Longer Range Battery / Extra battery

[Eric318]

Fascinating topic!! I have been comtemplating getting a Rav4 EV to replace my current Fiat500e + old ICE minivan and cover all my needs.

In particular tow a trailer with 3 dirtbikes for the occasional weekend with my son (Tony, I believe you also ride dirt bikes and tow them with your Rav4 right?).

I figured I need 200 miles range for a round trip to Hollister (I live in Sunnyavle, CA, exact round trip 140 miles) and I was thinking of fitting additional batteries on/under the trailer.

Am I approaching this from the wrong angle?

Thanks.

 

[TonyWilliams]

I've ridden at Hollister many times. They should have a campground nearby for 50 amp service, so just plug in while riding with a JESLA or other 40 amp portable charge cable ($900).

Yes, RAV4 EV will handle dirt bikes fine. I'll be getting the new Alta Motors dirt bike soon!

Plan B would be a Honda 7000W generator at 240v / 22 amps (5kW). ($4500)

Absolutely, you need JdeMO to fast charge in Hollister !!! 30-45 minutes adds 60-90 miles of range. ($3500)

You don't need VERY expensive batteries.

 

[Airton]

"Yes, RAV4 EV will handle dirt bikes fine. I'll be getting the new Alta Motors dirt bike soon!"

Wow nice bike! looking for a second Zero MX or X so I can take my Son out with me.

 

[Eric318]

Ah yes..... recharge while there...

Damn, they dont have any RV hook ups..
https://www.campgroundviews.com/listing/hollister-hills-svra-campgrounds/

I'll talk to the rangers and the shop owner next time, they must have 220V outlets somewhere...

 

[ken830]

Sure, the battery could be anywhere, but we are concentrating all efforts on the third row "well".

I hope to have a definitive answer by 31 Dec 2017.

Should we be expecting some updates or other good news tomorrow?

 

[jimbo69ny]

I've been thinking about 3rd row footwell batteries but this crash test is pretty scary. IF there were an accident they would be hit hard.

https://youtu.be/KaFdDKeKHrs

 

[jimbo69ny]

Maybe if the batteries were in a really strong case to absorb some of the hit? What about a built in fire extinguisher of some kind inside the battery box? How explosive are batteries anyway?

Definitely considering range extending options but now that I have a newborn that will be riding around with me I am more concerned with safety.

 

[swinches]

Hello, RAV4 EV Forum -
I realize this is an old thread but does anything know if any shops or companies are selling after market traction batteries for the 2014 RAV4 ev? Or anyone rebuilding the batteries? My 2014 only gets ~60 miles on a full charge so I either need to find a high capacity replacement or sell the car.
I'm in the San Diego area.
Please advise.
Thank you.

 

[jimbo69ny]

Hello, RAV4 EV Forum -
I realize this is an old thread but does anything know if any shops or companies are selling after market traction batteries for the 2014 RAV4 ev? Or anyone rebuilding the batteries? My 2014 only gets ~60 miles on a full charge so I either need to find a high capacity replacement or sell the car.
I'm in the San Diego area.
Please advise.
Thank you.

None

 

[JDP]

Call QCCharge. They might have a solution and they’re in San Diego county. I recently saw a YT video that featured a mechanic describing battery repair options in their shop for a model S battery, I think. Maybe they can work on ours too.

 

[miimura]

Call QCCharge. They might have a solution and they’re in San Diego county. I recently saw a YT video that featured a mechanic describing battery repair options in their shop for a model S battery, I think. Maybe they can work on ours too.

Working on the battery is entirely different than engineering a larger battery and adapting it to the vehicle. QC-Charge routinely replaces contactors inside the battery and can swap a battery from a different RAV4 EV. However, even swapping modules as a repair for damaged ones is very difficult to do properly because the pack can easily go out of balance if the modules are not carefully capacity matched.

 

[initself]

Definitely excited for more battery capacity!

 

[asavage]

Definitely excited for more battery capacity!

How much would you pay for more range, on a car that sells for $5-11k in good condition?

 

[jimbo69ny]

How much would you pay for more range, on a car that sells for $5-11k in good condition?

Exactly. Why spend $6000+ for a battery when there are so many other options now.

 

[asavage]

As a DIY-er, I might spend more than the value of my RAV4 EV, in order to increase it's range, but for "normal" people, buying a used Bolt/Mach-E/Kia/Hyundai/Volvo/Mini/etc. is going to be the sensible upgrade path, and most RAV4 EVs will be scrapped, as is the normal life-cycle of cars.

There isn't going to be a $10k battery upgrade to give the RAV4 EV a 200 mile range anytime soon, and if there were, damn few would pay that price.

 

[patricknicolello095@gmail]

I live in Williams az and i purchased a 2014 rav4 ev. I took it for a test drive before i bought it and even took to a blink charging station and charged it before i bought to make sure it charged ok . After I purchased i got it home and plug it into my 110 outlet and it gave me an error code saying not able to charge. I read on this forum that 90% of the time the 50 amp fuses blow . I bought 2 fuses specified on this forum and had it towed to the Toyota dealer in flagstaff az to see if they could install the fuses. The flagstaff Toyota informed me that they "were not electric car certified" in their service department and to try a Toyota in Phoenix that was certified ". Avondale Toyota said "they were certified and they had worked on the rave 4 ev in the past". I had it towed down to Avondale and the mechanic said the tesla code said the "big battery was bad like 6 other rav 4 ev's he worked on". I had it towed back up to flagstaff ater he charged me a diagnostic fee that said the battery was dead. I also have 2007 prius and the battery must have a few bad cells in it also that shows dead in the morning but after i drive it to work the charge is fine an i get over 40mpg. Can the 2014 Rav4 ev battery go from taking a charge one day to not taking any charge at all? Seems strange to go completely dead after charging up just fine days before? Any suggestions or ideas or mechanic's? Love my rav4ev

 

[asavage]

You're going to have to diagnose it yourself. There are really few places that can or are willing to work on this orphan.

Also, NO Toyota dealer will change those fuses. They'll only change the entire OBC -- they do not consider it a serviceable part -- and it must be diagnosed correctly before you do that. And Toyota cannot correctly diagnose this car most of the time. There are stories of people whose cars got replacement this, that, and the other thing, in a scattershot approach, at the dealer, when trying to get their car fixed.

Please start a new thread on this forum for your car, and we'll try to help, if you want to fix it.

 

[hokiematt]

I live in Williams az and i purchased a 2014 rav4 ev....

The first step should be trying a different charging station; your 110V cord may be dead. Plugshare.com shows three publicly available stations in Williams: the Hampton Inn, the Holiday Inn Express, and the Grand Canyon Railway hotel.

As Al mentioned, if you continue to experience problems, please start a fresh thread relevant to your situation.

 

[JDP]

As a DIY-er, I might spend more than the value of my RAV4 EV, in order to increase it's range, but for "normal" people, buying a used Bolt/Mach-E/Kia/Hyundai/Volvo/Mini/etc. is going to be the sensible upgrade path, and most RAV4 EVs will be scrapped, as is the normal life-cycle of cars.

There isn't going to be a $10k battery upgrade to give the RAV4 EV a 200 mile range anytime soon, and if there were, damn few would pay that price.

Do you know of any dealers participating in the used EV tax credit program for these cars?

 

[asavage]

Do you know of any dealers participating in the used EV tax credit program for these cars?

Not my wheelhouse, as I've never purchased a new car, and never a used car from a dealership.

You may want to edit your profile here at myrav4ev.com to include your location, or at least your state. This can get you better/more-tailored advice that's location based, faster.