Toyota to Build RAV4 EV in Canada, Sales Start Next Year

Having cleared up the misunderstanding on whether or not the pure-electric RAV4 will be sold to the general public (it will), Toyota and partner Tesla Motors confirmed today that their jointly developed EV SUV will be built at the Japanese company’s Canadian manufacturing plant in Woodstock, Ontario starting from 2012.

“The Tesla-Toyota joint development team has agreed that building the vehicle at the Woodstock plant on the same line as the gasoline-powered RAV4, will streamline and simplify the production process and guarantee the highest level of quality control,” said Ray Tanguay, Toyota Motor Manufacturing Canada (TMMC) Chairman.

Toyota previously revealed that it will pay Tesla Motors around $100 million to supply the electric powertrain, which includes the battery, motor, gear box and power electronics for the RAV4 EV.

The maker of the Tesla Roadster will manufacture the components of the electric powertrain at its production facility in Palo Alto, California and then ship them to Canada for final assembly into the RAV4 EV.

Toyota said that the RAV4 EV will be sold through its U.S. dealerships with information on the precise launch date and pricing to be announced at "a later time".

TOYOTA RAV4 EV DEMONSTRATION MODEL

Update: Toyota Says RAV-4 EV Will Be Sold to the General Public

Toyota has just issued a statement disputing a recent report from Reuters by saying that the upcoming all-electric RAV-4 will be available for sale to the general public as well.

The Reuters story, which Coolpictures also reported on, said that the RAV-4 EV would only be sold to fleet customers and car sharing programs, citing Geri Yoza, the National Business Planning Manager of Advanced Vehicle Marketing, as the source.

Here’s Toyota’s official statement:

“Recent reports have incorrectly stated that the 2012 RAV4 EV will only be marketed to fleet and car sharing programs. We’d like to set the record straight. The 2012 RAV4 EV will definitely be sold to the general public. We anticipate robust public interest in the RAV4 EV and are keen to inform consumers that their future vehicle options include a battery electric Toyota

The Japanese company added that unlike the RAV-4 EV, the upcoming pure-electric version of the Scion iQ, will be marketed to fleet and car sharing programs only.

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Toyota’s Upcoming RAV4 EV will NOT be Sold to the General Public

The pure electric version of the RAV4 will not be sold directly to the U.S. public when it arrives in the market in the first quarter if 2012 as originally planned, according to Geri Yoza, Toyota’s national business planning manager of advanced vehicle marketing.

Instead, the EV version of the Japanese company’s popular SUV will be leased only to fleet customers and car sharing programs.

According to Yoza, the RAV4 EV, which makes use of Tesla’s electric drivetrain, has been tested with 160 users and received positive feedback. Toyota said that while users charged the car more frequently (about 10 times a week) than anticipated, the cost of electricity was lower than expected, at about $150 for six weeks.

However, despite the fact that the electric RAV4 can be charged quickly, Toyota will not offer fast charging on any of its electric vehicles until the SAE determines a common standard for all outlets.

This is not the first generation of the RAV EV: the first was launched over 15 years ago, in 1996. It was the first vehicle in the world powered by nickel-metal hydride batteries, and it had a top speed of 78 mph (125 km/h) and a maximum range of 120 miles (190 km).

Source: Reuters

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