Published May 7, 2012
By Philippe Crowe
Including an $810 destination charge, the sticker price will actually be $50,610. Tax incentives of $2,500 in California, and $7,500 federally will be available.
Details have been released today on the Rav4 EV. The all-electric SUV will come in one fully-equipped flavor, with an MSRP of $49,800.
This was revealed today by Toyota which showed the all-new Toyota RAV4 EV at the 26th annual Electric Vehicle Symposium in Los Angeles. The battery powered SUV has an expected driving range rating of approximately 100 miles and charging time of approximately six hours on a 240V/40A charger. According to Toyota, the RAV4 EV’s driving performance, dynamics and cargo capacity are equal to or exceed the gas powered RAV4 V6.
The RAV4 EV, to be built in Canada, will go on sale in late summer 2012 through select dealers, initially in four major California metropolitan markets including Sacramento, San Francisco Bay Area, Los Angeles/Orange County and San Diego. Sales volume is planned for approximately 2,600 units over the next three years. The battery warranty is 8 years or 100,000 miles.
The RAV4 EV combines a Tesla designed and produced battery and electric powertrain with Toyota’s most popular SUV model. The RAV4 EV’s battery pack is mounted low and to the center of the vehicle.
The front wheel drive RAV4 EV allows drivers to select from two distinctly different drive modes, Sport and Normal. In Sport mode, the vehicle reaches 0-60 mph in just 7.0 seconds and has a maximum speed of 100 mph. Normal mode achieves 0-60 mph in 8.6 seconds with a maximum speed of 85 mph. Maximum output from the electric powertrain is 154 horsepower (115 kilowatt) @ 2,800 rpm.
The front of the RAV4 EV has been modified to obtain a low 0.30 coefficient of drag. Compared with the gas powered RAV4, Toyota re-styled the front bumper, upper and lower grill, side mirrors, rear spoiler, and under body design to maximize air flow around the vehicle.
Inside, a six-way adjustable driver’s seat includes variable front seat heaters, which extends heater coverage to the occupant’s upper back. The split reclining rear seats with folding center arm rest fold flat for increased cargo space, with a total cargo capacity equivalent to the conventional RAV4 of 73 cubic feet. No interior space is lost in the vehicle due to EV components.
Toyota’s approved electric vehicle supplier equipment provider is Leviton, which offers multiple options for charging solutions. For the shortest charge time of approximately six hours, Leviton offers a custom 240-volt (Level 2), 40A, 9.6-kw output charging station. The vehicle comes equipped with a 120V (Level 1) emergency charging cable for instances when the recommended 240V (Level 2) charging is not available.
