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Questions about new RAV4 Prime!

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rosiegirl

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2021 RAV4 Prime SE
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Discussion starter · #1 ·
Hi all,

Very happy to find this forum! We finally purchased the RAV4 Prime (SE) this week after passing up on a few over MSRP. We are totally new to the EV world (the other car is a Prius V with 115K on it) so I have a few questions.

Background: we had an electrician install a 240 wall outlet (excuse my poor terminology) and I just installed the JuiceBox 40 (which just fits on my garage wall and doesn't hit the car when I pull it out). We are mostly doing local driving so on a normal weekday we're not going over the 37 or so miles. So far, in a week we've been 100% electric.

Questions:

1. Should I be charging the car every time I'm home (should it be plugged in every time I'm not driving)? Is there a such thing as letting the battery run down to 0 or not charging if it's almost full?

2. We're only getting about 35 miles on a charge...is it supposed to 42? I know when we first got the Prius we had to sort of build up to more mpg with good driving?

3. Any settings I should change from the defaults? I changed the key/door setting and the trunk height (after it hit the ceiling bracket on day 1) but there are so many other choices and I haven't had time to read the entire manual yet!

4. I know with my Prius, it was recommended that if I was stopping somewhere for a few minutes that it was more efficient to keep the car on than to turn it off and back on. Is there similar advice for the RAV4? If I'm just using the electric engine, do I leave it on if I'm stopping for a few minutes or turn it off and back on?


Thanks so much!
 
#2 ·
1. My commute is long so I charge it 100% every night. On the weekends I’ll typically only plug it in when I’m getting close to 0% or if I know I’ll need some more. Shouldn’t have to worry too much though.

2. After a few cycles it’ll adjust the distance to empty based on your driving. If it’s cold and you drive fast you’ll get a lower number.

3. I prefer to have the charger always be unlocked, this setting is on the gauge cluster

4. shouldn’t be an issue to turn it on and off, if I’m in the car I leave it on
 
#3 ·
welcome!
Re: #2, I don't know where you live, but I'm getting the same 35 miles as you in NY where the temps when I drive are upper 20's to low 30's. Cold weather impacts miles per khw. I also preheat the car before I drive using the schedule feature.

Re #3, settings are a personal matter. I can't think of anything offhand that you should change, but you can play around with them, for example, the minimum distance you wish to keep to the car in front of you when on autopilot.
With con edison's time of use rates much lower from 12-8, I set the charging to only happen in those hours and you may wish to look into it as well with your electricity supply company.
 
#4 · (Edited)
Congrats on your new purchase!
#1. Charging after every outing is up to you and depends on how many EV miles you use compared to what you think you’ll need on your next outing. You’ll probably get many opinions about battery degradation, and when to charge/not to charge, but personally I don’t hold onto vehicles longer than 4 or 5 years and since the battery has a 10 warranty, this is something I just don’t pay much attention to. I charge whenever I think I need to.
#2. Your EV mileage is dependent on your driving habits. I think I’m now up to 47 EV miles, but that can drop if I drive aggressively.
#3. Probably one of the most important settings is your charge schedule. Check with your utility company and ask if they offer time of day rebates as well as any other EV rebates. Also, don’t forget to download the Toyota app for remote access to charging, maintenance info, manuals, etc.
#4. Leaving the car in EV mode while parked for a few minutes is fine. I assume you’re still in the car as I believe it will signal you with beeps and then shut off if you walk too far away with the fob. Edit/Correction: The hybrid system has an auto-shut off feature that will turn the system off if left on, while in park, for approximately one hour.

Enjoy!
 
#6 ·
We plug in our RAV4 Prime almost every night, even just to "top off" when the computer states that the electric range is > 30 miles. We like driving in all-electric (much more enjoyable than driving with the ICE on) and we want to keep from going to gas stations as much as possible (thus, our ICE comes on only once or twice a week, on average, in daily local driving). Again, not worried at all about battery degradation by charging every night; Toyota knows how to keep degradation to a minimum with daily charging.
 
#7 ·
For those considering buying the Prime the Feb. 21 issue of Consumer Reports has a test report. Their opinion of it is positive, giving it a rating of 79 which comparatively is rather good. They also tested the Venza and rated it at 78,
 
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#8 ·
It's better to let Lithium batteries sit in a partially empty, rather than full state. That being said, a partially full battery won't always get you where you need to go, so use the charge scheduling feature as much as you can if you want to both A) prolong the amount of charge the battery can hold over the life of owning the car, and B) always have enough charge to get where you need/want to go. The battery warranty does NOT cover mileage degradation, as others have eluded to here.

Overall, there are some specific steps the user manual outlines to prolong the life of the battery, do those when you can and don't sweat it too much otherwise.
 
#9 ·
CyprusCorner said:
It's better to let Lithium batteries sit in a partially empty, rather than full state. That being said, a partially full battery won't always get you where you need to go, so use the charge scheduling feature as much as you can if you want to both A) prolong the amount of charge the battery can hold over the life of owning the car, and B) always have enough charge to get where you need/want to go. The battery warranty does NOT cover mileage degradation, as others have eluded to here.

Overall, there are some specific steps the user manual outlines to prolong the life of the battery, do those when you can and don't sweat it too much otherwise.
Click to expand...
All EV makers (nowadays at least) set their battery pack to not ever be totally full, so you don't have to worry about it being "too full".
 
