New Volt Owner in Northern VA

[Chris Harvey]

To the new members, make sure you signup to Onstar and if you have a Smartphone, there is an app. Once you've done that, use the ID to register for www.voltstats.net there's a DC Metro group on there that's starting to get pretty big.

[SPX EVSupport]

MadAlex, Congratulations on your new Volt! SPX is partnered with Chevrolet to provide charging stations to Volt drivers. We would love to speak with you regarding your charging options and help determine if you are eligible for any incentives in your area. I encourage you to visit the incentive page on our website, https://homecharging.spx.com/volt/Sp...s.aspx?menu=21 , where you can learn more about the incentives available to you or reach out to an SPX representative at 1-877-805-3873. ~Melinda, SPX EV Team

[Zim]

Wow, I didn't know about that program for the 240V stations! I'll do their survey tonight. Welcome to the NoVA group, Alex. See you on the road once you get it!

[MadAlex]

Given your location, an experienced installer for the 240 volt SPX charger is Stover Electric in Sterling. I have been very happy with the work they did installing mine. ...

Did you get the charger [for free] under the SPX Volt Home Charging incentive program, and was Stover the designated SPX installer?

[MadAlex]

Congrats as well. My Volt is also in transit. It is in Jessup Md just outside of Baltimore this evening. I am hoping to get in by the end of the week. ...

Being in No VA, we are considered part of the Wash DC metro area and are eligible for a free Blink level 2, which I had installed a couple weeks ago. You should check it out. ...

I got a call yesteday from my new Volt Advisor (Kelsey B) and she gave me the info to call to get rail shipment status. If you don't have a Volt Advisor yet, I would suggest you send a PM to Volt Advisor Trevor who reads this for...

I PM'd Trevor, and he forwarded my info on to my new Volt Advisor Kelsey and also gave me my order number (I only had the VIN). Unfortunately, looks like I'll be waiting a bit longer - my GMConnects Order History says the car is only in New Boston, Michigan at the CSX New Boston Railhead. Says it was done production and available to ship on 30 April, and since then has only take a couple of short hops down the line.

Any reason you chose the Blink over the ChargePoint?

[drbruns]

My Volt TPW was April 30 and appears to have come out of the line on May 1.

I guess VA Kelsey is our gal for No Va. In gmconnects.com, the Casssens Vehicle Tracking also is still showing for me as arriving in New Boston on 5//8. The brown status area near the top is showing the latest status, which is what I was able to track using the data supplies by VA Kelsey. The ETTX tracking appeared to be the rail shipment from New Boston MI, through Toledo, through Pittsburgh, and into Jessup MD. Once it arrived in Jessup MD, it sat for two days and I think is finally on the flatbed truck that is taking it to the dealer.

Here is the history data. How does this track with yours?

04/12/2012 (3100) Order available to sequence.
04/12/2012 (3300) Order scheduled for production. Order is scheduled into the plant build cycle.
04/13/2012 (3400) Order Broadcast (internal plant paperwork order produced). Order is sent to various build & supplier areas to bring order together.
05/01/2012 (3800) Order produced and vehicle is being prepared for shipping. For Cadillac, GMC and Buick customers, please contact your dealer or customer service for further updates as no further updates available at this time.
05/01/2012 (4000) Vehicle available to ship.
05/01/2012 (4150) Invoiced (order is invoiced to the dealer).
05/01/2012 (4B00) Your car is bayed and is waiting for transportation by truck, rail or transfer to vendor.
05/07/2012 (4B00) Your car is bayed and is waiting for transportation by truck, rail or transfer to vendor.
05/08/2012 (4200) Shipped (vehicle is shipped to the dealer or interim point of delivery).
05/08/2012 (4B00) Your car is bayed and is waiting for transportation by truck, rail or transfer to vendor.
05/08/2012 (4300) Interm transfer. Processing transfer to QC or vendor.
05/13/2012 (4200) Shipped (vehicle is shipped to the dealer or interim point of delivery).
05/17/2012 (4800) Rail ramp unload. Vehicle has been unloaded from train.
05/17/2012 (4B00) Your car is bayed and is waiting for transportation by truck, rail or transfer to vendor.
05/18/2012 (4200) Shipped (vehicle is shipped to the dealer or interim point of delivery).

I chose Blink because it was free as part of the Wash DC area DOE program, where Chargepoint was not. I would think Chantilly is close enough to still be considered the Wash DC area. SPX should be able to tell you this.

[MadAlex]

My Volt TPW was April 30 and appears to have come out of the line on May 1.

I guess VA Kelsey is our gal for No Va. In gmconnects.com, ...

05/01/2012 (4000) Vehicle available to ship.
05/01/2012 (4150) Invoiced (order is invoiced to the dealer).
05/01/2012 (4B00) Your car is bayed and is waiting for transportation by truck, rail or transfer to vendor.
05/07/2012 (4B00) Your car is bayed and is waiting for transportation by truck, rail or transfer to vendor.
05/08/2012 (4200) Shipped (vehicle is shipped to the dealer or interim point of delivery).
05/08/2012 (4B00) Your car is bayed and is waiting for transportation by truck, rail or transfer to vendor.
05/08/2012 (4300) Interm transfer. Processing transfer to QC or vendor.
05/13/2012 (4200) Shipped (vehicle is shipped to the dealer or interim point of delivery).
05/17/2012 (4800) Rail ramp unload. Vehicle has been unloaded from train.
05/17/2012 (4B00) Your car is bayed and is waiting for transportation by truck, rail or transfer to vendor.
05/18/2012 (4200) Shipped (vehicle is shipped to the dealer or interim point of delivery).

