Tony Williams is embarking on a journey up North America's west coast with nothing but a Nissan Leaf and a map of EV charging stations.
Williams, who runs the LoveMyLeaf.com enthusiast website, is departing today from Tijuana, Mexico and heading up the coast to San Diego. With eight overnight stops in California, Oregon and Washington planned for recharging and rest, Williams expects to be in Vancouver, BC by the 20th.
The purpose of his trip, like so many other similar stunts, is to prove that it's possible to go on a long trip without an internal combustion engine. He's aware of the EV-naysayers' arguments, but hopes he can show off what his Leaf can do given an adequate charging infrastructure. "The mainstream audience hopefully will take away that this is a good around town and commuting car that is also quite capable for longer trips, if given enough time," he said.
Like most alt-fuel odysseys, Williams will be acting as an EV ambassador along the route. This past Saturday, he shared his plans at a meeting of San Diego-area Leaf owners. On June 16th, he'll be speaking at the Electric Automobile Association's meeting at the Hewlett-Packard complex in Cupertino, California.
Prior to the trip, Williams mapped out a route using PlugShare and Recargo, and also checked out the websites of charger manufacturers to get an updated list of where he can plug in. He even called up places along the route to make sure he could get some power. "The various campground directories fill in the areas that do not have any charger infrastructure," he said.
Though Williams has put 25,000 miles on his Leaf in the thirteen months he's owned it, the longest single journey he's taken so far has been a 325 trip through southern California. The Baja-to-BC trip marks the first time he'll end up in rural areas without guaranteed access to charging infrastructure.
He's planning on trucking the car back to his home in San Diego, but a group of Leaf enthusiasts are trying to convince him to drive it back in time to reach the Refuel EV rally at Laguna Seca on July 1. "We will see if that gets done," he said.
If you live along the route, keep an eye out for Williams' specially wrapped EV. Otherwise, you can follow along online at his website.
Photo: Tony Williams
