Lot Y - Electric Field of Dreams

The new EV charging station parking spaces are open at Lot Y.  You can read about the start of the project from April here.  I've been by about five times since they got finished and am waiting to see my first car use one.  I'm sure it will happen soon, but you have to wonder if it was a good idea to give up ten spaces for eight EV spaces.  The day after I took this photo of the empty spaces a regular Voice reader/contributor sent me the exact same photo with the same concern.  He was also kind enough to send an overhead, marked-up photo of the lost spaces memorialized here now.  Thanks BMW, nice work.

Comments

[HMB]

If I remember correctly, Millbrae had to start enforcing a 2-hour limit and the EV had to be plugged in and charging because people with EVs were using them as all-day or all-night parking places. I think charging was even free for a while. Anyway, once time and charging was enforced, hardly anybody ever uses them anymore. Spaces almost always empty.

[Paloma Ave]

The do-gooders who cry "We have to stop climate change" are at it again. (As if we could stop climate change).

Note: The sky is NOT falling!

Do not believe the alarmist cries from the media and teenage girl.

[Barking Dog]

Agree Palama...

Not to mention the lost revenue from 10 to 8 spaces, cost of installation and maintenance of the 8 stalls, loss of revenue from non use of 8 stalls. I'm sure it is much more expensive to maintain those 8 spaces than the 10 with the good old fashioned style meters that have worked for decades generating revenue for the city.

Empty spaces that could be used for non electric cars leads to more parking violation tickets = made up revenue from meter loss revenue. Stupid logic by supposed wise people.

[[email protected]]

I was reading an article in WSJ today regarding Electric Cars.
All Major American Car Companies are reducing there R&D, due to the Fact that no one wants to buy one.
Regarding the "Clean Fuel" of Electric Cars.
Do people really believe that is "Clean Energy?"
Coal Powers Every Electric Vehicle.

[elisa]

but it does make the low-self-esteemer's 'FEEL GOOD"

[Joe]

And right on schedule the WSJ has an editorial on the government subsidies for EVs and how they are subsidizing "the wealthy". Here are a couple clips:

The federal government currently provides a $7,500 consumer tax break for an auto maker’s first 200,000 cars. The tax credit then drops by half for EVs sold over the next six months, and by half again for another six months. It then disappears.

Washington has been underwriting EVs for nearly 30 years, which is a long time for an infant industry. The current EV handout was part of the 2009 Obama “stimulus,” and its backers promised it would be temporary. But Tesla and General Motors hit 200,000 in sales last year, and Nissan, Ford and Toyota are well on their way. With the phaseout approaching, auto makers and environmental groups are now begging Congress for an extension.

They’re floating a bill from car-state Senators Debbie Stabenow (D., Mich.) and Lamar Alexander (R., Tenn.) that would extend a $7,000 buyer tax credit for another 400,000 cars once auto makers hit the 200,000 limit. An Ernst & Young study estimates the expansion would cost taxpayers nearly $16 billion over the next decade.

A recent Congressional Research Service study found that nearly 80% of the credits were claimed by households with adjusted gross income of more than $100,000. Sales data show that about half of all electric vehicle sales occur in one state—California.

Auto makers say federal subsidies are necessary to help them comply with California’s EV mandate, which a dozen or so other states have adopted. But then why shouldn’t these states pick up the subsidy tab to fulfill the mandates that they are imposing?

[[email protected]]

Good News for Burlingamers!
It really seems that nothing is Fair anymore.

[Joe]

With the approval of the Climate Action Plan this week:

https://www.smdailyjournal.com/news/local/climate-action-plan-passed-by-burlingame-city-council/article_d8953b7e-d058-11e9-a51d-078a15c152b2.html

We will have to see how much further this aspect of it goes: "dedicating prime parking spots for electric vehicles".

[[email protected]]

"F" Electric Vehicles.
Unless Gasoline/Oil products disappear from the World Markets, Electric Cars will never be accepted. Not in SA, Africa, any 3rd World counties.
There is ZERO benefit to Society due to the FACT that electric power is made by burning Coal. There may be very little electricity generated by Nuclear Power. That has its own set of problems. Best solution is to make Gas Powered Vehicles more fuel efficient..
However, the people who control fuel distribution do not want that to happen.

[fakecoal]

California's energy usage contains less than 4% of coal power, and that figure is 2+ years old. We should absolutely be subsidizing industries that will limit the damage coming to us via Climate Change.

[hillsider]

Ignore him fakecoal. He lives most of the time in his own little world.

