PV1
Well-known member
I went to an EV gathering yesterday. The local Electric Garage was having an open house celebrating the installation of a Tesla High Power Wall Connector (HPWC). So, I met my buddy and we rode up in the i-MiEV (only i-MiEV there). Talking to a professor from the university that owns the garage, he owns one of the original RAV4-EVs. He let's my friend take it for a test drive and I got to ride along. It seems to have a bit more pickup than the i-MiEV, probably due to not having the low-speed ramp up. It rode well, was very quiet, lots of room. He was looking to buy a LEAF, but now he's thinking to get the RAV. We know another guy that has 3 of them, and is looking to get a 4th. His regular driver has 156,000 miles on it with no signs of the NiMH batteries wearing out.
The only downsides for my friend getting a RAV instead of a LEAF are that the RAV is a 12 year old car and to use any charging infrastructure, he has to pack the charger in the car (the good ol' MagneCharge).
The only downsides for my friend getting a RAV instead of a LEAF are that the RAV is a 12 year old car and to use any charging infrastructure, he has to pack the charger in the car (the good ol' MagneCharge).
