Drive units from model s?

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Aries

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 8, 2013
Messages
49
I understand that the drive units in model s and our rav are the same(-ish). I'm interested to know if anyone here knows if they are interchangeable and to what extent - i.e. Could one swap the whole drive unit? Or, if not, what differs and can parts from it be swapped (inverter boards? Gearing, etc).

My thinking is about a future where warranties are expired and rav4ev specific parts may become hard to come by or so costly as to become unobtanium. If these Model S components are interchangeable this would seem ideal source of parts in such a future...
 
From a MNL post the RAV4 and Mercedes B have a parking pawl that the Tesla lacks.
 
Aries said:
I understand that the drive units in model s and our rav are the same(-ish). I'm interested to know if anyone here knows if they are interchangeable and to what extent - i.e. Could one swap the whole drive unit? Or, if not, what differs and can parts from it be swapped (inverter boards? Gearing, etc).

My thinking is about a future where warranties are expired and rav4ev specific parts may become hard to come by or so costly as to become unobtanium. If these Model S components are interchangeable this would seem ideal source of parts in such a future...
canbus messages are different between tesla and tesla sourced units (rav4ev, mercedes model b)
not 1:1 exchangeable at all
 
Is the canbus information generated by the motor assembly? I would think it is the gateway or other device. I imagine I could take a model S motor, swap it to a Rav4 casting with the parking pawl (and associated parts), and install it in the Rav and it would fit and perform. Only one way to find out.

If I didn't swap the casting and installed the model S motor directly without the parking pawl, leaving the pawl plug disconnected (is the pawl electric solenoid controlled?), can I find an override for the communication signal back to the gateway? I'm thinking yes. Are all the other model S motor connections interchangeable? - no idea.

Is any of this a good idea? That's a different question. I wonder what the difference between a model S parking brake system (no pawl) and the Rav 4 is? I know the Rav hand brake is pretty weak.
 
dstjohn99 said:
Is the canbus information generated by the motor assembly? I would think it is the gateway or other device. I imagine I could take a model S motor, swap it to a Rav4 casting with the parking pawl (and associated parts), and install it in the Rav and it would fit and perform. Only one way to find out.

If I didn't swap the casting and installed the model S motor directly without the parking pawl, leaving the pawl plug disconnected (is the pawl electric solenoid controlled?), can I find an override for the communication signal back to the gateway? I'm thinking yes. Are all the other model S motor connections interchangeable? - no idea.

Is any of this a good idea? That's a different question. I wonder what the difference between a model S parking brake system (no pawl) and the Rav 4 is? I know the Rav hand brake is pretty weak.

Indeed these are the exact sort of things I was wondering. And the "gateway" ecu similarly is what I would have thought.

as for parts.. The idea isn't to buy them from tesla.. It's to buy them from one of the zillion wrecked cars that are sure to exist.

Similarly I wonder about refurbing the battery back.. If "modules" could be recovered from Teslas and used to rebuild " expired" rav packs.
 
Unlike the Model S Large Rear DU, where the motor & inverter are aft of the axles, on the RAV4 EV the motor & inverter are forward of the axles.

I wonder about the internal lubrication pump on these, as the RAV4's DU runs "backwards" to go forward, compared to the same unit in a Model S.

Model S drivetrains layouts:

tesla-motor-versions-jpg.121621



RAV4 EV:

RAV_Front_End_Damage_r.jpg
1612224870514-png.121620
 
They differ in the direction of cutting of the helical teeth on the gears.
http://alflash.com.ua/2019/to_rav4ev/tesla_vs_rav_tr.jpg
 
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