Toyota Readies RAV4 EV for Production
Electric crossover is the automaker's second production EV in 9 years.
Toyota, after running a Tesla-powered prototype for nearly two years, is ready to debut its electric RAV4 next week, slated to go on sale in late 2012 alongside an electric Scion iQ.The white, capped-grill example you see here is a prototype based on a 2010 RAV4. Toyota said it would not release any specifics about the production version until Monday, when it will show the vehicle at the International Electric Vehicle Symposium in Los Angeles.
As Ford is doing with the Focus Electric, Toyota will build the RAV4 EV on the same production line as the gasoline-powered RAV4, which will allow the automaker more flexibility to respond to demand -- or, as in the case of the Chevrolet Volt, lack thereof. As part of a $100 million contract, Tesla will build the entire powertrain -- battery, motor, gearbox and other electronics -- and ship it from California to Toyota's Ontario plant for final assembly.
While the electric iQ will be sold only to fleets and car-sharing services, the RAV4 EV will be available to the public. Toyota sold and leased almost 1,500 electric RAV4s to Californians from 1997 to 2003, and about 800 are still on the road. Given the price and range of the Focus Electric, we expect the RAV4 to offer no fewer than 100 miles of range and cost just under $40,000. A redesigned 2013 RAV4 is expected to debut as early as this fall.
[Source: Toyota]
Imagine the money that both Ford and GM could have saved over the last thirty years if they had hand delivered their recall notices, especially since they have had recalls at a six to one ratio to any Japanese manufacturer!
And that's the point, isn't it? You'd have to go back 30 years to make that claim about Ford and GM. Instead of ancient history, let's talk about something more relevant to today, like the tens of millions of cars Toyota has had to recall in recent years....and the pace hasn't slowed much.....and Honda seems to be catching up with it's flurry of recalls over the last couple of years. The truth hurts, huh?
In Japan, because of unfair regulations intended to stifle foreign competition, where we cannot build and sell our cars and trucks, imagine for a minute the following:
That Japan had no such unfair regulations, and practiced free and fair trade like we do here in America. Can you picture for a minute a Japanese survey, like Yahoo´s, rating a foreign country´s cars as being the best quality and better than their own products?
No way!!!!! Those people know which side their bread is buttered on, as proved by the fact they won´t even let us build cars there.
They´re not dupes like we are to let them sell 3 to 4 million cars a year here and drain billions from our suffering economy and take these billions back to Japan.
And they wouldn´t be dumb enough to buy that jobs pitch like we do: Oh, they build their cars here, give us jobs.
Forget that for ever job we get assembling their cars, with domino effect we lose 6 to 7 jobs in Michigan, Ohio, PA, MO, et cetera.
Forget that the majority of Japanese cars sold here are not assembled here. Many like the Prius, Lexus, Highlander, are 100% built in Japan, parts and labor.
Forget that no matter where a Japanese car or truck is assembled, when you buy one, you are sending profits, dollars back to Japan for the benefit of that country. And this is taking away your own country´s economy, which is in the toughest shape it´s even been since the 1930s.
So, all you supporters of Japan´s economy out there, just give thought to all those people in impoverished states like Michigan, that you are helping to keep out of work.
Finally, keep in mind, you live in America, not Japan! And when you help keep people out of work in MI, Ohio, PA, MO, Wisc, this is going to trickle down everyone in this country, including YOU.
SHAME! SHAME! SHAME!
.......Tesla will build the entire powertrain -- battery, motor, gearbox, and other electronics -- and ship them from its California facility to Toyota's Ontario plant for final assembly.
At least until Tesla goes out of business....then Toyota will be sourcing those components from Mattel and Hasbro.
we expect the RAV4 to offer no fewer than 100 miles of range and cost just under $40,000.
It was overpriced when you said it was just under $40K. Now that Toyota has announced the base price is going to be OVER $50K it makes this whole vehicle even more laughable. I can understand why they're limiting sales to California because demand elsewhere will be pretty much non-existent.
EXPLORE NEW CARS
MORE ON MSN AUTOS
Wheels of car-crazy celebsThe cars that celebrities choose to buy sometimes border on the eccentric.
ABOUT EXHAUST NOTES
Cars are cool, and here at MSN Autos we love everything about them, but we also know they're more than simply speed and style: a car is an essential tool, a much-needed accessory to help you get through your day-to-day life. What you drive is also one of the most important investments you can make, so we'll help you navigate your way through the car buying and ownership experiences. We strive to be your daily destination for news, notes, tips and tricks from across the automotive world. So whether it's through original content from our world-class journalists or the latest buzz from the far corners of the Web, Exhaust Notes helps you make sense of your automotive world.
Have a story idea? Tip us off at exhaustnotes@live.com.
