RAV4 EV: Exceeding Expectations

By Bill Moore

Smith replied that there are several important factors preventing this: the cost of nickel has skyrocketed since the inception of the program. Also, the industry has moved beyond that chemistry to a simpler, more powerful technology. What it needs now is more energy density and power, as well as light weight and low costs, and that means lithium ion.

Both Toyota and vehicle owners/lessees have learned from the RAV4 EV experience, Smith continued to explain. He cited the example of the more technically-savvy operators who found a way to tap into the vehicle's electronics so they could better monitor vehicle and battery performance, only to discover that their Palm Pilot software would "negate the battery equalization circuit". Toyota engineers found a way to solve this issue.

He added that they also learned that when an inverter failed, they didn't need to throw the entire unit away, which would be very expensive. Instead, they discovered that certain, relatively-inexpensive components in the inverter were failing. These were easily replaced with more reliable units and the inverters could be put back in service.

Of the 880-odd vehicles that have been removed from service, some -- Smith didn't specify the exact number -- are being warehoused for their parts in order to keep the remaining vehicles on the road as long as possible. Many of them have been "recycled." Some have been refurbished and loaned to various charitable organizations. [EV World was instrumental in arranging for the Monterey Aquarium to acquire one of these vehicles].

Smith stated that Toyota has both a legal and a moral obligation to support the vehicles, but at some point when battery packs begin to seriously degrade and fail, it will no longer be able to service them, mainly because the batteries in them aren't made anymore.

On the question of what has been the average service life of the RAV4 EVs that have been retired, Smith said it varies wildly from private owners who pamper their electric cars, which look and operate like brand new at 50,000 miles, to the meter reader vehicles that are pretty "tired" at 50,000.

Could owners build their own replacement battery packs out of off-the-shelf lithium ion cells, we asked? Smith replied that while such ingenuity wouldn't surprise him, he did note that the electronic management of lithium is completely different from that of NiMH, so it would be a daunting engineering challenge to overcome that barrier.

In terms of servicing the vehicles, at one point Toyota had 26 dealerships that were certified to repair the RAV4 EV, most in California, but several in other states where it also had small fleets. That number is now down to nine, Smith noted. Of the 620 vehicles still in operation, 80% of them are now outside the warranty period. However, Toyota is mindful of the situation and does its best to help the dealership and customer get the vehicle back on the road as expeditiously as possible.

Is there a successor to the RAV4 EV somewhere in the future, we asked?

John Hanson with Toyota's corporate communications office interjected that because of California's re-emphasis on the importance of electric cars at this Spring's Air Resources Board meeting, all manufacturers -- including Toyota -- are reappraising the potential re-introduction of battery electric cars (BEVs).