Well so much for the car show. Vancouver's late spring weather put pay to that.
I suspect it will be rescheduled for a later date though.
Monday, June 18, 2012
Friday, June 15, 2012
Mini car show and Raspberry Pi
I've been invited to take part in a mini car show on Sunday - another example of the organic interest that the Karma produces. I think the weather will be less than hoped-for (d'oh), but hopefully not actually raining. Currently the forecast is for mixed sun/cloud with occasional showers. Naturally, I'd like to have the time (and weather) for a quick wash and polish before then.
In other news, my Raspberry Pi is allegedly on its way from the UK. I wasn't prepared to pay for expedited shipping, so it'll probably need to be lost behind a sofa or somewhere for a few weeks before they finally get it to me. Should be fun to start seriously planning what I can make it do in the Red Carmeleon.
In other news, my Raspberry Pi is allegedly on its way from the UK. I wasn't prepared to pay for expedited shipping, so it'll probably need to be lost behind a sofa or somewhere for a few weeks before they finally get it to me. Should be fun to start seriously planning what I can make it do in the Red Carmeleon.
Saturday, June 9, 2012
Karma a magnet for interest
I've had a huge amount of interest in the Karma since I've had it. Guys at work have asked to visit the car, neighbours have come over to have a 'tour'. At least three people have said they were going to actively do more research or visit the showroom to take a closer look. That's to say nothing about the number of people who turn their heads (and then bodies) to stare as the Red Carmeleon drives past. A least a dozen people (that I've seen) have been quick on the draw with their camera phones while I've been stopped at red lights too.
Most people express that their reasons for being interested is the electric propulsion, but they also know that there are other choices in the Nissan Leaf, Chevvy Volt, Ford Focus and others appearing all the time now. I think it's the combination of electric vehicle and the epic looks that create an interesting intersection here. If so, then I think that bodes well for the Fisker Atlantic... if this can be offered in the market at an attractive price point. It's still a little crazy how much premium we have to pay to get electric over an ICE, but I suppose that's just the nature of things this side of the 'chasm' on the adoption curve - all the vendors are still paying down their R&D costs and what higher margins per unit.
By the way, the "epic looks" include the car's interior. This is universally acclaimed by those visitors who have actually sat in the car. As it did for me, the interior of the car really impresses with its luxury appointments, overall style and many other little details. Especially on first contact, the cabin is an overload of graceful lines and colours and I think it's different to most vehicles in feeling upholstered throughout (at least in the EchoChic). This makes the car feel much more comfy and lounge-like. More than one visitor also commented on the welcome chimes and startup animations in the dash, which all adds up to a great impression.
From those that have actually ridden in the car, there have been expressions of cabin and ride comfort and comments about the quietness of the vehicle. The latter is obviously helped by the total quiet of the electric propulsion, but I think the aforementioned "upholstery" makes a difference too in the cabin, and I'm sure the battery compartment also serves as a baffle.
Looks like my in-home charger rebate has gone through. As noted in a prior post, I was a little unsure if I had covered all the bases in terms of the required paperwork, mostly because the Californian online vendor from whom I purchased the charger doesn't provide a full invoice with letterhead, logo and a bunch of items spelled out as required in the rebate application form. Nevertheless, it appears that what I have submitted (including an email thread where the vendor says they don't have any other official sales document) has been sufficient for the BC government. So, hopefully a cheque is now forthcoming.
I continue to really enjoy my Karma every day for my work commute. I still have 90% of the delivery fuel left in the tank. As I habitually never exceed the electric range of the vehicle, the only fuel usage has been a few blasts in Sports mode along the highway when I've taken the car out for a fun evening drive, and the few times that the car's management software has decided that its time to run the ICE for a bit.
It's actually a bit of a shock when the engine is started automatically in order to burn a little fuel and condition the engine. This tends to happen when you've just entered the vehicle and hit the power button - an event that normally has absolutely no physical feedback whatsoever, as you're normally just energizing some circuits for the electric drive. However, I've noticed that when the engine has not been used for a week or two, it starts with a bit more of a 'lurch', which torques the car a bit causing it to roll slightly on the suspension. When you're not expecting anything, this feels like a mini-earthquake as the car shudders. The first time it did this, I thought something had bumped the car, or (in the parkade) that someone most have shut their car door particularly vigourously. Of course, then you hear the engine running and it's obvious what's happened. It might be nice if there was a little icon or something on the dash that indicated that the engine was started (or even better, about to be started) for 'maintenance'. Otherwise, there is no indicator at all that the vehicle is in this mode - and the way the engine runs seems to be different to what it does in Sports mode. I'm not sure what this programmed engine run is supposed to achieve before it is considered to have done its job, but it is normally turned off again by the time I've driven a dozen blocks down the road. Perhaps it's just a timed thing (e.g. run the engine at and optimum RPM for 5 minutes a month), or maybe they sample telemetry that indicates whether fuel burn, air intake, exhaust gases etc. are nominal. As usual, as a geek I'd love to know the answers to these questions out of pure curiosity, but I guess they'll remain a mystery.
