There’s a new Electric Vehicle (EV) coming from Toyota and it’s no variation of the Prius for that matter, but rather; a compact SUV by way of an all-electric RAV4 EV.
<!--more-->Toyota Motor Corporation first announced the all-electric RAV4 EV about two years ago during the 2010 LA Auto Show, and is currently being sold to the general public for a price of USD$49,800 in Los Angeles during the 26<sup>th</sup> Electric Vehicle Symposium that’s taking place right now.
Much like the Nissan Leaf, the RAV4 EV also has a 160km range on a full charge, which takes approximately 6 hours on a 240V/40A, compared to the Leaf’s 8 hours and 240V/13A.
The battery pack and powertrain has been designed by Tesla, which took 22 months to complete after the project was announced, and will power the front wheels of the RAV4 EV. Toyota says that they’ve mounted the battery pack low and to the centre of the vehicle, which should help contribute for a more sedan-like ride,
The RAV4 EV will be outfitted with LED (daylight running lights included) and halogen headlights with some obvious re-styling to its exterior with a new front bumper, upper and lower grill, side mirrors, rear spoiler, and under body design to maximize air flow around the vehicle allowing for an ultra-low 0.3Cd for drag.
Drivers are able to select either Sport or Normal driving modes. Sport mode will send the RAV4 EV to 100kmh in just 7.0s with a maximum speed of 160kmh.
However, Normal mode achieves 100kmh in about 1.6s slower at 8.6 seconds with a maximum speed of 135kmh. Output from the electric powertrain is 154bhp at 2,800rpm.
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