Buying a RAV4 EV in Seattle

[TonyWilliams]

Tell the idiots at that Toyota dealer that the recall is a mandatory US government recall... mandatory, not optional.

It might help you to physically print out the actual recall language and hand it to them. They are correct, however, in that they likely cannot do the update because they will not have the proper Tesla cable to connect Toyota TechStream to the car.

The new firmware will be 1.3.101. They need to put a software update sticker on the lower right-hand portion of the hood (when open).

 

[Michael Bornstein]

Tony:

I may be a bit behind the times, but I don't remember getting a notice about a traction motor recall. I have received notices about the seatbelt and the wiper recalls but that's it. A search of this blog for the words "traction motor recall" only shows this discussion. Do you have any more info on this recall?

Mike

 

[TonyWilliams]

There a whole thread on the "traction motor" US government recall:

http://www.myrav4ev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=21164#p21164

http://www.myrav4ev.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=19516#p19516

 

[Tech26]

What does the proper Tesla data cable for the Techstream look like? Can it be sourced from a place like Fry's Electronics? Where does it plug in on the RAV4 EV?

 

[TonyWilliams]

What does the proper Tesla data cable for the Techstream look like? Can it be sourced from a place like Fry's Electronics? Where does it plug in on the RAV4 EV?

The dealer can buy one.

 

[SeattleRav4]

A bit more data and some more confusion. The Windshield wiper and Seatbelt recalls were done. The service manager said I needed to coordinate with Toyota corporate on the "EV Traction motor" recall. So I called and email Kevin. No response so far. Meanwhile, I got home and read the service paperwork. It says that I need to contact corporate to get the traction motor recall. I tried to look up my records on the Toyota owners site but that has a password problem. When I reset my password it says it sends me an activation update, but none comes to my email address.
Here is the best part. I double checked my car last night. It has the SW update sticker version 1.3.101 Nov 15, 2015.

 

[TonyWilliams]

Here is the best part. I double checked my car last night. It has the SW update sticker version 1.3.101 Nov 15, 2015.

You're done... let Toyota spin in circles.

 

[Tech26]

Called NW Motorsports in Puyallup this morning around 9:00 and let them know I wanted to come and look at the 2013 RAV4 EV that they had for sale. Asked if they could make sure it had enough charge to at least go for a short test drive. Showed up at about 1 and they were just bringing it up front when my family and I arrived.

The range indicator stated "Lo", it had the "Plug in soon" warnings, and the turtle was lit up. The salesman (a nice guy that I ended up liking anyway) said he thought it was a gas hybrid, not a full electric, so he didn't understand what I was asking earlier in the day. He offered to take it around back and charge it up.

I drove with him around to the back side of the building and he came out with a 110v extension cord. I just smiled and said, "Charging on that cord would take 2 days, and this doesn't look like the best place to be parked for that long".

Long story short, the car was in slightly better shape than the ones I had seen at Paramount Motors. The paint and interior were just a little less worn, and the big winner was the brand new tires. They're cheap-o tires, but hey, I don't have to worry about replacing them right off the bat, and they're not mismatched like one of the RAVs at Paramount.

I ended up buying the car without really test driving it and immediately went to the nearest free 240v charge station that I found on Plug Share. Got there, couldn't find the connector, decided it was probably behind the locked gate area (it's a Saturday). Next option? A nearby Nissan Dealership of course.

Made it to Nissan, got plugged in, confirmed it was charging at 240v. Left it there for two and a half hours while we ran some errands and ate dinner. Came back expecting 30-40 miles of range.... Only had 9 miles of range indicated and it said "Charging Stopped" I had not touched the charge cable handle yet, and when I did, it went in a little farther and the chrome latch piece went "CLICK!" and popped into place.

So, I figure someone partially unplugged me shortly after we had left to run errands. My family drove home in our other car and I baby sat my new car for a little over an hour. Home was 25 miles away, it was 27 degrees F outside, and there was a good sized hill to climb just before reaching home. I unplugged with 28 miles because the Nissan dealer was locking up for the night.

No cabin heater, no seat heater, no radio, turned the NAV/multi display off, but did have the headlights on. Drove 55 mph for a few miles and saw the range prediction was matching my actual miles driven. Then noticed I even gained a mile, so I bumped the cruise control up to 60. Had 5 miles remaining when I reached the hill climb part. Halfway up the big hill the range went from 5 miles straight to "LO"

Made it home and plugged into 110. I'm working on getting my 240v 40 amp EVSE installed. Hopefully I'll have that ready at the end of next weekend!

 

[miimura]

Going from 5 miles straight to LO is the normal behavior. It's a shame that they didn't keep more charge in the car while it was on the lot. Do you have any idea how long it was there?

