New owner with charging questions.

[blattys]

Just purchased a 2012 white Rav4 EV & was quite dismayed to find that the supplied charging cable did not include an adapter for a 240v wall plug -which we are about to have installed. We were not thinking of going the route of installing a full charging station - just a 240 v outlet. Not sure what the difference really is between the 2. Also we have been diligent about charging at night (on the 120v outlet at home) & at charging stations at work ONLY to find out that the full charge readout never displays anything higher than " fully charged with 86 mile range ". Any thoughts or comments on these issues would be helpful.
Thanks.
slightly confused in south pasadena.

 

[TonyWilliams]

Just purchased a 2012 white Rav4 EV & was quite dismayed to find that the supplied charging cable did not include an adapter for a 240v wall plug -which we are about to have installed. We were not thinking of going the route of installing a full charging station - just a 240 v outlet. Not sure what the difference really is between the 2. Also we have been diligent about charging at night (on the 120v outlet at home) & at charging stations at work ONLY to find out that the full charge readout never displays anything higher than " fully charged with 86 mile range ". Any thoughts or comments on these issues would be helpful.
Thanks.
slightly confused in south pasadena.

There are lots of options. First, get a 50 amp NEMA 14-50R in your garage, and you'll be ready for just about anything. Also, with a 14-50P on your portable EVSE, you'll be able to plug into thousands of RV parks.

1. Have your portable Panasonic EVSE (that comes with the Rav4 and Prius) modified to 240v at http://www.EVSEupgrade.com. It will still be 12 amps. You can get a 14-50 to L6-20 pigtail adapter from http://www.EVSEadapters.com. About $350.

2. Buy a 2013 (2011-2012 won't work) Nissan LEAF / Panasonic portable EVSE and have it modified by the same company for up to 16 (maybe higher) amps. Maybe $1000.

3. Buy the 40 amp Tesla Roadster portable EVSE "UMC" ($1500) and modify the end for J1772 ($200).

4. Buy the 40 amp Tesla Model S portable EVSE "MC" ($500... Out of stock... Need existing Model S owner to get that price for you). Then, modify the end for J1772 ($200).

5. Build your own OpenEVSE anyway you want ($500-$600)

6. Buy another portable unit from numerous vendors.

 

[shikataganai]

With regard to the 86 mile "full charge" note that the vehicle charges to 80% SOC by default, and 86 miles is about right for 80% SOC.

You have to manually pick "extended range" mode (I don't know the exact wording) to charge to 100% SOC if that's what you want for your next journey.

 

[Dsinned]

CONGRATS! The RAV4 EV is a great car!

Even after a "standard" (80% SoC) charge, you will be able to easily get 100+ miles of maximum range, if you improve your driving efficiency to about 3.0mi/kWh or better. There is a center console readout of past driving history showing the AVERAGE efficiency when you select "EV" from the infotainment apps menu. Whenever your AVERAGE gets to "3.0" or greater, and you complete a (std) recharge, you should then see 100+ miles displayed on your range gauge the next time you drive.

However, there is no free lunch with electrified cars and they are all the same with respect to maximum range potential! If you are heavy on the electric drivetrain throttle, or use your climate controls a lot, especially at high heat or cooling rates, your driving efficiency goes down significantly.

On the other hand, if you drive ego-friendly, i.e. conservatively, achieving an efficiency of well over 3.0mi/kWh is entirely doable. If you don't, expect that to drop to 2.5 or less, and even after a so-called "extended" range charge, you will barely get to a 100 miles of range.

Have FUN! :mrgreen:

 

[edmc]

I've had my Rav4 EV for about a month... and can relate to the variation in reported miles-to-empty following "full" (80% or 100%/extended). The Rav seems to apply a "most recent efficiency" to the calculation. I live up a hill (about 200' vertical) so my reported range following full charge at home can be somewhat less than I ultimately receive. I've experimented with "racing" up the hill and, sure enough, found the morning readout to be somewhat lower than when I try and conserve energy up that hill. I've wondered what I could get the number to read if I was able to coast into home. I'll be able to try that out soon once my employer finally turns on the ChargePoint L2 chargers they just installed.

While I concur on the advice of installing a plug (receptacle) at home, I'm not so sure I'd recommend the 14-50. Several of the EVSE's come with (alas very short) 6-50 plugs... so that is what I installed at home.

