, July, or August!!  They say they make 60% of their income during those 3 months.  They say parking is INSANE with tourists parking in their lot and going to hike in the park.  Anyway, too bad.

Back to square one.  We could go to a dusty/muddy R&R Coffee Café (if they are ever open) or somewhere else.  We see in the newspaper that Judge Baldwin's in the Antlers Hotel is closing.  I have another option.  My OTHER group, Palmer High School Class of 1962, has voted to meet in June at the Country Buffet restaurant, which is near the Citadel Mall.  If we did the same, we could have BOTH events there!  Both events are on the same date, June 11th.  Ours is at 11:30 AM and the Palmer group is at 2PM.  Having them BOTH at the same location sure simplifies my life!  There is a huge parking lot where we could park.  I consulted with Wilson and he agreed, so there it is.  Country Buffet.  Be there or be square!

Just park near Mac's silver Model X in the main parking lot.  (I will already be there). 

Friday, May 27, 2016

Concours of Colorado Car Show TV Ad

You can still exhibit your Tesla at the Concours show on June 5, 2016 in Littleton.

Here's the ad that will run on Denver TV...https://gannett.wistia.com/medias/2vz5sow3c3

New Member Nicholas Brace!

Nicholas Brace joins us from Colorado Springs with a pre-autopilot 2014 Tesla Model S. Please make him welcome when you see him!

Thursday, May 26, 2016

My second destination charge!

After Custer, SD I'm in Jackson Hole, WY. The Lexington Hotel & Suites has a 40-amp HPWC and was kind enough to "cone" it off for me to prevent it getting ICE'd. What's interesting to note is that the plug receptacle - the plastic thingy that holds the plug out of the weather - was installed upside down. So the plug and cable just hang loose...still works, however.



Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Model S in the Pikes Peak Hill Climb!

Thanks to David McNeil for the link...http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1104077_tesla-model-s-to-tackle-pikes-peak-hill-climb

My first destination charge!

This is just an FYI post about destination charging. I'm in West Yellowstone, MT after the Custer, SD rally and was pleasantly surprised by the Holiday Inn Express here. Not only did they have two Tesla HPWC's, but they also have a Clipper Creek J1772 charger. Another surprise was that the HPWC here is a 100-amp circuit! I assumed they would've installed a 50-amp circuit for overnight charging but they went maximum amperage. Interestingly there was a second Telsa Model S using the HPWC here last night (grey Model 85).
-Wilson Hitchings




Sunday, May 22, 2016

Club members at Tesla Rally in Custer, SD

Several of our club members attended the Tesla Rally in Custer, SD this year and are already on their way home. Here are some photos of them at various places during the Rally.






















Wednesday, May 11, 2016

A new member (again!) with a rare EV

Please say hello to our latest addition, Mike Sheley from Colorado Springs, CO. Mike has a very rare 2012 Toyota Rav4 EV, and a Tesla Model 3 on order. He plans to be at our next club meeting (May 14, GOTG Trading Post) so let's make him welcome!

Monday, May 9, 2016

Club member picks up their new electric vehicle!

Congrats to Charley and Angela Andreasen, they just picked up a blue Tesla Model X from the Denver Service Center. Have fun with it!


Saturday, May 7, 2016

Our club grows again!

Our newest member, Woor Pardo, hails from Colorado Springs and has a Tesla Model S. Please make him welcome when you meet him.

Thursday, May 5, 2016

Is your EV truly greener than a gas car?

The rumors about the carbon footprint of an EV vs. a gas car have been floating around the last few years. "Coal powered cars" was a comment from Mr. Lutz from General Motors, I believe. Well, I subscribe to a YouTube channel called Fully Charged, based in the UK. The latest episode had two interesting graphs for EV owners (see below). They show two things:

1) The footprint to manufacture an EV is about the same as a gas car, and the battery production adds a small amount over that. The operating CO2 footprint, however, is over 50% less for an EV. Don't let someone tell you an EV is the same pollutant value as a gas vehicle...it ain't so!

2) Interestingly, a homeowner's purchase of solar panels is statistically linked to buying an EV! Many people that buy an EV end up buying solar panels - and vice versa!

The link to the Fully Charged YouTube channel is here and the graphs are below. I suggest you print off the graphs and take them to your next car show.



Wednesday, May 4, 2016

New Members Carolyn and Tim Rupp!

Carolyn met some of our club members at the 2016 UCCS Sustainnovate Summit and wanted to join. She and Tim are leasing a 2016 Tesla Model S85D. Please make them welcome when you see them!

Tuesday, May 3, 2016

Roy J Wasson Car Show - updated information

I recently emailed the group with a registration form for the May 7, 2016 Roy J. Wasson car show. That form was last year's form, and the registration is $20 before May 6, $25 at the gate. If you already sent in your registration and $15 (I did!), just bring a fiver with you to the event.

Visit the car show website.

Thanks to David McNeil for pointing out my error. I highly recommend the group dismiss me as the website admin and give me a generous severance package.


Monday, May 2, 2016

New members from Hygiene, Colorado

Please welcome Marty and Gayle Butley to our club. They hail from Hygiene, CO and have a 2016 Tesla Model S. Please make them welcome!


Welcome New Members, Jim and Jim!

We have two new members, both named Jim. Jim Riggins is a 2012 Leaf owner from Monument, CO. Jim Anderson just acquired a 2013 Volt and lives in Colorado Springs, CO. We hope they both come to our next meeting, make them welcome!