The New RAV4 EV

[efusco]

According to my contact at Toyota the Tesla UMC is not UL listed. FWIW, neither is the Volt EVSE.

There is no 240v option for the Rav4 other than the home Leviton system. I would think Ingeneer's upgrade would be mandatory.

Toyota's argument was that there was a well enough established charging network within the specified areas where the Rav will be sold that most people would never need to charge other than at home or at a public charging station. If grandma's house is at the edge of your range and she doesn't have a charger at her house you better plan to spend at least 2 days there to charge up for the drive home!

 

[TEG]

...I would think Ingeneer's upgrade would be mandatory...

The upgrade he does to LEAF (Panasonic) portable EVSEs only allows charging at 3.3kW (16A@240V) so it would be slow going that way.
If you were planning a RAV4EV Roadtrip that used NEMA14-50 at campgrounds you would probably want to find something else that could do higher current... At least 30A if not 40A...

 

[spleen]

The upgrade he does to LEAF (Panasonic) portable EVSEs only allows charging at 3.3kW (16A@240V) so it would be slow going that way.
If you were planning a RAV4EV Roadtrip that used NEMA14-50 at campgrounds you would probably want to find something else that could do higher current... At least 30A if not 40A...

The problem is that there are very few portable high current J1772 EVSEs available on the market. In fact, I'm not aware of any that support more than 240V 16 amps. There are some 240V plug in home chargers that are wall hung and could be removed for transport in the back of the car but I'd consider them "pseudo-portable".

(edit: OK, I take it back, I found the SPX PowerXpress which does do 24 amps ... but they get poor reviews from Leaf owners. Don't know about Volt owners experiences. Agree that it'd be nice if the Tesla UMC could be converted to a J1772 plug)

 

[efusco]

I would think the Model S UMC would be the way to go, with an adapter to J1772--someone would have to invent that.

 

[vfx]

vfx, I put the link at the bottom of post #685 above, here it is again:
Toyota Videos Spread The Word On RAV4 EV | Hybrid Cars

Thanks Mitch. I did watch those. I just had no way of knowing those were the black frame.

By the way, I was really eating up the engineers doting on Tesla. Warmed the cockles of my heart.

 

[Lloyd]

The problem is that there are very few portable high current J1772 EVSEs available on the market. In fact, I'm not aware of any that support more than 240V 16 amps. There are some 240V plug in home chargers that are wall hung and could be removed for transport in the back of the car but I'd consider them "pseudo-portable".

(edit: OK, I take it back, I found the SPX PowerXpress which does do 24 amps ... but they get poor reviews from Leaf owners. Don't know about Volt owners experiences. Agree that it'd be nice if the Tesla UMC could be converted to a J1772 plug)

Eaton and Clipper Creek make 70 A J1772 UL certified EVSE's

You can convert the TS-70 to J1772 http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/showthread.php/6136-Lloyd-s-TS-70-to-J1772-conversion

There is no reason that you could not convert the UMC to J1772. The connections on that end are the same.

 

[spleen]

Eaton and Clipper Creek make 70 A J1772 UL certified EVSE's

Lloyd - true, and if we were looking for just a home solution, there are many permanent wall mount J1772 EVSEs that would satisfy the bill like the Eaton and the Clipper Creek. I was talking about it in context of having something that you could use at home and away from home like the Tesla UMC and there really isn't much out there that does high speed J1772 charging off of a portable device that plugs into a 240V RV outlet. RAV4EV owners may have to rely on public J1772 charging infrastructure for charging away from home which may be fine in metro areas but may not work out so well in rural areas.

 

[spleen]

You can convert the TS-70 to J1772 http://www.teslamotorsclub.com/showthread.php/6136-Lloyd-s-TS-70-to-J1772-conversion

There is no reason that you could not convert the UMC to J1772. The connections on that end are the same.

Wow, Lloyd, just followed your link. Impressive! Certainly if you could convert a Tesla UMC to have a J1772 plug like you did with the HPC, that would accomplish the same thing. Of course, if you have the skillz to do that conversion, you would probably have the ability to create your own portable high power J1772 EVSE with the OpenEVSE project.

 

[doug]

Worth embedding here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BfO3_SG26So

 

[Doug_G]

Moved discussion of repairs to Will electric vehicles put parts/repair shops out of business?