Most people express that their reasons for being interested is the electric propulsion, but they also know that there are other choices in the Nissan Leaf, Chevvy Volt, Ford Focus and others appearing all the time now. I think it's the combination of electric vehicle and the epic looks that create an interesting intersection here. If so, then I think that bodes well for the Fisker Atlantic... if this can be offered in the market at an attractive price point. It's still a little crazy how much premium we have to pay to get electric over an ICE, but I suppose that's just the nature of things this side of the 'chasm' on the adoption curve - all the vendors are still paying down their R&D costs and what higher margins per unit.
By the way, the "epic looks" include the car's interior. This is universally acclaimed by those visitors who have actually sat in the car. As it did for me, the interior of the car really impresses with its luxury appointments, overall style and many other little details. Especially on first contact, the cabin is an overload of graceful lines and colours and I think it's different to most vehicles in feeling upholstered throughout (at least in the EchoChic). This makes the car feel much more comfy and lounge-like. More than one visitor also commented on the welcome chimes and startup animations in the dash, which all adds up to a great impression.
From those that have actually ridden in the car, there have been expressions of cabin and ride comfort and comments about the quietness of the vehicle. The latter is obviously helped by the total quiet of the electric propulsion, but I think the aforementioned "upholstery" makes a difference too in the cabin, and I'm sure the battery compartment also serves as a baffle.
Looks like my in-home charger rebate has gone through. As noted in a prior post, I was a little unsure if I had covered all the bases in terms of the required paperwork, mostly because the Californian online vendor from whom I purchased the charger doesn't provide a full invoice with letterhead, logo and a bunch of items spelled out as required in the rebate application form. Nevertheless, it appears that what I have submitted (including an email thread where the vendor says they don't have any other official sales document) has been sufficient for the BC government. So, hopefully a cheque is now forthcoming.
I continue to really enjoy my Karma every day for my work commute. I still have 90% of the delivery fuel left in the tank. As I habitually never exceed the electric range of the vehicle, the only fuel usage has been a few blasts in Sports mode along the highway when I've taken the car out for a fun evening drive, and the few times that the car's management software has decided that its time to run the ICE for a bit.
It's actually a bit of a shock when the engine is started automatically in order to burn a little fuel and condition the engine. This tends to happen when you've just entered the vehicle and hit the power button - an event that normally has absolutely no physical feedback whatsoever, as you're normally just energizing some circuits for the electric drive. However, I've noticed that when the engine has not been used for a week or two, it starts with a bit more of a 'lurch', which torques the car a bit causing it to roll slightly on the suspension. When you're not expecting anything, this feels like a mini-earthquake as the car shudders. The first time it did this, I thought something had bumped the car, or (in the parkade) that someone most have shut their car door particularly vigourously. Of course, then you hear the engine running and it's obvious what's happened. It might be nice if there was a little icon or something on the dash that indicated that the engine was started (or even better, about to be started) for 'maintenance'. Otherwise, there is no indicator at all that the vehicle is in this mode - and the way the engine runs seems to be different to what it does in Sports mode. I'm not sure what this programmed engine run is supposed to achieve before it is considered to have done its job, but it is normally turned off again by the time I've driven a dozen blocks down the road. Perhaps it's just a timed thing (e.g. run the engine at and optimum RPM for 5 minutes a month), or maybe they sample telemetry that indicates whether fuel burn, air intake, exhaust gases etc. are nominal. As usual, as a geek I'd love to know the answers to these questions out of pure curiosity, but I guess they'll remain a mystery.
Thursday, May 31, 2012
Trim replaced and more on "carpet formers"
I had to postpone the trip in to Fisker of Vancouver by a day, but today the car was in for about 40 mins having its dodgy window trim replaced and supposedly new "carpet formers".
The service was excellent as usual... friendly, professional, organized. The trim was replaced in less than half an hour while I enjoyed coffee and breakfast pastries.
The remaining time was apparently an attempt to locate the guy responsible for the carpet formers. Apparently what this is all about is that the initial shipment of floor mats from Fisker were all black. I had some black ones installed on delivery of the vehicle. However, apparently the intention was to have more colour coordinated mats and these have since been shipped from California and received at the dealership. This was all somewhat moot today as the organizer of the mats wasn't locatable right away once the trim had been fixed, but frankly there's also the simple question as to whether I wouldn't prefer to keep the current black ones. Black actually works quite nicely with the earth (tan) interior. Moreover, black is probably rather better at hiding mud and stains that are par for the course with vehicle floor mats. I suppose I'm curious as to exactly what colour mats I'm supposed to have and maybe if this was a darker colour I might like it. However, black is far from a bad choice.
Apparently the next firmware installment (2.6?) is being readied for deployment, so it will perhaps not be too long before the next jaunt in to have another little upgrade.
The service was excellent as usual... friendly, professional, organized. The trim was replaced in less than half an hour while I enjoyed coffee and breakfast pastries.
