The first RAV4 EV came out for fleet sales in California in 1997, with small numbers of units sold individually to customers in 2003.
After nine years away from the
American car market, the new Toyota RAV4 EV electric SUV is making a
relatively unremarkable return back. It is based off of the current
generation RAV4 with electric car components from Tesla.
The electric motor spins out 154 horsepower and a whopping 273 pounds feet of torque. It propels the forward through a single speed transmission.
One thing that's amusing about the RAV4 is that it has a Normal mode and, get this, a Sport mode. While the Sport mode doesn't stiffen the suspension or tighten the steering, it is the key to the 273 pounds feet of torque and 100 miles per hour. The Normal mode chops torque to 218 pounds feet and it lowers top speed to 85 miles per hour. Sport mode also drops estimates acceleration times from 0 to 60 miles per hour from 8.6 seconds in Normal to 7 seconds. Compare that to the V-6 4WD model that whizzes to sixty in 6.3 seconds. Do keep in mind that the RAV4 EV is about 40 pounds heavier than the previously mentioned V-6 4WD model.
To make the .30 coefficient of drag, Toyota stuck on a larger spoiler, a smoothed bumper and a covered grille. LED accent lighting, black headlamp bezels, blue badging and clear, smoked tail lamps further set apart the EV from its gasoline counterparts.
The interior gets piano black trim and an EV specific 8 inch touchscreen. What's nice is that the battery pack doesn't minimize cabin volume, so there is still a 73 cubic feet cargo hold with the seats folded down. Surprisingly, the underfloor storage bin is as large and present as ever.
On a full charge, Toyota says the RAV4 will go about 100 miles with its 42 kWh lithium ion batteries. Toyota only stated that it will take roughly 6 hours to fully charge a depleted battery with a 240-volt outlet.
The new RAV4 EV will only be available in the Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego areas, but if it becomes a hit, Toyota might reconsider selling it to other parts of the country as well. It will demand $50610 when it goes on sale this summer. A $7500 federal tax credit is expected, but the starting price for the EV is more than twice the amount a base gasoline RAV4 would cost.
The electric motor spins out 154 horsepower and a whopping 273 pounds feet of torque. It propels the forward through a single speed transmission.
One thing that's amusing about the RAV4 is that it has a Normal mode and, get this, a Sport mode. While the Sport mode doesn't stiffen the suspension or tighten the steering, it is the key to the 273 pounds feet of torque and 100 miles per hour. The Normal mode chops torque to 218 pounds feet and it lowers top speed to 85 miles per hour. Sport mode also drops estimates acceleration times from 0 to 60 miles per hour from 8.6 seconds in Normal to 7 seconds. Compare that to the V-6 4WD model that whizzes to sixty in 6.3 seconds. Do keep in mind that the RAV4 EV is about 40 pounds heavier than the previously mentioned V-6 4WD model.
To make the .30 coefficient of drag, Toyota stuck on a larger spoiler, a smoothed bumper and a covered grille. LED accent lighting, black headlamp bezels, blue badging and clear, smoked tail lamps further set apart the EV from its gasoline counterparts.
The interior gets piano black trim and an EV specific 8 inch touchscreen. What's nice is that the battery pack doesn't minimize cabin volume, so there is still a 73 cubic feet cargo hold with the seats folded down. Surprisingly, the underfloor storage bin is as large and present as ever.On a full charge, Toyota says the RAV4 will go about 100 miles with its 42 kWh lithium ion batteries. Toyota only stated that it will take roughly 6 hours to fully charge a depleted battery with a 240-volt outlet.
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