How to charge @office; no outlet :-(

Remember Jim? He seemed very happy with his setup.

 

portable Solar power station. from Costco. about $250. will need to run all day but should get half a charge or so...

 

this one?
GOAL ZERO® Portable Solar Power Extreme 350 Emergency Power Kit

 

Eeek!! not sure. the one i was referring to was the one i saw at the Lacey, WA Costco yesterday. it was $249.99 after $100 instant rebate.

 

jim335? did he haul the battery into his office every day to charge it?

 

maybe this one you could hook up directly to the brick on the PIP, barely though

1250 Watt Expandable Solar Kit

 

lol no, but it would be doable – the assembly is something like 60-70 lbs. don't forget that it has its own charger anyway, so this would actually work out pretty well…

 

j 1772 evse needs a least 6 amps. No data on minimum amps the pip needs to start charging. Pilot signal would have to track the array current also.

 

i know i'm a skeptic, but i have to question the authenticity of jim's thread. partly due to the shaky history of pis and partly to jim's picture of the battery in the back with the cables tucked under the carpet.

 

Any of these solar powered options will require the use of a battery, charge controller, and inverter. A solar panel's output is not steady enough to just directly power an inverter of the size needed to charge the PiP. The reason that grid-tie solar installations don't need a battery is because the grid itself functions as the battery.

 

Or, they make those extra battery packs (perm mounted, I believe) that you could add to your plug in. It just adds more battery/range, so you'd just be charging more at home.. but should increase your range enough for your commute. Although, those are something like $1,500 and up.. It's probably a lot cheaper just to use the ICE for the last few miles or your trip.

 

I have had my 2012 PiP for two weeks, with no place to plug it in (I am on temp relo and in an apartment). I have averaged 51 MPG for my first 150 miles in pure HV mode. Finally found a chargepoint public charging station today. Charged for an hour at 220V and got 10.6 miles EV range. It was wonderful to drive back in that mode! I will just have to wait until we move into a home with a garage and outlets!

 

hope it's soon!

 

100-foot 12/3 extension cords are only $49 on Amazon. Run one out the window to the car.

 

I really hate to say it because you just bought "A" car, pip or otherwise. If your round trip is 23 miles, you would have been better off with a Volt.

 

That depends on how often he drives longer distances. My commute is 21 miles each way, but I frequently make 50 - 100 mile trips so I needed the 50+ MPG of the Prius.

 

with a larger interior.

 

and seating for five

 

exactly. range is only one of many factors for deciding between volt and pip.

 

I can't help but wonder why you did not consider this before purchasing the PIP? It didn't occur to think about where you'll plug in while you're at work?

I'd speak directly with my employer about it; maybe they'll give you a hand and offer some solutions, or perhaps split the cost of installing an outlet with you?