Update: I found from the car that this means that there are multiple sources. Most times this means level 1 and level 2
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Extended test drive of Toyota RAV4 EV
- Thread starter ChrisHenryOC
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- Electric Vehicles
Not very good with video. This will be a new experience for me but I'll see what I can do.
maybe a video about your car? (wishfull thinking)
Excellent post and photos. I wasn't able to get that stuff working when I did my test drive.
I put a deposit down on a white Rav4. Once Leviton completes the site eval and installation, I'll take delivery.
I am having the dealer change out the cloth for black leather with grey stitching. I'll post photos once I have it. Hopefully before the end of the month.
-Chris
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:love:super!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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WOW , customizing already started! :biggrin:
It's a true child of TESLA :biggrin:
TonyWilliams
Active Member
Well, I took deliver of a Blizzard Pearl Rav4EV a week ago Sunday, 11/11.
I'm very happy with my decision to get the black leather instead of keeping the cloth interior. It definately contrasts with a few things, but I think it still looks good, and will likely stand up to the test of time much better than the cloth seats. The install is a Katzskin install that the dealer arranged for. Ironically, they initially wanted to charge me $3k for the leather, which retails for a little over $1,500 from the Katzkin website. Silly dealer.
It's taken me a bit to get accustomed to a few things on the car.
Unexpected things I like about the car:
Things I liked before, and really like now:
I'll do my best to post some photos of the interior here and over at the myrav4ev forum (I'm "Joyride" over there) soon.
-Chris
I'm very happy with my decision to get the black leather instead of keeping the cloth interior. It definately contrasts with a few things, but I think it still looks good, and will likely stand up to the test of time much better than the cloth seats. The install is a Katzskin install that the dealer arranged for. Ironically, they initially wanted to charge me $3k for the leather, which retails for a little over $1,500 from the Katzkin website. Silly dealer.
It's taken me a bit to get accustomed to a few things on the car.
- The bluetooth audio system is a little strange for me. When I first paired my phone, the car would seemingly pick something at random from my phone and start playing it. Sometimes the audiobook I was listening to, sometimes the soundtrack from Book of Mormon, sometimes Aerosmith. I couldn't figure out a pattern. After the first couple of days of that, the car seems to have "learned" that I didn't like that and doesn't start playing stuff automatically. Not sure if I found a setting somewhere that changed this irritating behavior, but I'm good with the result
- The GPS. Sheesh, you'd think Toyota would fire the people who do their Nav design. The car has essentially the same system that was in place in my wife's 2005 Prius. But this one's in color. I finally had to bust out the manual and spend about 20 minutes reading through things to get to the point where it seems somewhat logical. I'm keeping my Garmin Nuvi in the car with me however, just in case.
- The steering wheel buttons aren't illuminated. I'd grown quite accustomed to illuminated buttons on my 2008 Prius and was surprised to realize when driving after dark last week that the buttons on this car aren't illuminated. Granted, there are relatively few of them, and they follow a pattern, but still increases the learning curve for new drivers.
Unexpected things I like about the car:
- I really like the rear below-deck storage area, which I guess on the gas version can store a 3rd row of seating. I've been able to stow my 120V charger in the smaller area, and in the bigger area I've got my little emergency bag, a first-aid kit, two folding "captain's chairs", and the sunshade umbrella my wife and I use at our son's soccer games. The chairs and umbrella used to rattle around in the rear of my Prius, and I really like having them stowed out of sight.
- XM Radio. I haven't listened to the regular radio with any consistency since the Bush administration (George W), and once I found a channel guide and programmed in a few stations that I thought I might like, I've been listening to the radio more frequently. I still mostly listen to audiobooks, but it's nice to have higher quality radio available.
- The side-opening rear door. At first I saw the rear door as one of those gimmicks that car companies use to differentiate one model from another, but the side-opening door is starting to grow on me. It most certainly takes a lot less effort to close than its liftgate cousins.
Things I liked before, and really like now:
- Charging at home. I really like just plugging the car in at night and letting it fuel itself up over night. I stopped by a gas station the other day to pick up some sunflower seeds to snack on while watching my son's soccer practice. If there's been a more convenient store along the way I would have gone somewhere else instead, but it was still kind of fun to go to a gas station and spend a whopping $1.50.
- Spunkiness. My wife drove the new car over the weekend and I kind of purposefully didn't give her a lot of instructions. I pretty much told her, "just drive it like you do your Prius." When I saw her later, she was fairly gushing about how responsive the gas pedal is. In standard mode.
