Sydney to Orange and back

[Shock-On-T]

Overnighting in Orange.
Anyone know EV friendly accommodation in Orange where I can use my UMC?
Was also planning to top up at Scenic World in the Blue Mountains each way. Does anyone know if their destination chargers are locked at night?

 

[Kirriport]

Overnighting in Orange.
Anyone know EV friendly accommodation in Orange where I can use my UMC?
Was also planning to top up at Scenic World in the Blue Mountains each way. Does anyone know if their destination chargers are locked at night?

I don't know whether the Scenic World chargers are locked up at night, but you can forget about them in the main part of the day. I was there 2 weeks ago and all the associated carspaces were ICEd. It was just a normal weekday. There were no signs saying that the spaces were for electric vehicles only.
I researched Orange and found nothing, but there have been good reports of the convenience of the chargers in the Bathurst showgrounds.

 

[Mark E]

Turners Vineyard: Home

Give them a call - I stayed there back in May and they arranged an extension cord.

 

[Shock-On-T]

Turners Vineyard: Home

Give them a call - I stayed there back in May and they arranged an extension cord.

Fantastic! I've stayed there before as well, very nice. I'll give them a call.

 

[Shock-On-T]

I don't know whether the Scenic World chargers are locked up at night, but you can forget about them in the main part of the day. I was there 2 weeks ago and all the associated carspaces were ICEd. It was just a normal weekday. There were no signs saying that the spaces were for electric vehicles only.
I researched Orange and found nothing, but there have been good reports of the convenience of the chargers in the Bathurst showgrounds.

Thanks.
ICEing really p*sses me off, more than I thought it would.
I went to the Sydney Olympic Park destination charges the other day just to check them out and they were both ICEd. Didn't need the charge but there's just something about it that annoys me.

 

[Shock-On-T]

Turners Vineyard: Home

Give them a call - I stayed there back in May and they arranged an extension cord.

May I ask, did you drive from Sydney? Were you able to do it in one go with your 85?

 

[Mark E]

May I ask, did you drive from Sydney? Were you able to do it in one go with your 85?

Driving to Orange isn't an issue. I stopped in Bathurst and charged at 22kW on the way but this was really because we were going to drive to Cargo, 30mins on the other side of Orange for a party and then drive back to Orange late at night, so limited time to charge. It was a weekend trip and we drove back to Sydney via lunch at the Hydro Magestic the next day.

It was in May and cold, so we were using the heater.

 

[Shock-On-T]

Driving to Orange isn't an issue. I stopped in Bathurst and charged at 22kW on the way but this was really because we were going to drive to Cargo, 30mins on the other side of Orange for a party and then drive back to Orange late at night, so limited time to charge. It was a weekend trip and we drove back to Sydney via lunch at the Hydro Magestic the next day.

It was in May and cold, so we were using the heater.

Thanks. I've got the 70D so a bit less range, but it's pretty efficient so I'll give it a go.

 

[Tubbers]

A friend had a problem at the scenic railway too. There is a tesla charger at the Hydromagestic hotel. And a ChargePoint 6kw at the Fairmont Laura (Adaptor needed)

 

[Shock-On-T]

If the scenic railway is unlocked at night that would be ideal for me, as I'll be going through at about 7pm.
At night it shouldn't be ICEd, but if they whole place is locked that would be even worse... I might have to do a reccy

 

[Shock-On-T]

Actually dinner at they Hydro might do the trick...

 

[Mark E]

Thanks. I've got the 70D so a bit less range, but it's pretty efficient so I'll give it a go.

About 40kWh to get from Sydney CBD to Orange if you drive sensibly.

EV Trip Planner

 

[Shock-On-T]

Thanks for that, it's a useful site. I find it especially useful that it factors in elevation, which really has an impact for this particular trip (about 700m up and down).
I was planning to have dinner at Hydro while topping up, but $85 for dinner is a bit steep, especially eating alone! (travelling for work).
I'll use UMC in Orange, but would only be plugged in about 12 hours, so about 120km range.
Need to think more...

 

[RichardMcN]

I'll use UMC in Orange, but would only be plugged in about 12 hours, so about 120km range.
Need to think more...

If you get a 15A powered site for the car at the caran park (and you have a 15A adaptor) then you get 180km range, or 210km if you stretch to 14h, which almost gets you home!

 

[Shock-On-T]

If you get a 15A powered site for the car at the caran park (and you have a 15A adaptor) then you get 180km range, or 210km if you stretch to 14h, which almost gets you home!

Would I need an adapter for that?

 

[RichardMcN]

Would I need an adapter for that?

Yep - you are already in the loop here ...

Tim will sell you a stand-alone Euro 3 phase socket to plug into your UMC (or you can raid your 3 phase tail), but he won't put the 15A cord and plug on because the UMC only regulates to 16A not 15A and you always need to dial down to 15 on the screen, which he can't guarantee, so that is the rule bending that Ray was referring to. (The proper way of course is to put your own 15A circuit breaker inline)

Or there are dedicated 15A EVSE's you can get (some have used Clipper Creek I believe), or a 15A tail if you have a Maxicharger.

 

[RichardMcN]

Also for 15A charging make sure you get 3 metres of 15A lead from the plug before it goes into anything else.

15A sockets in caravan parks generally point downwards so you don't want any weight pulling the plug down out of the socket.

 

[Shock-On-T]

All great advice, and thanks @meloccom for your offer as well.
I've found that I'll be able to leave the car on 10A UMC charge for about 20 hours, so I should be almost 100% before the return journey. Being mostly downhill it should be a straight run. I'll post pics (hopefully not of me crying by the side of the road...)

 

[RichardMcN]

Just a matter of time before you come round to 15A @ShockOnT !

 

[Shock-On-T]

Made it!
Left Sydney later than expected, not leaving enough time for slow charging in Orange.
Stopped at Hydro Majestic for a top up.

IMG_3958

• Shock-On-T
• Nov 16, 2016

Hydro Majestic charger

IMG_3959

• Shock-On-T
• Nov 16, 2016

Frosty sunset

A very convenient spot, right next to the road. There are several buildings, with the main one being 150m down the road.
Everything was closed when I arrived, except the $75 2-course minimum Wintergarden restaurant. Not wishing to be Nigel no-mates I wandered up to the nearby service station for a pie I later regretted.
Stayed at Turner's Vinyard in Orange, where I'd stayed before. When booking they wanted $20 for me to plug in, and I couldn't be bothered shopping around so just went with it.
At the motel I had to run an extension cord under the door to the car's UMC, not very elegant. I put a door mat over the cord to reduce trip hazard. Only charged for 9 hours overnight, and boy is it slow. We need destination chargers out west!
After the next day's fruitful labour I had the decision of a slightly shorter return via Bells Line of Road (Lithgow - Richmond) or back the way I'd come via Katoomba with the safety of a charger halfway.
I chose the shorter, charger-less return trip, with the car nav telling me I'd have 6% by the time I got home.
By Lithgow the estimate was up to 11% and I was brimming with confidence. Then I started climbing the mountains...
The estimate started to drop, getting down to 5%.
Then got this message on the nav:

IMG_3961

• Shock-On-T
• Nov 16, 2016

An inauspicious start

Then this one on the dash:

IMG_3965

• Shock-On-T
• Nov 16, 2016

Fear intensifies

As I reached the top of the mountain my range (typical) was 93km, with distance to destination 108km.
Fortunately the laws of physics exist, and after driving a further 50km my range (typical) was still exactly 93km, with 58km to destination.

IMG_3966

• Shock-On-T
• Nov 16, 2016

Potential energy

Arrived home with 44km left in the battery.