2013 Toyota RAV4 EV Driving Impression & Review !!!

Hello PriusChat Folks



I recently had the opportunity to take delivery of the All New 2013 Toyota Rav4 EV. I have done several test drives for Toyota to share with our PriusChat community including the Prius Performance Plus, Prius PHV, Prius v, and also the Prius c.

The Rav4 EV was my latest opportunity to review this fully Electric Toyota.

Toyota Site :

Toyota Rav4 EV 2013 | Electric Crossover SUV

As the owner of a 3rd Generation Prius, I am accustom to driving style of a Hybrid. And so because of this I was ecstatic to transfer my driving style and knowledge into the realm of a full Electric vehicle.

I did have only One Main Concern for this transition : Range Anxiety !!!

To help me with this concern, I was rest assured that the Toyota Entune Application would ease my anxiety !!!

And, in an effort to give a full and complete Test Drive Impression and Review as best as I could, I planned a trip from Los Angeles County (Torrance) to San Diego County (Downtown) ... roughly a 250 Mile Round Trip).

Please note that this is my First Test Drive Impression of Any type of a Full Electric Driven vehicle so my experiences may differ from any other party / individual.

Now onto my Story !!!

Arrival of the New 2013 Rav4 EV

Picked up at the Toyota Headquarters in Torrance, California.
The RAV4 EV was charged and ready to go !!!



Equipped with the Following Apps available for iPhone :



Used Primarily for Charging Locations & Information :
01. Toyota Entune - Toyota - Entune
02. PlugShare - PlugShare - EV Charging Station Map - Find the nearest location to charge your electric car!

Used Primarily for Charging Locations, Information, and Payment at Charging Sites:
03. Blink - Blink
04. Watt Station - GE WattStation Connect

Here's a Brief Summary of Each :

01. Toyota Entune



Interface

*Charge Management & Charge Station Map are the two features I used most*



Charge Management allows you to see the Current Charged Status of the EV.
It also allows you the ability to program the vehicle to be charged immediately upon Plug-in or at a precise schedule. This is a great feature as you are able to remotely monitor the status of charging while away from it.



The Charge Station Map is a convenient guide to help you locate charging stations in proximity to your location as well as the different types of Voltage available : Multiple (Level 1 & Level 2), Level 1 (120V), and Level 2 (240V).



For additional information on the Toyota Entune here is a YouTube video :

02. PlugShare

Charging Station Locations Map



What I found most convenient about this Application was the ability to check the availability of open charging stations for use or if they were currently occupied by another. Hours of availability was also a great feature of this Application.



For additional information on the PlugShare Application here is a YouTube video :

03. Blink



Charging Stations Map



You have the option to become a Blink Member or Guest.
Blink Members Save the Most - from $1 an hour to charge. As a guest, I paid $2 an hour to charge. A Blink code was provided to sync with this charging station.

Most major Credit Cards are accepted for payment.

For additional information on the Blink Application here is a YouTube video :

04. GE Watt Station



Charging Station Locations Map



A QR Code was provided to Sync with this Charging Station.

PayPal is the method of payment I used for this Application.

For additional information on the Watt Station Application here is a YouTube video :

My journey mapped from Torrance to San Diego.
(In reversal order from San Diego to Torrance) :

RAV4 EV Charged at Initial Pickup (Not at Full Charge) : 80 Miles
Torrance to Cerritos - 20 Miles
Cerritos to Irvine - 20 Miles
Irvine to San Diego - 85 Miles (A Minimum of 45 Miles to Recharge)
Travel Around and Within San Diego : 50 Miles
Total Round Trip Miles Mapped - 300 Miles

The Journey :

First Charge in Irvine (GE Watt Station)



Second Charge in San Diego (Blink Station)



Final Charge in Irvine (GE Watt Station)



The charging procedure at both the GE Watt and Blink stations were self explanatory. Once the Apps were sync were charging at the station in under 2 minutes.

Pictures from San Diego !!!

The Hilton San Diego Bayfront is where we stayed. There were charging stations located in the hotel's parking structure located on the 1st Level. This was definitely convenient during our stay there. The RAV4 EV was charging while we enjoyed the sites of the city.



After the great trip to San Diego it was time to further inspect the RAV4 EV !!!

What better way to inspect than a thorough Cleaning and Detail !!!



Exterior



EV Engine Bay



Interior








Instrument Cluster



Center Display Screen




Charging Equipment



In Conclusion :

Proper planning and mapping will helped to make this Test Drive Impression to be Successful !!!

In regards to the amount I spent on Electric Charging ??!! Of course, according to your personal driving style, the terrain, usage of the Air Conditioning, Weight Load, etc., ALL must be taken into consideration.

With everything considered :
**ESTIMATED**

EPA Rated Driving Range : 103 Miles
Travel To, From, and Within San Diego : ~300 Miles
Charging on a Level 2 - 240 Watt : ~6 Hours
Blink / Watt Station Price : $2.00/Hour

~3 Full Charges (Partials Included) @ ~6Hours = ~18 Hours
~18 Hours @ $2.00/Hour = ~$36 Dollars Spent Total to Operate !!!

With All factors considered for this size SUV we had plenty of Savings for this Trip !!!

I must say that my first impression of Mapping out a Trip with an EV for the first time was both exciting and stressful. However, provided with the Toyota Entune system and application, the supplementary applications (PlugShare, Blink, and Watt Station) have all help CURE ALL insecurities I had with the Range Anxiety !!!

Again, please keep in mind your individual results may vary. I am a first time EV Driver !!!

Overall, I was very pleased and satisfied with the RAV4 EV.



PLEASE NOTE :

In my opinion the RAV4 EV is a great Daily Driven Vehicle for your shorter Commute to and From Work or for Short Distance Driving rather than an extended trip such as mine. I wanted to test the ability for this Leisure Trip. With Charging Stations throughout the trip and proved it can be done (to reduce my Range Anxiety) but, you must also take into consideration your Charging Time required. Again, I would recommend this vehicle for a Daily Driven Vehicle for your shorter Commute to and from work or for Shorter Distance Driving.

For Any and All Questions you may have that are Beyond my Expertise regarding the All New 2013 Rav4 EV, please contact your Local Toyota Dealership or you may visit :

Toyota Rav4 EV 2013 | Electric Crossover SUV

On behalf of the PriusChat community I would like to thank to the great folks from Toyota Motor Corporation Headquarters for allowing me this opportunity !!!

Happy EV Driving Folks !!!



Rodney

 

Hello BEDROCK8X !!!

I would recommend the RAV4 EV for Shorter Distance Driving as in the case of a Daily Driven operated vehicle to and from work (around 40 Miles 1 Way).

I wanted to help face my Range Anxiety by taking the RAV4 EV on a Trip such as this. And so by doing this, it allowed me to Plan and Organize accordingly proving to myself it can be done !!!

Hope this helps !!!



Rodney

 

In addition to my previous comment ...

I definitely learned from this experience about the many ways to preserve and enhance EV efficiency. I think one of the best things I gained from this experience is that while the EV was charging during the day I was able to get more exercise walking in the City !!!

Hope this helps !!!



Rodney