Offering another electric vehicles to the smog-ridden California coast, the Toyota RAV4 EV is set to go on sale September 24.
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The fourth video spotlighting the new Toyota RAV4 EV has just been released, focusing on the innovative technology to enhance the driving experience of the electric SUV.
One of the biggest hurdles automakers have to overcome with marketing electric vehicles is decreasing range anxiety with its consumers. Toyota recently resurrected its RAV4 EV model, offering an electric crossover with a range of 92 miles, or 113 miles in an extended mode.
Toyota has just released the second part of a video series chronicling the development of the RAV4 EV. This video focuses on the aerodynamics of the electric crossover. Continue Reading…
Toyota’s new RAV4 EV was developed in partnership with Tesla Motors. The development of the electric crossover has been chronicled in five youtube videos, the first of which has just been released. Continue Reading…
The 2012 Toyota RAV4 EV will be officially unveiled on May 7 at the International Electric Vehicle Symposium in Los Angeles.
Toyota‘s collaboration with American electric car maker Tesla Motors has been described by many as a publicity stunt, but Toyota’s announcement to build 35 test models with plans for a full production model in 2012 is silencing doubters.
Debuting at the LA Auto Show, the RAV4 EV Demonstration Vehicle looks like an Acura RDX thanks to some funky bodywork. Toyota says its targeting a 100-mile range for the car which is 220-lbs heavier than the standard gasoline model, but can accelerate to 60-mph in roughly the same amount of time.
There’s far more to this project than just swapping out the gas engine for an electric motor and some batteries, however, with Toyota claiming that in order to achieve a similar weight distribution, several major components had to be redesigned. Of note, the EV model retains the factory crossover’s 74 cubic feet or cargo room
Toyota Motor Sales President Jim Lentz, commented in LA that many of the final decisions have yet to be made about the RAV4 EV’s production, including where it will be built. Currently the RAV4 vehicle comes from Toyota’s facility in Woodstock, Ontario while Tesla does its part in Palo Alto, Calif.
And while Toyota rolls out this new electric vehicle concept, it’s not betting on electric cars – or any one type of technology for that matter. In the timeframe it takes to bring the RAV4 EV to market, Toyota will also launch its own electric commuter vehicle, as well as a Prius Plug-in Hybrid.
GALLERY: Toyota RAV4 EV Debut in LA
GALLERY: Toyota RAV4 EV
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Official release after the jump:
Toyota has announced via its official Twitter feed that it will show-off an electric version of the RAV4 at the LA Auto Show in November. Referred to as the RAV4-EV, this vehicle is the first product to come from the tie-up with American electric sports car maker Tesla. Both Toyota and Tesla have joined forces in a larger plan that will see Toyota invest in the electric sports car maker, helping it bring its electric luxury sedan to market, while Toyota gains battery technology in a bid to compete with new electric cars from Nissan and Chevy.
In addition to that news, Toyota has also said it the Prius PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric) will hit dealers in the second quarter of 2012, with plans to sell as many as 20,000 units annually.
[Source: Toyota's Twitter Feed]