Tag Archives: DC charging

Repost: Winter Snow Adventures in a 2012 Toyota Rav4 EV 

January 2016. Sierra Nevadas, California.

This article was originally posted on the Transport Evolved website in January 2016.

We live in California’s Central Valley about 100 miles from beautiful spots in the Sierra Nevadas, and we try to get up there as often as possible. Our town sits just above sea level, so traveling to the Sierras involves a climb of 7000 feet. This could be a problem for EVs that have 80-100 miles of range and no options for rapid DC charging, especially in the winter.

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CHAdeMO Charging the Model 3 

July 2019. California

Last night I received the 2019.24.4 software update for our Model 3. So this morning I tested Tesla’s CHAdeMO adapter to determine the rate of charge, and see how many miles I’d get and how long it would take to charge from a given SOC. Summary: 45 minutes gave me 139 miles of rated range and cost $8.69. Tesla’s CHAdeMO adapter is easy to use and provides more charging options for the Model 3.

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Summer EV Road Trips: Tesla Model 3 Edition 

July 2018. California and Nevada.

Since getting our first electric car 5 years ago we’ve taken our EV on summer road trips. Last week we took our first road trip in our Model 3. How was it? We saw some great sites, interesting history, and beautiful vistas. Continue reading →

EV Charging Primer – U.S. Edition

In one respect charging an electric car is no different than filling a gas tank: it’s all about storing energy in the car to power its motor. We use electricity every day to power and charge all kinds of devices: phones, computers, shavers, televisions etc. But driving an electric powered car is still a new idea for many people so it helps to be familiar with the terms you’ll be using. Continue reading →

2012 Rav4 EV, 5 Year Report: A Tale of Two Cars 

April 2018. Northern California.

This is a perspective from one driver to provide an example for how the Rav4 EV has been used for daily life, and in particular how DC charging allows you to use an EV for trips that take you beyond the range of your battery pack. 

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Life with the Rav4 EV, in Pictures 

December 2018

This post is short on words, long on pictures to give you an idea of what it’s been like for us to live with the all electric Rav4 EV for the past 5+ years, and how an electric car may fit into your life. I initially posted these pics in June 2016, and updated the post in November 2018 to add some pics and a couple thoughts as more affordable, longer range electric cars are showing up on the roads. Continue reading →