Claire,<br><br>I experienced the same thing at this time last year. Cold is tough on the lead-acid batteries.<br><br>I had also asked the Plug-in Partners group about getting their help in establishing incentives for installing charging infrastructure, but they weren't really interested given that there aren't yet any plug-ins on the market from major auto makers.<br>
<br>Thanks,<br>ian<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Wed, Nov 19, 2008 at 7:40 AM, Claire Sorenson <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:csorenson1@austin.rr.com">csorenson1@austin.rr.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left: 1px solid rgb(204, 204, 204); margin: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex;">
<div>Hi guys,</div>
<div> </div>
<div>FYI - I am also experiencing lower charge and lower range for my Ranger EV. It started as soon as the cold weather hit. The battery pack is also 1 year and 3 months old, so I would expect a certain amount of decreased range with age, but this was not a gradual shift, so I assumed it also had to do with the cold. Until a couple of weeks ago, I could get to work and back on a little over half a charge, and now it takes the full charge. </div>
<div> </div>
<div>Given my reduced range, I have talked to the CFO at my office and they will let me install an outlet so I can plug the truck in while I am working. Since our CFO plans on trading his Prius in on a Plug In Prius as soon as they are available, he decided to add another outlet and share the cost of the installation (thank goodness, since it is turning out to be pretty expensive). I was hoping that Austin Energy might have an incentive program available for employers who would like to provide outlets for employees who drive EV's, but when I spoke with a friend at Austin Energy he said there is nothing in place yet. If we owned the building we occupy, we could get an income tax deduction, but that is all that is available right now in Austin.<br clear="all">
<br>-- <br>Claire Sorenson<br>512-689-5911<br></div>
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