The remaining time was apparently an attempt to locate the guy responsible for the carpet formers. Apparently what this is all about is that the initial shipment of floor mats from Fisker were all black. I had some black ones installed on delivery of the vehicle. However, apparently the intention was to have more colour coordinated mats and these have since been shipped from California and received at the dealership. This was all somewhat moot today as the organizer of the mats wasn't locatable right away once the trim had been fixed, but frankly there's also the simple question as to whether I wouldn't prefer to keep the current black ones. Black actually works quite nicely with the earth (tan) interior. Moreover, black is probably rather better at hiding mud and stains that are par for the course with vehicle floor mats. I suppose I'm curious as to exactly what colour mats I'm supposed to have and maybe if this was a darker colour I might like it. However, black is far from a bad choice.
Apparently the next firmware installment (2.6?) is being readied for deployment, so it will perhaps not be too long before the next jaunt in to have another little upgrade.
Saturday, May 26, 2012
Space Dock
Starship Red Cameleon is in space dock on Tuesday for the window trim replacement and to have some "carpet formers" fitted.
As this point I have no idea what a "carpet former" actually is, or why I would want one. I guess I'll find out.
As this point I have no idea what a "carpet former" actually is, or why I would want one. I guess I'll find out.
Tuesday, May 22, 2012
Still no CEL, the next Town Hall meeting
The check engine light has stayed off since the last patch, which is great.
I understand that the most likely reason for an error condition causing it to light was in fact the opening of a door while the vehicle was in its charging cycle. This is almost certainly the cause of the light in my case, as having just received the vehicle I had all sorts of people wanting to take a look at it while it was parked and charging - not to mention my own forays into the car in order to experiment with and configure the preferences/settings.
Anyway, this is allegedly what was fixed in the last patch that was applied recently to my Karma and I have certainly had cause to enter the car while it was charging since then without seeing the return of the CEL. So it certainly looks like that's the end of that.
In other news, I have signed up for my first Fisker Town Hall meeting (webinar) since I acquired the vehicle, so that should be interesting. The meeting is at 1pm (PST) tomorrow (Wednesday 23rd May). Hopefully I'll be able to listen to at least the first half before my work itinerary interrupts. I hope they provide lots of juicy info on the continuing development of the Karma... we'll see.
I understand that the most likely reason for an error condition causing it to light was in fact the opening of a door while the vehicle was in its charging cycle. This is almost certainly the cause of the light in my case, as having just received the vehicle I had all sorts of people wanting to take a look at it while it was parked and charging - not to mention my own forays into the car in order to experiment with and configure the preferences/settings.
Anyway, this is allegedly what was fixed in the last patch that was applied recently to my Karma and I have certainly had cause to enter the car while it was charging since then without seeing the return of the CEL. So it certainly looks like that's the end of that.
In other news, I have signed up for my first Fisker Town Hall meeting (webinar) since I acquired the vehicle, so that should be interesting. The meeting is at 1pm (PST) tomorrow (Wednesday 23rd May). Hopefully I'll be able to listen to at least the first half before my work itinerary interrupts. I hope they provide lots of juicy info on the continuing development of the Karma... we'll see.
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Plans for onboard computer
Some more info on what I plan to do with a little onboard computer.
The next-generation, 'starshippy', feel to the Karma inspired me to think about what I could do to get the car connected to the internet and have both location and operational data streamed to the car's own monitoring software and web page.
The centre console provides the perfect little cache for the equipment in the vehicle. It's almost the ideal size to accommodate a small single-board computer, a LTE wifi bridge and any additional power or signal adapters that might be required. The console cubby is supplied with 12v, a USB port and the audio aux-in port. The cubby is lined with a soft material clearly designed to protect the equipment that you're supposed to connect to these interfaces (flash drives, iPods, iPhones etc.).
My basic plan is as follows:
The next-generation, 'starshippy', feel to the Karma inspired me to think about what I could do to get the car connected to the internet and have both location and operational data streamed to the car's own monitoring software and web page.
The centre console provides the perfect little cache for the equipment in the vehicle. It's almost the ideal size to accommodate a small single-board computer, a LTE wifi bridge and any additional power or signal adapters that might be required. The console cubby is supplied with 12v, a USB port and the audio aux-in port. The cubby is lined with a soft material clearly designed to protect the equipment that you're supposed to connect to these interfaces (flash drives, iPods, iPhones etc.).
My basic plan is as follows:
- Obtain operational vehicle data via a small wireless OBD2 adapter (there are wifi and bluetooth versions of these things available).
- Obtain internet connectivity via an LTE/wifi bridge. Power this from the 12v outlet.
- Acquire a Raspberry Pi single board computer, running Linux. Power this from the 12v outlet or USB
- When the vehicle is on, collect a stream of interesting OBD2 telemetry, buffer and then send to a collector hosted on my home server.
- Read incoming SMS messages into the LTE/wifi bridge and apply text-to-speech into the audio-aux.
- Read traffic news/info and announce this in the car via speech synthesis when the car is started
- Track GPS from the OBD2 (if available) or the LTE/wifi bridge (though I doubt it can fix satellites in the console cubby). Send this to the home server.
- Accept messages from the home server and read them out in the car
- On the home server, implement a web site (I want to learn the Yesod framework for Haskell, so that's a useful intersection) that shows vehicle location and stats and allows messages to be queued for sending to the car.
- If the charging station produces interesting data, integrate that with the vehicle data.
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