I chose Blink because it was free as part of the Wash DC area DOE program, where Chargepoint was not. I would think Chantilly is close enough to still be considered the Wash DC area. SPX should be able to tell you this.

...
04/30/2012 (4000) Vehicle available to ship.
04/30/2012 (4150) Invoiced (order is invoiced to the dealer).
04/30/2012 (4B00) Your car is bayed and is waiting for transportation by truck, rail or transfer to vendor.
05/07/2012 (4B00) Your car is bayed and is waiting for transportation by truck, rail or transfer to vendor.
05/08/2012 (4200) Shipped (vehicle is shipped to the dealer or interim point of delivery).
05/08/2012 (4B00) Your car is bayed and is waiting for transportation by truck, rail or transfer to vendor.
05/08/2012 (4300) Interm transfer. Processing transfer to QC or vendor.
05/13/2012 (4200) Shipped (vehicle is shipped to the dealer or interim point of delivery).
05/17/2012 (4800) Rail ramp unload. Vehicle has been unloaded from train.
05/17/2012 (4B00) Your car is bayed and is waiting for transportation by truck, rail or transfer to vendor.

So, my History data is very similar, but I'm missing the last (critical) item on 05/18, which is your Volt taking it's next train ride to Jessup ....

As far as the charger, I've been to the SPX site, the Blink site and the ChargePoint site. On the ChargePoint site, when I put in my Zip code (which is actually 20105 for Aldie, even though I'm just 1.5 miles West of 20152 South Riding) and select the Chevrolet Volt, the ChargePoint site says "Congratulations! Your location is within one of the ChargePoint America metro areas." and redirects me to the SPX "Coulomb Technologies' ChargePoint America Free Charge Station Program" Web page. I think I/we are eligible for either a free Blink or free ChargePoint. I'm still considering whether I should have my preferred electricians do some prep work first before contacting SPX - I want a 30A-capable charger (yes, I know the Volt doesn't need it), but my 200A service panel in the garage only has a single breaker opening, so I'll probably need an additional sub-panel anyway, and I also want a dedicated 120V charger outlet in the garage too (in case the 240V L2 charger ever dies, and I'm considering other work (like what would be needed to support a generator) .... I think if I had my electricians do all the main prep work (especially any that required permitting), an SPX-selected electrician would only have to do the minimum - mount and connect the charger.

[drbruns]

Alex

Real bummer about the not having the last shipping entry. From the rail number supplied by VA Kelsey, the status indicated it arrived in Jessup on 5/17. It looks like our Volts rode together from the factory to here. Since Jessup is about 50 miles away, I am assuming the final shipment is via flatbed truck. My dealer has 10 Volts in transit so it may be that they have arranged for a separate truck to get their vehicles from the train depot to their dealership. Hopefully you will see the next 4200 Shipped code very soon.

Regarding the prepatory electricial work, I strongly advise you to do this ahead of time and keep SPX out of it.

They will pad their estimate by at least 50%. In my case, I had everything done by my local electrician beforehand and he left a new junction box in the garage for SPX, so all it would be for them is an "Easy/Basic Install" which should come in under the $1200.

I also needed a new subpanel and had to run the lines 50 feet from the back of my house to my external garage. Fortunately I had a rack mounted solar array installed a couple of years ago which required them to trench and bury the conduit and my electrician was able to fish all the new lines through the buried conduit so I didn't need to do any major digging, only a small 8' run from the solar array to the adjacent garage. He charged me $1500 + permit where SPX probably would have charged me over $3000 for this.

[MadAlex]

Alex

Real bummer about the not having the last shipping entry. From the rail number supplied by VA Kelsey, the status indicated it arrived in Jessup on 5/17. It looks like our Volts rode together from the factory to here ....

Actually, unfortunately, my current Status says the car is still only in New Boston, MI - not in Jessup, MD - so, unless my current Status and History are missing something .... I'm still waiting to hear from VA Kelsey, so maybe she'll have some good news for me and my car is really only a day or two away like yours.

[drbruns]

I just stopped off at the dealer on my way back from brunch. I talked with their inventory and ordering manager and he told me it sometimes takes a week to get vehicles to them once it is offloaded from the initial rail car from the factory.

Since it is Sunday, everything is closed but he is going to call them tomorrow morning and ask them to expedite my delivery since it is already sold. Maybe you can work through your dealer as well as VA Kelsey.

They have 10 Volts coming including mine. They seem to have no problems selling them. The manager told me he has already ordered a bunch of 2013's. No pricing yet, he pretty much orders a bunch of different colors fully loaded. He did tell me that they still cannot order MyLink and Nav together yet on the 2013's.

In fact whenever mine comes, it will be the first one he will have seen with MyLink installed.