Venetian installs charging equipment

The Venetian is the latest hotel-casino in Las Vegas to add electric vehicle supply equipment to its parking facility. It will provide free electrons to drivers of electric cars to refuel their battery packs while visiting the Grand Canal Shoppes.

The charging equipment is on the sixth floor of the self-parking garage near the elevators. The two stations can be used to recharge the Chevrolet Volt, Nissan Leaf, Mitsubishi i, Fisker Karma, Toyota Prius PHV, Ford Focus EV, CODA sedan or any other plug-in electric vehicles that use the automotive industry's standard connectors. The charging stations are rated at AC Level 2, which means they can supply 240 volts of current to charge these vehicles in three to six hours, depending on battery-pack size.

This installation complements three Tesla Motors' high-power charging stations that have been at the valet parking garage of the Palazzo for more than a year, to provide free electrons to owners of the Tesla Roadster and now the 2012 Model S.

"The Venetian and the Palazzo have made alternate transportation a priority because we want to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conserve natural resources and lessen dependence on traditional automobiles," said Rishi Tirupari, sustainability project manager for both properties.

Next year's annual International Consumer Electronics Show in January will have an even larger contingent of new 2013 and 2014 plug-in electric cars, some that will be on display at the Sands Expo and Convention Center.

Complex electronic subsystems, with nanoscale components and intricate software operating systems, help automotive manufacturers continue to increase their vehicles' fuel efficiency and performance. The automotive industry has agreed to continue compliance with Corporate Average Fuel Economy standards proposed by the federal government. These standards require that the average fuel efficiency for each manufacturer's product line be 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016.

A second round of standards was negotiated by the automotive industry this year and will continue to increase average fuel efficiency ratings from 2017 through 2025. President Barack Obama's administration announced the final target numbers last month, increasing average vehicle fuel consumption for new automobiles produced in 2025 to 54.5 mpg.

From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 23, the local chapter of the Electric Auto Association will join with the Sierra Club and Plug-in America to launch National Plug-in Day 2012. This event will highlight the use of electricity as an alternative transportation fuel. More than 50 cities will participate .

The Las Vegas event will consist of a caravan of electric cars that will highlight public charging station at four locations near downtown Las Vegas and North Las Vegas. These sites provide electricity for free to electric car owners and include the parking garage near Las Vegas City Hall at Bonneville Avenue and Main Street, the parking lot of the Clark County Government Center on South Grand Central Parkway, the Stupak Community Center on Boston Avenue off Industrial Road and the North Las Vegas City Hall parking lot on Las Vegas Boulevard.

Electric car rides will be available to visitors at each of these public locations.

A Google map showing these locations is online at www.nevadaeva.org.

For more information about National Plug-in Day 2012, visit www.pluginday.org.

In memoriam: Al Sawyer, former Nevada Test Site engineer and co-founder of Lectra Motors Co. in Las Vegas, died last month at age 88.

Sawyer started the Lectra Motors factory at 5380 S. Valley View Blvd. to design and build electric cars in response to an oil embargo by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries during 1973, and the Iranian revolution during 1979. These global events caused long lines at the gasoline pump s. OPEC member nations used U.S. dependence on foreign oil imports (30 percent of daily usage in 1973) to disrupt the U.S. economy in retaliation for the country's support of Israel during the Yom Kippur War.

Lectra Motors produced more than 1,000 electric vehicles based on Datsun chassis from 1979 to 1982. Most of these cars and trucks were sold within the United States but some were shipped overseas, including to an automobile manufacturer in Japan.

Sawyer also co-founded the Las Vegas Electric Vehicle Association in 1998. He generously shared his practical knowledge and wisdom with other electric car builders. I had the privilege of owning one of his Lectra Motors Centauri electric sports cars for a time after I first joined the local LVEVA chapter here. I will miss his grace and guidance.

Godspeed.

Stan Hanel has worked in the electronics industry for more than 30 years and is a long-time member of the Electric Auto Association and the Las Vegas Electric Vehicle Association. Hanel writes and edits for EAA's "Current Events" and LVEVA's "Watts Happening" newsletters. Contact him at stanhanel@aol.com.