RAV4-EV 146,000 Miles and Still Going

Max Dunn — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 08:33:00 -0700

RAV4-EV owners have a very high level of satisfaction with their electric cars. In particular, they pleased that their RAV4-EV NiMH batteries are still going strong past 100,000 miles and are only showing signs of slowing down when they start approaching 150,000 miles. As Avi Shai reported on the RAV4-EV mailing list:

Mine is at 146,037 miles. It sure is showing signs of advanced age.
The maximum SOC I see, after full charging, is around 92%. The volt meter movement is almost directly coupled to the accelerator paddle. Even moderate acceleration causes the needle to deep precipitously close to the yellow range. Going uphill is a risky business and I try to stay in the right lane and go slow (60-65 mph) otherwise I get a visit from the turtle.
The car still fatefully does the job it was intended to, and it takes me through my 90+ miles daily commute with no problem (charging at both ends).

So even though Avi’s batteries are definitely worn down, they still get him to work and back, which is a commute of over 90 miles. And this is on battery technology that is over 10 years old. With real-world experience like this, who can still say that battery technology isn’t ready yet to support electric vehicles?

Eschew Obfuscation: RAV4-EV 146,000 Miles and Still Going

RAV4-EV 146,000 Miles and Still Going