Toyota introduced its RAV4 EV last week during EVS26 in Los Angeles, with an MSRP of $49,800 when it goes on sale this summer. It will be more than double the price of its internal combustion engine version, and is eligible for a $7,500 federal tax credit and state rebate programs. It comes with a battery warranty of eight years or 100,000 miles. The electric SUV can travel about 100 miles on charge, and takes six hours to fully charge on a 240-volt charger. The market forecast is minimal – Toyota expects to sell only 2,600 of them over the next three years. Sales will take place initially in California – Sacramento, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Orange County, and San Diego markets.
This first electric sport/crossover utility vehicle comes from an alliance with Tesla Motors, which is providing the powertrain for the RAV4 EV. It’s not the first time Toyota has tried out an EV product. A few people still own the original electric RAV4, which was offered in California from 1997 to 2003 to comply with the state’s zero emission vehicle program. The sales numbers were small, and Toyota is still taking a slow and cautious approach with this EV.
