🚀 go-pugleaf

Bill Ward wrote: 

>
>There are several questions that would be of interest to at least me
and
>possibly other readers here:
>
>1.  How many users are there, and how do they actually use the
vehicles?

I do not have all the details you want. I'm not that close to the
day-to-day operation of the program. Nationwide there are about 80 and
in the next few months that should get to about 130 when all that is
planned is completed. In the Bay Area the number is about 30 which will
increase to 40 soon.

The remainder is only for the Bay Area demo.  The drivers (some car
pools) are assigned a vehicle which they use on the work end or home
end of a commute, charging when necessary at the respective station.

>What percentage is routine daily commute and how much errands, etc?
>What is the average daily mileage?   What is the average cost per mile
>driven? How about average Wh/mile energy consumption?

I can only answer the last one. About 200.  It varies by car, driver,
and use.  If these were optimized vehicles (not prototypes) it would be
about 100.
>
>2.  You mentioned the project is delayed by "some electrical
problems".
>What kind of problems?  Charger, battery, controller, motor, or what?
>Design, workmanship, maintenence?

The original 12 vehicles were great.  PIVCO make some changes on the
next 28 delivered and it took a long time to debug them. From what I
understand the problems were in connectors and safety switches. The
major components are, in general, not a problem.  
>
>3. How much does the lease with Green Motorworks cost per month?
Varies depending on use.  Home end currently at $200 and work end $150.

 >What
>kind of terms?  

3 mo., renewable, driver supplies liability insurance and must have
good driving record.

>Is there a mileage fee?  

No, but it may be tested later.

>Have any private  (spending
>their own money) individuals taken out leases?

Yes and the BART and PG&E employees pay the full cost.
>
>4. The web site mentions $1.41 million in startup subsidies.  Is the
>system taking in enough revenue to break even yet?

My guess is that it covers its operating cost, but I have no data to
show that.  

> If not, when is that
>projected?   

This is a two year demonstration with specific goals, the main one is
to show it can be done. One of the national goals is to show from the
various demonstrations that when we have mature vehicle technology and
mature support soft- and hardware support infrastructure that station
cars will be a profit making venture.  We are a long way from mature
technology.

>Has the funding been extended?

No. BART is actively looking for other funding to do additional
demonstrations with different goals and different vehicles. The next
logical step is to test multiple users of each vehicle each day. The
technology to allow that is under developemnt.
>
>Since real-world data on the subject is pretty scarce, you would be
>doing a big service if you could update your website to include the
data
>that would answer  those questions, and probably a lot of others I
>haven't even thought of.
>
When BART releases data it will be on the Web Site.  The proram will be
evaluated at the end.  Significant amounts of data are being collected
to allow that evaluation.

Thanks Bill for the questions.  Sorry that I do not have all the
information to answer all you asked.

Marty Bernard
-- 
Martin J. Bernard III, Ph.D.
Oakland, California

To find out about a new form of personal urban transportation
please visit the Information Pages of the National Station Car
Association at http://www.stncar.com which are updated periodically.