Word of caution 1: wait until you have the exact location of the EVSE mounting picked out (e.g. make sure there is a stud where you want it) before having the plug installed. The aforementioned short lead (mine was only 1' and a very stiff 1' at that) and it would have been helpful to be able to place that plug better once I determined where I had to mount the EVSE. Most of the plug adorned EVSEs (many don't have one btw) come with a convenient paper template you simply tape to your wall and drill.

Word of caution 2: as the Rav4 EV leveraged the gas filler door on the left rear quarter panel, a typical short EVSE cable (16') may be a challenge in the reach department. In my garage, the EVSE is mounted on the wall in front of the two cars... and I park on the left. That means a very long reach across to the left side of the Rav and all the way to the back. I get about 1' of slack (cord resting on the floor) if I park in the optimal position... and that's with a 25' cable from the EVSE...

 

[TonyWilliams]

My recommendation for a 14-50 receptacle was specifically for a PORTABLE EVSE. Everything I listed was portable (when the post sugested they didn't want a permanent wall mount).

It will be far more difficult to find a 6-50 receptacle "in the wild" than a 14-50, therefore, again, I recommend the 14-50 for any portable EVSE that can accept 208/240 volts.

 

[doug401]

2. Buy a 2013 (2011-2012 won't work) Nissan LEAF / Panasonic portable EVSE and have it modified by the same company for up to 16 (maybe higher) amps. Maybe $1000.

So my 2011 Leaf EVSE, modded by EVSEupgrade to 16 A, will not work on the RAV 4?

Never mind... I found the answer in a different post. Bummer

 

[SeattleRav4]

This is certainly an area that requires a lot of research for a new owner with a big learning curve. As usual it depends on how you plan to use the Rav4.
If you need the fastest recharge times at home, the easiest approach is to buy either a new Levition 40 amp or a refurbished Clipper Creek 40 amp capable unit and install a 6-50 receptacle with 50 amp service. I went with the Levition becasue there were no Clipper Creeks around when I bought. I am satisfied with the good performance of the Leviton.

But
You also need a portable solution. The 110v Panasonic that comes with the Rav4 is simply useless for on the road. It actually works well at home if you do not have too long a commute.
If I had known then what I know now, I would have installed a 14-50 plug and purchased one of the following:
1) DIY EVSE - http://code.google.com/p/open-evse/wiki/EVSE_LORDSn1per
2) LCS- 25 - http://stores.intuitwebsites.com/Clippe ... gories.bok
3) Refurbished CS-40 - http://stores.intuitwebsites.com/Clippe ... Detail.bok
4) The adapted Tesla EVSE if I can find one.
Each are about $500.
The best would be a 30 amp unit that is a light as possible. 30 amps will charge plenty quickly for overnight at home or on the road.
The 40 amp EVSEs are around $1500 and you still need a portable EVSE. Depending on your needs, you can have one unit that works for both for about $600.

 

[boredcleaner]

Bosch is looking to make a low-cost entrance into the EVSE market: http://www.greencarcongress.com/2013/05/bosch-20130508.html

For those of us with schedule charging issues, the Bosch units don't appear to have a timer function integrated. No real prices given, but the <$450 is likely to be a 16A unit.

...wishing I'd built an OpenEVSE box...

 

[TonyWilliams]

Bosch is looking to make a low-cost entrance into the EVSE market: http://www.greencarcongress.com/2013/05/bosch-20130508.html

For those of us with schedule charging issues, the Bosch units don't appear to have a timer function integrated. No real prices given, but the <$450 is likely to be a 16A unit.

...wishing I'd built an OpenEVSE box...

Well, you can build an OpenEVSE anytime. Sell whatever you have, or save it for the next EV.

It looks like the Bosch "starting price point of less than $450. The Power Max, which offers Level 2 240V charging in 16 or 30 amp models".

I expect the 30 amp unit to be close to the price of a current one; $700 - $1000.

 

[TonyWilliams]

4) The adapted Tesla EVSE if I can find one.
Each are about $500.
The best would be a 30 amp unit that is a light as possible. 30 amps will charge plenty quickly for overnight at home or on the road.
The 40 amp EVSEs are around $1500 and you still need a portable EVSE. Depending on your needs, you can have one unit that works for both for about $600.

The Tesla EVSE (both Roadster and Model S/X) is 40 amp, light and portable. It's as close as your nearest Tesla Service Center for about $550 with a NEMA 14-50 (RV park plug).

You'd need to buy a J1772 plug, which are less than $200 from www.TucsonEV.com.

Then, you need some basic tools and basic wiring skills to put the two together.

Click here for a thread devoted to modifying the Model S EVSE to J1772.