2012 Toyota Rav4 Ev Review

[junebug1701]

For the full review, click here:

http://www.autoguide...video-2143.html

In a market with very few electric vehicles, and already a leader in hybrid vehicle development, Toyota opted to skip the idea of making an all new hatchback or sedan to compete against the Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt or Ford Focus EV. Instead, it resurrected the RAV4 EV which had a previous run from 1997 to 2003. More than resurrecting a well-liked vehicle, which still has about 750 units on the road, this second-gen model is designed to deliver the best packaging for EV components, while relieving range anxiety and providing a product that delivers zero emissions.

FROM BIG IDEA TO BIG DEAL

Conversations between senior management at Toyota started in May 2010 to bring back the electric version of the RAV4 EV, with the mandate to improve range and add versatility giving consumers a new kind of SUV. Engineers wanted to produce an EV that had no compromises or sacrifices for the typical crossover buyer. With intentions to get the this vehicle to market immediately, the new RAV4 was developed in less than 20 months by a key group of engineers from both Toyota Motor Corporation and Tesla Motors in North America.

The catalyst behind the collaboration between Tesla and Toyota was Toyota's CEO Akio Toyoda. The outcome of the collaboration is a Tesla designed and produced Battery and electric powertrain, giving the all new RAV4 EV the longest EPA estimated driving range rating of any non-luxury EV at 93 miles in normal mode and 113 miles in an extended range mode.

[mystic]

Range wouldn't suit me, i would be walking half of all my journeys. Also from the picture something about the shape of the front looks off, maybe its the angle but it doesn't look quite right

[three5]

Range wouldn't suit me, i would be walking half of all my journeys. Also from the picture something about the shape of the front looks off, maybe its the angle but it doesn't look quite right

I think I see what you mean - it has the look of Concorde with the nose in the down position IMHO. I wonder if this is the body style that will be used on the next 2013 RAV?

[CharlieFarlie]

Range wouldn't suit me, i would be walking half of all my journeys. Also from the picture something about the shape of the front looks off, maybe its the angle but it doesn't look quite right

I think I see what you mean - it has the look of Concorde with the nose in the down position IMHO. I wonder if this is the body style that will be used on the next 2013 RAV?

It would take Me 3 days to go south...

Body is just a 4.3 with that really ugly front end grafted on for better aerodynamics ?

[Manxrav]

Cannot understand the reason behind this model. Toyota are soon to launch the 2013 4.4 version of the Rav, so why launch this when a new model is due? I realise that the US market is totally different to ours ( They still run the pre facelifted Rav, without the chrome grille).so surely this is just a runoff model?

The front end looks horrible just not compatable with the rest of the Rav!!!!! looks like Proton had a go at the redesign.

Regards Clare

,

[firemac]

Cannot understand the reason behind this model. Toyota are soon to launch the 2013 4.4 version of the Rav, so why launch this when a new model is due? I realise that the US market is totally different to ours ( They still run the pre facelifted Rav, without the chrome grille).so surely this is just a runoff model?

The front end looks horrible just not compatable with the rest of the Rav!!!!! looks like Proton had a go at the redesign.

Regards Clare

,

It might be to ensure that the Toyota group as a whole do not fall foul of the various governmental reduced emissions requirements, e.g. California, EU, etc. If you recall, it's the reason that Aston Martin launched the Cygnet which was just a tarted-up iQ but it brought their overall model average mpg right down and allows them to continue selling DD9's etc. in the EU without environmental tax penalties. I believe that the Calif regs are stricter in that, if you don't have EV's in your model line-up, you can't sell in the state.

This could explain why they have released what appears to be an out-of-date (or soon to be) model. They'll sell like hot cakes to the trendy, lefty, tree-hugging wierdos of which Calif sadly seems to have a surplus.

[Parts-King]

It makes me smile when somebody posts about EV or plug in vehicles, the first reply is always "wouldn't suit me, I need more miles than that"

The average journey is far far less than 97 miles and would suit the majority, that said, if you do very high miles, then an EV clearly is not the car for you, so why mention it?

Yes I'm sure there will be very good reasons (other than that mentioned above-the EV sits well in the old model) there is always a commercial decision behind putting a particuar car on the road. For me, it's the tie in with Tesla that is particularly exciting, they know how to produce EV cars that not only look good but are able to get from A to B quickly and in style

Kingo

[firemac]

It makes me smile when somebody posts about EV or plug in vehicles, the first reply is always "wouldn't suit me, I need more miles than that"

The average journey is far far less than 97 miles and would suit the majority, that said, if you do very high miles, then an EV clearly is not the car for you, so why mention it?

Yes I'm sure there will be very good reasons (other than that mentioned above-the EV sits well in the old model) there is always a commercial decision behind putting a particuar car on the road. For me, it's the tie in with Tesla that is particularly exciting, they know how to produce EV cars that not only look good but are able to get from A to B quickly and in style

Kingo

Good points, Kingo. I read an article recently that calculated that, on average, cars spend 96% of their live's parked up! Not a silly stat when you stop & think about all those cars in driveways, muti-stories, works car parks, train stations, airports, etc. So, yes, if you take an objective view then EV's could be very practical for most people. The real problem with them though is that if we all went over to them today, the grid couldn't cope and we'd have nationwide blackouts for 15 hours of every day! OK, that level of take-up isn't realistic but there is a problem in that there is no integrated plan for replacing aging power stations so the liklihood of power shortages in the next 10 years is very, very real. Adding in EV's will only exacerbate the problem. And no amount of stupid wind turbines will make any difference!

I reckon that range extending EV's like the Vauxhall Ampera are the best solution in that they give reasonable electric-only range for 90% of demand but can function like a "real" car for those of us that have to travel longer distances.

[Manxrav]

So really Toyota have a head start with more petrol/ hybrid cars in their range than any other manufacturer.

Regards Clare

[firemac]

So really Toyota have a head start with more petrol/ hybrid cars in their range than any other manufacturer.

Regards Clare

Yes & no. They certainly are streets ahead of most in terms of mass-produced hybrid technology but no Prius, or Lexus hybrid can compete in terms of mpg with most diesels, unless you drive them at funeral cortege speeds. And they certainly can't compete with range extenders except on initial purchase price.

I assume that Toyota are looking seriously at the next generation of hybrids/EV's since their current products won't compete with range extenders once the latter start selling in quantities that allow the price to come down.

[Manxrav]

Jim, why does only Peugeot do a diesel/ hybrid surely that is the route to go down.

Regards Clare

[firemac]

Jim, why does only Peugeot do a diesel/ hybrid surely that is the route to go down.

Regards Clare

Could be, except that it costs a lot to get the NVH refinement from a diesel that you can get from petrol, especially where the petrol engine only has to act as a large gnerator for the Battery pack.

Don't forget though that PSA are probably the world's foremost experts in diesel design & technology so if anyone can gat a diesel range extender to work in as a refined manner as a petrol version, they can.

[Joylove]

Jim, why does only Peugeot do a diesel/ hybrid surely that is the route to go down.

Regards Clare

There are two problems there, first a diesel won't pass US emissions unless it's utterly choked or on a vehicle with a Chassis, and the other being the diesel is soon to be discontinued in favour of small petrol turbos due to tighter EU emissions largely in line with the US.

[Parts-King]

Jim, why does only Peugeot do a diesel/ hybrid surely that is the route to go down.

Regards Clare

Diesel is old hat Clare, even the latest diesels still pump out particulates, kind of defeats the object, hybrids/EV can run emmissionless (is there such a word?) in EV mode in cities

Kingo