Toyota Rav4 EV Posts

Below you’ll find links to posts about some of our experiences with our 2012 Toyota Rav4 EV.

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Selling our Rav4 EV

After 7+ years we sold our Rav4 EV to a family who was buying their first EV. This short post recaps our time with the Rav and thoughts on selling an EV.

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To Monterey in an EV: Then and Now

Five years ago we drove to Monterey in our Rav4 EV. This year we took our Model Y. Short comparison piece (spoiler alert: we loved our Rav.)

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7 Years in our 2012 Rav4 EV

Our reliable 2012 Rav4 EV keeps on keeping on.

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80,000 miles in our 2012 Rav4 EV

We crossed 80,000 miles in our 2012 Rav4 EV today Still loving this car.

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

Driving along Route 1 north of Santa Cruz.

This post reviews how we used our Rav4 EV for the first 2½ years of ownership when we charged solely using L2 charging stations, versus the second 2½ years after we installed Quick Charge Power’s JdeMO (a CHAdeMO DC charging port) and rapid DC charging became an option. Check out the post here:

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50,000 Miles in my Rav4 EV

Visiting the Sutter Buttes.

After we passed the 50,000 mile mark in our electric car, a 2012 Toyota Rav4 EV, I thought I’d take the opportunity to share: 1) data on mileage, electricity use, efficiency, cost to drive; 2) a few of the things I’ve learned from driving an electric car; 3) highlights from driving electric; and 4) a few opinions on driving electric. Read More Here.

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Adding a DC Charging Port to the 2012 Rav4 EV

Tony Williams at work installing the JdeMO DC charge port on my Rav4 EV.

In September 2015 Quick Charge Power installed their CHAdeMO DC charging port on my 2012 Toyota Rav4 EV. Best money I ever spent.

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Three Year Review: The 2012 Rav4 EV Keeps on Keepin’ on

Camping at Stillwater Cove.

This post at Transport Evolved commemorated 3 years of ownership. Read on!

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Life with the Rav4 EV, in Pictures

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 a series of pics in June 2016, and have continued adding more from time to time.

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Travelogue: A DC Road Trip to Monterey

Visiting the Carmel Mission near Monterey.

In 2016 we drove our 2012 Rav4 EV, equipped with JdeMO, on a 400 mile road trip to Monterey.  (This post was also published at InsideEVs.com, you can read it here). At the time this was the longest family road trip we had taken with the Rav4 EV, and I used the opportunity to test CHAdeMO DC charging stations we passed along the way to charge the Rav’s pack and test how well the network functioned. Read all about it here:

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Camping Trips in the Rav4 EV

The Rav4 EV seats 5 and has a large storage compartment behind the rear seats that can store everything you’ll need for a weekend camping trip. I’ve written two posts about camping with the Rav: One describes our first camping trip over 6 years ago, and the second post describes more of our camping adventures in Rav4 EV.

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One Year Review: The 2012 Toyota Rav4 EV

Driving through Yolo County wetlands.

I bought a new 2012 Rav4 EV in May 2013.  After driving the car for one year I wrote a three part review of the car that was originally published by the good folks at Transport Evolved. I’ve re-posted that review here.

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Winter Adventures in the Rav4 EV

Skiing trip in the Sierra Nevadas.

In January 2016 we took our Rav4 EV on its first trip up into the Sierra Nevadas to find out how it would drive in the snow, and how altitude climbs in cold weather would affect driving range.  The Rav4 EV had good traction in deep snow, and the addition of the DC charging port allowed us to reach our destination in cold temperatures that reduce driving range. Read all about it here.

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The Toyota Rav4 EV Guess-O-Meter

The Range estimate, or Guess-O-Meter (GOM).

The 2012-2014 Toyota Rav4 EV range estimate (GOM) gives you a rough idea of how far you can drive. 
The estimate is influenced by your driving style, weather, and driving conditions of the past couple of days. The estimates can vary widely.

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