TonyWilliams said:
I just called Sheldon Brown, executive project manager for RAV4 EV, and left a message. I will either get no response, or "not my job, call customer service", or some guarded information. He is at:
Toyota Technical Center
1555 Woodridge Ave
Ann Arbor, MI 48105
Phone
734) 995-2600
Sheldon Brown did call me yesterday.
The phone call lasted 34 minutes, and there were a number of issues discussed. It's obvious that he is an engineer and not just a pencil pusher, so the conversation went well. I'm TW and he is SB:
1) TW: They should proactively replace ALL the gateway computers, even if a recall is required. This is the one thing that can leave a driver stranded, and I emphasized that it is number one on my list. SB: no specific recommendation or suggestion.
2) TW: The noisy motors (like the rental at South Coast Toyota in Orange County) should be proactively fixed. They do know the exact problem (and SB explained it to me), so hopefully folks won't rent that car in the future and say, "gosh, these Toyota electric cars sure are noisy compared to LEAF, et al". Also, it will prevent going to dealers and wondering if your car is bad or not. SB did physically drive my car at the dealer before they replaced the motor.
3) TW: Fix the charge timer, particularly the "31st day" issue. That just seems too silly to not get done. Also, the failure after 120 volt charging is now known. They (SB) just hadn't foreseen that scenario (admittedly, rare).
4) SB: The Schneider and Blink/Rema melting parts is known. TW: Since I don't think Toyota has much responsibility with those company's poorly designed and produced parts, I did mention adding thermal protection to the plug (like Honda already does). SB: no specific recommendation or suggestion.
5) SB: The batteries are good to "60C". TW: I told him that is pretty much what Nissan told us with the LEAF, and that hasn't worked out so well. We also talked about the 500w conditioning of the battery in the 20 minute period. Clearly, SB doesn't think those cells need active TMS, but honestly, I would still do whatever you can to keep the cells cool for longest life. TW: Charging the car slowly or leaving it in READY all day on brutal Phoenix afternoons. SB: no specific recommendation or suggestion.
I tried tossing out that the cells were 2900ma, and of course I got the party line "SB: state secret". But, it left me wondering... Since the prototypes used all Roadster 2200ma cells, and that pack weighs 860 pounds, could these still be 2200's ??? Probably, since they're cheaper and the power is greatly limited over the Roadster and Model S. the only way we'll know is to drop the pack, pull one out, and load test it. SB: no specific recommendation or suggestion.
6) TW learned that there was a SB: flaw in the early build Denso 6kW resistance heater that burned out the DC-DC converter. They know the issue. I suggested recalling those. SB: no specific recommendation or suggestion.
7) TW: The 80% limited to the fuel gauge is DUMB. SB said they won't do that again.
8) TW: Offered that I wished Toyota would stay in the EV game, and not go let hydrogen take over their future R&D efforts and compliance efforts. SB: no specific recommendation or suggestion beyond corporate public goals of a "full range of vehicles".
9) SB: You should have XX.XX.62 or greater firmware in your Rav4 EV, and the AV firmware should be updated, too (sorry, didn't remember the number).
There were other things brought up, but overall, I'm impressed. I doubt somebody from GM or Ford in his position would ever call me about car problems.