 

[efusco]

This is an interesting tidbit. Could Toyota be be holding their cards close to their chest & actually be thinking closer to 25,000 production?

http://insideevs.com/toyota-tells-o...h-tesla-ability-to-make-25000-rav4-evs-video/


Evan, Via Tapatalk

 

[doug]

This is an interesting tidbit. Could Toyota be be holding their cards close to their chest & actually be thinking closer to 25,000 production?

I noticed that little tidbit from the video I embedded above. Sounded to me like wishful thinking on the part of the engineer, and I think InsideEVs it making too much of it. They also include a shot from under the hood of the prototype.

 

[Larry Chanin]

I noticed that little tidbit from the video I embedded above. Sounded to me like wishful thinking on the part of the engineer, and I think InsideEVs it making too much of it. They also include a shot from under the hood of the prototype.

Hi Doug,

It might be wishful thinking on the part of Elon as well.

Remember that off hand remark he made about a follow-up deal being worth around a $billion? Maybe 25,000 units would get him there. :biggrin:

Larry

 

[efusco]

I noticed that little tidbit from the video I embedded above. Sounded to me like wishful thinking on the part of the engineer, and I think InsideEVs it making too much of it. They also include a shot from under the hood of the prototype.

I think you're right. He's not really anyone in the decision making chain and is an engine engineer in Michigan. I don't think he's got any inside information on Toyota's actual production plans.

 

[CapitalistOppressor]

Here is a great review of the RAV4 from the New York Times.

It's particularly relevant to folks who are interested in buying the MS40 because the weight and performance of the RAV4 are close to the MS40 and the battery is ~43kWh.

With Jolt From Tesla, a More Electrifying Utility - NYTimes.com

 

[Kipernicus]

Here is a great review of the RAV4 from the New York Times.

It's particularly relevant to folks who are interested in buying the MS40 because the weight and performance of the RAV4 are close to the MS40 and the battery is ~43kWh.

With Jolt From Tesla, a More Electrifying Utility - NYTimes.com

Thanks, CO

It's also relevant for those who are on the fence about the MS40 in terms of size and cost. For $7.5k less than base Model S (or a $10k premium over the top gas Rav4) you get the Tesla powertrain in a different form factor that might make more sense than the big sedan. You lose out on the 17" touch screen and other goodies though. I think I'll prefer the Model S implementation of regen as well - the article says basically it is all in the brake pedal, to make it feel like the Prius.

The RAV4 EV’s brakes are transplanted from the Prius, and follow that car’s operating philosophy for regenerative braking.

“As soon as you step on the brake, we’re going to take over,” said Sheldon Brown, Toyota’s executive program manager for the RAV4 EV. “Our system effectively captures all the available energy.”

Toyota’s approach has been widely criticized; reviewers complain about a vague pedal feel when the drive motor shifts to its regenerative mode and charges the battery. Numb though it may be, it has the benefit of being familiar to many drivers.

“We know our folks like the Prius,” Mr. Brown said. “We have millions of miles on the road with it. We wanted to keep the same feel.”

And finally, why do I so often see people place Elon as the model for Tony Stark, when Iron Man was first penned in 1963?

Elon Musk — Tesla’s chief executive, a practicing rocket scientist and the inspiration for the billionaire Tony Stark character in the “Iron Man” films

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_man

 

[brianman]

@Kipernicus - Regarding Iron Man... I think they're referring to the casting, "character motivation" for actors, directing, affectations, etc. in the current batch of Iron Man films. That's kind of what they said, but not so literally. I don't think anyone means Elon was at all involved in inspiration for the original comic book Iron Man, whether or not they capture that effectively in words.

 

[jerry33]

@Kipernicus - Regarding Iron Man... I think they're referring to the casting, "character motivation" for actors, directing, affectations, etc. in the current batch of Iron Man films. That's kind of what they said, but not so literally. I don't think anyone means Elon was at all involved in inspiration for the original comic book Iron Man, whether or not they capture that effectively in words.

Was Elon even born when Iron Man first came out?

 

[JRP3]

Elon is so awesome he's inspirational before conception :biggrin:

 

[brianman]

Was Elon even born when Iron Man first came out?

Well, if we trust Wikipedia then no.

In 1963, Lee had been toying with the idea of a businessman superhero.

Elon Musk (born 28 June 1971)