#10 ·
We in the Volt community have a motto known as "ABC" or "always be charging" because the Volt actually uses power from the charging cable to heat and cool the battery while it's plugged in, even once it's done charging. The Prime does the same (as long as it's not disabled in the car settings), so leaving the car plugged in when it's not in use actually has a specific benefit. Lithium batteries are most stable around ~70 *F, so if it's hotter or colder than that in terms of ambient temperature, the car will use a little bit of electricity to keep the battery at its happy temperature. PHEVs almost never charge their battery to 100%; I believe the Prime only goes up to 90%. I personally think there's a greater benefit to keeping it plugged in than there would be from letting it sit partially charged but potentially at a temperature that's too hot or cold.
 
#11 ·
Arcanox said:
We in the Volt community have a motto known as "ABC" or "always be charging" because the Volt actually uses power from the charging cable to heat and cool the battery while it's plugged in, even once it's done charging. The Prime does the same (as long as it's not disabled in the car settings), so leaving the car plugged in when it's not in use actually has a specific benefit. Lithium batteries are most stable around ~70 *F, so if it's hotter or colder than that in terms of ambient temperature, the car will use a little bit of electricity to keep the battery at its happy temperature. PHEVs almost never charge their battery to 100%; I believe the Prime only goes up to 90%. I personally think there's a greater benefit to keeping it plugged in than there would be from letting it sit partially charged but potentially at a temperature that's too hot or cold.
Click to expand...
The greater benefit of keeping it plugged in might just include keeping the 12V maintained.
 
#12 ·
Finally able to purchase RAV4 Prime XSE premium. Do we get audio/stereo security code with the purchase. My old cars came with a security code that is used when the battery is completely dead and we jump the battery, audio systems come up but in order to use it we need to enter a security code. I think around 4 -5 digit code. Do we get similar code for the Prime too?

I did not get the code with the purchase. So wanted to check with every one else who bought the prime.

Thanks
 
#13 ·
No audio/stereo codes for any of our Toyota Hybrids.

I accidentally ran my 12v battery down in my R4Prime x2. Both times because I forgot to unplug my ScanGaugeII from the OBD port, and then after battery pack jump-start, used the ScanGauge II to clear code that was prompting “Check Engine. Visit your dealer” continuous pop-up message. No issues with audio/stereo issues to report.

Now to send in my ScanGuage II to get R4Prime firmware.
 
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#14 ·
Chazz8 said:
No audio/stereo codes for any of our Toyota Hybrids.

I accidentally ran my 12v battery down in my R4Prime x2. Both times because I forgot to unplug my ScanGaugeII from the OBD port, and then after battery pack jump-start, used the ScanGauge II to clear code that was prompting “Check Engine. Visit your dealer” continuous pop-up message. No issues with audio/stereo issues to report.

Now to send in my ScanGuage II to get R4Prime firmware.
Click to expand...
Thank you for confirming.
 
#15 ·
jupiterking said:
1. My commute is long so I charge it 100% every night. On the weekends I’ll typically only plug it in when I’m getting close to 0% or if I know I’ll need some more. Shouldn’t have to worry too much though.

2. After a few cycles it’ll adjust the distance to empty based on your driving. If it’s cold and you drive fast you’ll get a lower number.

3. I prefer to have the charger always be unlocked, this setting is on the gauge cluster

4. shouldn’t be an issue to turn it on and off, if I’m in the car I leave it on
Click to expand...
Have you tried the EV hold button. I'm wondering if that will allow charge the battery for driving just on battery. My thought is, if you're going up a long hill, that the engine will charge the battery. BUT, not sure if the car would perform full hybrid function.
 
#16 ·
rosiegirl said:
Thanks everyone! This is so helpful!
Click to expand...
Guess the engine can charge the battery, too .Has anyone tried using the EV hold button. I'm wondering if that will increase charge the battery for driving just on battery. My thought is, if you're going up a long hill, that the engine will charge the battery. BUT, not sure if the car would perform full hybrid function.
 
#17 ·
The hold button will run the engine harder and use the extra energy to charge the EV battery. On flat ground you will gain 1 mile of EV range for every 2 or 3 miles of travel IIRC. I haven't tried it but I wouldn't be surprised if the car reduced charging while going up a hill in hold mode. The programming might determine that no 'extra' energy is available and stop charging until the terrain levels out again. Or not.....that's pure conjecture.

Hold will stop charging when the EV battery hits 80% otherwise you can use it charge the battery while you're driving if you have a reason to do so. If the hold button is off, the HV should keep the EV battery at whatever charge level it started at.
 
#18 ·
JetStream said:
The hold button will run the engine harder and use the extra energy to charge the EV battery. On flat ground you will gain 1 mile of EV range for every 2 or 3 miles of travel IIRC. I haven't tried it but I wouldn't be surprised if the car reduced charging while going up a hill in hold mode. The programming might determine that no 'extra' energy is available and stop charging until the terrain levels out again. Or not.....that's pure conjecture.

Hold will stop charging when the EV battery hits 80% otherwise you can use it charge the battery while you're driving if you have a reason to do so. If the hold button is off, the HV should keep the EV battery at whatever charge level it started at.
Click to expand...
ok thanks. If I was going downhill instead, on hold mode, I guess some of the motion energy would charge battery. Engine wouldn't be running, unless I was on a flat road.
 
#19 ·
Nitpicky clarification, but warranted, I feel:
The button isn't "hold" or "charge-hold". "Hold" is written on the button b/c to enter charge mode, you must hold down the button for a few seconds, not a simple press. Holding down the EV/HV CHG button, activates Charge mode. It isn't charge-hold mode or hold mode.

The hold button is next to the parking brake and is for holding the vehicle at a long stop with your foot not on the brake.
 
#20 ·
Read the manual. A lot of the information on this subject is there for you. Enjoy the read.
You will not understand it the first time, so a re-visit will be needed. My rav4pp is nine months old, and I was in the book this morning. For what it's worth.
 
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