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First-Gen RAV4 EV (1996-2003)
- Thread starter graham
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- Electric Vehicles rav4
PV4EV
Member
Another 10 yr old Rav4 EV with 90k on the clock and the original batteries still going strong :-
Sorry. This thread is about the previous RAV4 EV. The new RAV4 EV (with Tesla parts) is here: The New RAV4 EV
Just for fun, let me drag this 2009 thread up again. I do so because my Rav4EV is back on the road with a new Li-po pack! And to celebrate, I spent two days detailing the thing inside and out. Even the glass is polished now! This is probably the last time it'll look this good. Not bad for a 15-year-old daily driver, eh?
2017 Rav4EV - Darell Dickey (darelldd)
2017 Rav4EV - Darell Dickey (darelldd)
JRP3
Hyperactive Member
Ha.Told you
Yeah... but...
Everything you say is true. It is lighter. It doesn't have heat issues, it has much higher charge efficiency. It has basically zero self discharge (what a treat!). My car is about 480 pounds lighter than stock now. And the pack is a bit higher voltage - so all told, the car is noticeably quicker than stock (and stock was already quicker than the gas version!). All that's good. But... the car is no longer turn-key. It is 100% a hobby car now. I can't just toss the keys to my wife and let her drive it on a whim. It takes constant monitoring, and all it takes is one loose wire somewhere in the thousands of new connections we've made... and the car is dead in the water. So it isn't as if I've simply switched to a better battery chemistry. I have TWO competing BMS's in the car now. And if the OEM unit boots before the Orion, I'm screwed and have to start over. It's fun, but it isn't for the feint of heart. And I should mention that even though the pack is rated at higher capacity than the NiMH pack, AND the car is lighter, the range is significantly less. I drove my original almost 135 miles one day. I'll be luck to touch 80 miles with this pack. And before you go thinking that this conversion could have been done more elegantly so it WOULD be turn-key... I'll just say this: As far as I'm aware, my conversion is the most advanced that's ever been done. I don't know of any other classic Rav4EV with a 105 Ah Li-po pack, nor one that natively charges on J1772 (might exist! I just don't know of it).
Oh... and... Battery MD has just stopped offering the NiMH swap service. There is currently no way to get a "refurbished" NiMH pack.
JRP3
Hyperactive Member
Considering the size of the M3 upon which the MY will be based you can expect the Y to be closer to the Gen 4 RAV in size.
The white tape (gone since I have real instrumentation now!) is 80% SOC. Above this, I cannot use the brakes while in Drive due to the potential to dump 150A into a "full" battery. Big problem. I have to slip into N before using the brakes. One of many reasons why nobody but me gets to drive this car.
The SOC gage has been fooled into operating quite well, by hooking it up to just enough modules in series to have it think the NiMH pack is there. So it doesn't read the whole pack, but just enough cells.
No, I have not written anything up. So many projects! They are Enerdell cells. 88 in series for 105 Ah. Elcon 5 kW charger under the hood, and Orion BMS in the pack.
Hi ,i just got a 2002 rav.. dead battery pack.. so I'm going to convert it over to lithium. What are the voltage ranges that the original pack ran ?
Thank you
See the data shjeet for the modules here:
Nominal Voltage 12V
Nominal Capacity 95Ah
Specific Energy 63Wh/kg
Specific Power(D,O,D=80%) 200W/kg
Dimensions (mm) 116(W) X 175(H) X 388(L)
Weight 18.7kg = 41.2 lbs
RAV4EV 288v pack (24*12v*95ah = 27.3kWh)
Note that you will also need a new BMS and a new way to charge the pack.
Nominal Voltage 12V
Nominal Capacity 95Ah
Specific Energy 63Wh/kg
Specific Power(D,O,D=80%) 200W/kg
Dimensions (mm) 116(W) X 175(H) X 388(L)
Weight 18.7kg = 41.2 lbs
RAV4EV 288v pack (24*12v*95ah = 27.3kWh)
Note that you will also need a new BMS and a new way to charge the pack.
Got it, thank you for the info. New charging system and bms ,but at least now I will be able to j1772 easily.
exactly. That's one of the best parts is being able to charge on today's standard. Back in the day we were trying just to change that one aspect (adding J1772 input). But that required a new charger of course so was a bit.... uh... inconvenient.
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