I'll do my best to post some photos of the interior here and over at the myrav4ev forum (I'm "Joyride" over there) soon.
-Chris
One thing that has surprised me is the range. I will consistently do 110 miles without charging on a range charge. That is the distance to my dad's house. Much better than the 78 MPGe published, and 100 miles of range (consumer reports). Granted, we do not have any severe temperature issues, and I will typically drive with the Heat/Cooling off at least to start the trip. I will usually return home with about 15 miles remaining.
dsinned
Member
RAV4 EV's range almost as good as base Tesla Model S!!!
I think the RAV4 EV is underrated! It is fairly easily capable of an extended range of closer to 150 miles! 140 miles even easier, and 130 is almost a total no brainer. A range of 125 miles is even doable on a standard charge.
THe RAV4 has tons of feedback built in on driving efficiency IN TWO DIFFERENT PLACES on the dash. The key to understanding its potential range is several display screens giving feedback on "miles per killowatt-hours". It is reported in both realtime, or "current", as well as an "average". The latter has a direct correlation to the vehicle's range. For example, an average of 3.0 miles/kWh equates to about 125 miles.
It's simple math really . . . an extended charge yields 41.8kWh of maximum (USABLE) battery capacity. (As an aside, and I'm totally speculating here, I believe the actual full battery capacity is probably as much as 50kWh!) Thus, multplying the average driving efficiency by maximum (unreserved) battery capacity, equals the predicted number of miles a RAV4 will go before the battery dies.
Hypermiling on relatively flat roads, average efficiency will generally surpass 3.0mi/kWh. Of course, like any other EV, frequent jack rabbit starts, hard braking, lengthy up hill grade changes, long periods over 60mph, and adverse weather (OAT below 50F), the RAV4 EV's average efficiency tends to drop significantly. But since this parameter is constantly being recorded by the RAV4, trip to trip, day to day, and (unless reset) continuously updated, you always have a "working number". I think this is the multplier used by one of the vehicle's computers in calculating (or more accurately, "predicting") battery range.
My personal best is an indicated range of 136 miles on the battery gauge after an extended charge. That was achieve with an indicated average mi/kWh recording of 3.2; multiplied times 41.8 equals ~133, so my experience is that the range estimator is accurate to within about +/-2%. For the type of driving I do typically, an efficiency of 3.4 or 3.5 should be within my hypermiling capabilities, so my goal is to see an indicated range of at least 145 miles. Definitely in my sights by next Summer.
I think the RAV4 EV is underrated! It is fairly easily capable of an extended range of closer to 150 miles! 140 miles even easier, and 130 is almost a total no brainer. A range of 125 miles is even doable on a standard charge.
THe RAV4 has tons of feedback built in on driving efficiency IN TWO DIFFERENT PLACES on the dash. The key to understanding its potential range is several display screens giving feedback on "miles per killowatt-hours". It is reported in both realtime, or "current", as well as an "average". The latter has a direct correlation to the vehicle's range. For example, an average of 3.0 miles/kWh equates to about 125 miles.
It's simple math really . . . an extended charge yields 41.8kWh of maximum (USABLE) battery capacity. (As an aside, and I'm totally speculating here, I believe the actual full battery capacity is probably as much as 50kWh!) Thus, multplying the average driving efficiency by maximum (unreserved) battery capacity, equals the predicted number of miles a RAV4 will go before the battery dies.
Hypermiling on relatively flat roads, average efficiency will generally surpass 3.0mi/kWh. Of course, like any other EV, frequent jack rabbit starts, hard braking, lengthy up hill grade changes, long periods over 60mph, and adverse weather (OAT below 50F), the RAV4 EV's average efficiency tends to drop significantly. But since this parameter is constantly being recorded by the RAV4, trip to trip, day to day, and (unless reset) continuously updated, you always have a "working number". I think this is the multplier used by one of the vehicle's computers in calculating (or more accurately, "predicting") battery range.
My personal best is an indicated range of 136 miles on the battery gauge after an extended charge. That was achieve with an indicated average mi/kWh recording of 3.2; multiplied times 41.8 equals ~133, so my experience is that the range estimator is accurate to within about +/-2%. For the type of driving I do typically, an efficiency of 3.4 or 3.5 should be within my hypermiling capabilities, so my goal is to see an indicated range of at least 145 miles. Definitely in my sights by next Summer.
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