WATCH:
Interview with Jana Hartline, Manager of Environmental
Communications for Toyota
(video
below)
LOS ANGELES --
Toyota
Motor Company showed off its all-new RAV4 EV on the first of two
media days at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show. The first generation
RAV4 EV was previously produced from 1997 to 2003. The second generation
model, a partnership between Toyota and Tesla Motors, will be released
in 2012. One prototype has already been built and is undergoing
testing. Another 35 of these are being manufactured for a demonstration
and evaluation program.
Tesla's electric
motors and batteries are being paired together with Toyota's platform
and body to create the 2012 RAV4 EV. The battery is being made of
lithium metal-oxide. The vehicle will produce about 30-35 khw (kilowatt
hour).
"Essentially,
you have a RAV4 Toyota vehicle with a Tesla powertrain and battery,"
said Jana Hartline, manager of environmental communications for
Toyota Motor Company. "Right now, this car is getting about
100 miles of range on a single charge. That's real world driving,
not LA4 or any of the other testing. That's actually on the road
in a variety of climates and conditions."
The electric
vehicle can be charged in about 12 hours with a 220-volt outlet.
It is not known whether or not the RAV4 EV will be compatible with
the DC fast charge system, which can charge an EV to 80 percent
full in about 20 minutes or less.
"For the
phase one vehicle that we intend to bring to the market in 2012,
we're of course going to increase that efficiency, finalize the
battery specs and reduce the charging time," Hartline added.
No price has
been announced yet. However, Toyota says it will be comparable to
other electric vehicles on the market. We expect the price to be
somewhere between $32,780 (Nissan LEAF) and $41,000 (Chevrolet Volt).
I think the
RAV4 EV is a big step forward for Toyota. The automaker was the
first to debut a hybrid car with the Prius, but now it is sort of
late to the party with an electric vehicle. By the time 2012 comes
around, the Volt, LEAF and the Fisker Karma have already been on
the market for over a year. Bringing back the RAV4 EV was definitely
a good move.
The
Los Angeles Auto Show has the rare distinction of being
recognized by the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs
d'Automobiles (OICA), one of only two in the U.S.