[[email protected]]

Hey, Hillsider!
How have you been? Thanks for "the flowers"
Anyway, The State of California is not an Island.
Burning, Harvesting Crops, Methane, Mining, effects the entire world.
Inform our Readers
I am glad that there is an outpost of sensibility in Burlingame, California.
I can not comment on our Relationship at this time.
When stating a Fact, that CA. contributes 4%, we have visualize what 4% is to Europe, Africa, SA, and Asia.

[Joe]

The Daily Journal has a "Thought for the Day" on page 2 as do a lot of smaller papers around the country. I happen to get it in email from my hometown paper in Massachusetts as well. Today's thought brought to mind the climate change-coal-natural gas-oil-electric car discussion:

“Some problems are so complex that you have to be highly intelligent and well informed just to be undecided about them.” — LAURENCE J. PETER, Canadian writer (born this date in 1919, died 1990)

[Joe]

More electric news:

Momentum is growing in Congress for some sort of federal tax or fee on electric vehicles.

(Wyoming Republican Senator) Barrasso has proposed ending the federal tax credit for electric vehicles and imposing a highway user fee that would be paid when a driver files a tax return.

“Those driving electric powered vehicles or hydrogen powered vehicles or natural gas powered vehicles, they need to make some payment toward the fund, the transportation fund,” said Sen. Tom Carper of Delaware, the committee’s top Democrat.

Based on what states have done, and what congressional lawmakers are discussing, an annual fee, a tax at charging stations and a tax calculated on miles driven are among the ideas circulating for electric vehicles. Idaho charges electric vehicles between $75 and $140 a year. South Carolina charges $120 every two years for vehicles operated exclusively by electricity, hydrogen or any fuel other than motor fuel.

https://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/national/article234979602.html?
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I hope the software on our new charging stations will accomodate a tax assessment. In fact, why didn't we think of that in the first place??

[Handle Bard]

I think it is time to acknowledge that this electric experiment is a failure. For the 30+ times I have been by this lot I have seen exactly two EVs charging there. I just read that the tax credits for buying one are going way down so the sales are going to go down from the tiny number that exists now. Get a bike for the short trips.

[BMW]

from the Department of You Cannot Make This Up:

The city has also contracted out with a private vendor to install electronic parking signs on Broadway directing drivers to Lot Y and telling them how many spaces are available. So we took 10 public parking spaces out of general use. And we’re going to direct people to this lot with its reduced capacity. $60K of Burlingame taxpayer $$ for the signs and parking sensors.

https://www.smdailyjournal.com/news/local/digital-parking-signs-directed-to-burlingame/article_c9d4f2e8-d2a9-11e9-a829-b74bac17107f.html

False sense of “environmental” and “sustainability” accomplishment, followed up with false sense of parking enhancement accomplishment.

[Handle Bard]

Ouch. What is going on here (that is the polite form of WTF?). How do we get a ballot measure to remove 20% of all signs on the city streets? The visual pollution is appalling.

[Cassandra]

You get what you want when you use magic words like
“sustainability “ and “environmental.”

The Simpsons used to mock the lady who would use the plea: “Won’t someone think of the children!?” to get what she wants.

PS- Speaking of which; Notice the ballot language on the two huge school bonds soon being put up for a vote.

[[email protected]]

Until Fuel costs exceed $6.00 per hour; after a few years at that price the Proletariat will not go along.
With the expansion of "TV, video games, Facebook" etc.,
Once prices go beyond $6.00 per gal. people may want to purchase an E Car.
By the way, do people who plug into those "E Stations" pay for it...
Or is it free?

[Joe]

We have to hold out hope that these electric charging spots start to see some use at some point. I've seen about 4 cars charging since they opened. In the meantime, spots on B'way proper will likely turn over slower with this change:

Parking regulations along Broadway in Burlingame are slated to change, as officials blessed a proposal by merchants in the business district to amend meter limits and prices to incentivize shopping locally.

The Burlingame City Council unanimously agreed to extend one-hour parking meter limits to two hours, and raise the hourly rate by 50 cents to $1 during a meeting Monday, Jan. 6.

https://www.smdailyjournal.com/news/local/parking-time-price-see-rise-on-broadway/article_da1f9914-342e-11ea-b8e5-5b829f4f0ce0.html#utm_source=smdailyjournal.com&utm_campaign=%2Fnewsletters%2Fweek-in-review%2F%3F-dc%3D1579453212&utm_medium=email&utm_content=headline