Toyota RAV4 EV – A $49,000 Compliance Exercise
Toyota is only planning to sell 2,300 RAV4 EVs over the next three years! Can anyone say “compliance car”?
According to Yahoo’s Motoramic blog, Toyota sold that many RAV4s in one week last month. The RAV4 is a big departure from the first generation RAV4 EV sold in California.
The flat battery pack developed by Tesla means the car loses no cargo space. 60 mph comes up in 7 seconds (with Sport mode engaged – otherwise it’s 8.6 seconds). And the 100 mile range is competitive with cars like the Nissan Leaf.
Unfortunately, the RAV4 EV is expected to carry a $20,000 premium over the regular RAV4, and will be sold in very limited numbers – condemning it to irrelevance and a life of little purpose, save for meeting an obscure governmental mandate.
More by Derek Kreindler
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Very cool. But, too expensive. Cut 15K from the price, and I would take it for a test drive.
I'm confused. Why the RAV4 platform, it's not exactly light. Why not Matrix or Scion Xb if they need the room? I don't understand the Pirus V but see it's potential.... so why not just add the existing Hybrid Technology to the V6 model like they did in the Highlander? or Lexus RX hybrids? What is the point of putting a pure EV powerplant into an outgoing platform? Why do we drive on a parkway but park in the driveway? :)