It was also one of the few vehicles with a single speed gearbox when introduced to the market.īeyond the unusual power train (batteries, controller and motor), the remaining systems in the RAV4 EV are comparable to the gasoline-powered RAV4. Some RAV4 EVs have been driven more than 150,000 miles (240,000 km) using the original battery pack. The 95 amp-hour NiMH battery pack has a capacity of 27 kWh, charges inductively and has proven to be very durable. The RAV4 EV closely resembles the regular internal combustion engine (ICE) version - without a tailpipe - and has a governed top speed of 78 mph (~126 km/h) with an EPA rated range of 95 mi (153 km). Toyota then actually sold or leased 328 RAV4 EVs to the general public in 2003, at which time the program was terminated despite waiting lists of prospective customers. In 2001 it was possible for businesses, cities or utilities to lease one or two of these cars. The first fleet version of the RAV4 EV became available on a limited basis in 1997. The US Environmental Protection Agency rated the second generation RAV4 EV with a range of 103 mi (166 km) and a combined fuel economy rating of 76 miles per gallon gasoline equivalent (3.1 L/100 km). Toyota worked together with Tesla Motors to develop the second generation RAV4 EV, and the electric SUV was released in the United States in September 2012. A total of 2,489 units of the second generation model were sold in California through April 2015. Production of the second generation EV was limited to 2,600 units during a three-year run, with sales limited to California beginning in 2012. As of mid-2012, there were almost 500 vehicles still in use in California. A small number were sold or leased in fleet sales in other states. A total of 1,484 were leased and/or sold in California to meet the state's mandate for zero-emissions vehicle. The first generation was leased from 1997 to 2003, and at the lessees' request, many units were sold after the vehicle was discontinued.
Two generations of the EV model were sold in California, and to fleets elsewhere in the US, with a gap of almost ten years between them. The Toyota RAV4 EV is an all-electric version of the popular RAV4 SUV produced by Toyota until 2014.