 

[Tech26]

It was probably on the lot for a few months. It charged up to 102 miles on the GOM today and wasn't even in extended charge mode (probably because I had the climate control turned off). It has minor drive unit whine and the splash shield between the front wheels needs to be resecured, but so far I'm really happy with it.

 

[SeattleRav4]

Welcome to the Seattle Owners mini club.
Get the Blink, Chargepoint, etc. cards right away. You won't need them often but when you need them, you need them.
Find out where the Walgreens is at the bottom of the hill, and give it a try. It just makes you feel better knowing that you can stop and top up at the bottom if you are really low.

Last, let us know if there is anything we can help with while you enjoy the car.

 

[Tech26]

Thanks! Yeah, we should have a Seattle RAV4 EV owners club BBQ this summer. How many RAV4 EVs are in the Seattle area anyway?

Here's a picture of my youngest "Driving" the new car.

 

[TonyWilliams]

There are at least 7 RAV4 EVs in the Seattle area:

http://www.zeemaps.com/view?group=1495202&x=-120.774028&y=46.994871&z=11

 

[Larry_in_Seattle]

I think there are at least 12, maybe a few more. Heck, there were 7 lined up at Kirkland dealership for the Firmware upgrade, and that didn't include a number of others I know about. Since then, between Paramount and other dealers, more have come to the area. We might have 20-25 for all I know.

A BBQ or some other meetup event is a GREAT idea. More than 1 would work for me!

I recommend meeting up at the EV Meetup at NW SolarFest on Saturday, July 22nd. Last year we had 3 RAV4s, Mercedes B-Class, Fiat 500e, Kia Soul EV, Mitsubishi i-miEV, Teslas, LEAFs, Volts (Yeah, I know), a CODA, conversion cars AND trucks (Wait til you see the EV F250 Dumptruck!), and 3 manufacturers of Electric bikes. If know I missed some brands, like Jeremy's all electric service truck, so forgive me.

It's an entirely FREE event, and the EV area was very popular last year. Put it on your calendar now.

It's held on the campus of Shoreline Community College, 16101 Greenwood Ave N, Shoreline 98133. I'm the point person for the Transportation Zone, too.

It's a great family event too with a Kid Zone with hands on activities for the younger set. And if you're interested in solar, green roofs, organic gardening, urban country fair type stuff, good eats, music, tiny Homes, beekeeping, Net Zero Energy House, solar cooking, or other cool stuff, then you'll have a totally enjoyable day.

 

[Tech26]

The Shoreline Community College event sounds like a lot of fun. I've added it to my calendar.

 

[Gazoo]

Add me to the Seattle Club - 2013 Pearl is it? White 17.2k

My wife and I had no intentions of purchasing an EV when we set out car shopping and had no idea about them. We were originally looking at older Rav4's or another compact SUV then we drove this EV and loved it. Very smooth ride, lots of technology going on in the cabin. This is such an upgrade for us as our other vehicle is a 2004 Accord. I am typically a very frugal car shopper and prefer to pay cash for something cheap and drive into the ground, but we splurged and we really like it. Got the 5 year 60k used car warranty from Jim at Toyota Kirkland. I am a little bit nervous about what happens after that expires as it sounds like when something does go wrong it is very expensive. Have not made a decision on charging yet as we are currently renting and the quote we got for installing just the outlet was 700 and the electrician recommended a new breaker box for 2200. For now charging at Northgate mall works great as we are less than a mile away. Will be fun to meet some other owners in July.

 

[Larry_in_Seattle]

Welcome Gazoo!

Do you live in Seattle or by any chance in PSE electric service territory? PSE offers a $500 rebate for putting in a L2 charger. City Light does NOTHING for us EV owners. (I think it has to do with the fact that they are a public utility and PSE is a private (foreign owned at that) corporation.)

 

[Gazoo]

Unfortunately we are City Light, but thanks for the heads up.

 

[Tech26]

I've had my EV for a little over a week now and I'm really enjoying it. No real issues yet, other than the voice command recognition being terrible. She never seems to hear me well enough, it's almost always "Pardon?" so I've decided to just keep using my phone's traffic avoiding NAV.

This car is pretty fast for a small SUV. Passing on the highway when needed is a breeze. I don't miss waiting for the engine/transmission to downshift at all. Acceleration from 0-60 sounds slow at 7.2 seconds, but it feels quite sporty.

The scheduled pre-climate and charging on 240v is a must in the Seattle winter. Before I programmed my scheduled charging by departure time the regenerative braking was all but disabled in the 30 degree weather. Now it's there for me on the way down the hills near my house.

Looking forward to getting the seat belt and wiper recall work completed soon. Also, going to inquire about an extended warranty. I'll probably have this car for 5 years or more, and I'm pretty sure my drive unit has not been replaced yet!

 

[shikataganai]

My wife's RAV4 EV may be adding +1 to the Seattle count. Currently it lives in Denver but I'm contemplating jumping back into the crazy real estate market of Seattle proper...