Toyota is one of the manufacturers of the all-electric cars. The electric car series of which the present day Toyota RAV4 EV evolved from came in the year 1997. This car is considered to be one of the legends among the electrically powered cars. The present day RAV4 EV is the result of constant improvements and advancements. Powered by Tesla’s Power train it offers more carrying capacity and longest range among similar electric vehicles that are available in the market today.
Toyota RAV4 EV is one of the tough electric cars that were built on a solid foundation. It offered good range for that type of power train and it made its riders happy and proud of having the opportunity to ride most green and clean vehicle. The design of the car is so unique that the battery compartment did not intrude with the passengers space hence offered the maximum space for the passengers. The use of the car in its sports mode offers many entertaining features and with the ability to check on the battery charging status with the full integration of the Smartphone with the core software that is running the car. This car is a successful combination of the Japanese automaker with the Silicon Valley based Tesla, and it is powered by the AC induction motor that you find in the Tesla Model S with modified set of internal gears.
The Toyota RAV4 EV has been styled to look sportier, capable family vehicle and a fun to drive crossover that has caught the fancy of many of the car lovers. It is a pleasant looking and well proportioned car. This is an all electric crossover available only in a selected few cities of Californian state. On the performance front, this electric car is powered by the Tesla drive train. The electric RAV goes from 0 to 60 in just seven seconds and is capable of running at 100 mph. The Sports mode gives a 154 horsepower with 273 pound feet of torque while it gives a torque of 218 pound feet in its normal mode. The braking system comes from the Toyota’s Prius hybrid.
The efficiency and range of Toyota RAV4 EV is very good compared to other vehicles as it is powered by Tesla’s battery pack with a capacity of 41.8 kilowatt hours. This means an assured range of more than 100 to 130 miles between charges even when you are driving your Toyota RAV4 EV in a rough and rash manner. When you are charging your RAV4, through the on board 10 kW Tesla charger it is able to charge faster. When you charge the batteries through your 30 amps 240 volt home power it may not show much improvement, but when you do the charging with a 40 amps power outlet you will be able to add 30 to 35 miles of range for every hour of charging.
The Toyota RAV4 EV is a comfortable electric car with sufficient space for all the passengers with more head and leg room. This car can seat 5 persons with adjustable front passenger and driver seats with a tilting and telescopic steering column. The cargo area is large enough and measures 38.4 cubic feet and no space has been wasted for accommodating the battery power pack.
The Toyota RAV4 EV comes with many of the standard features like a backup camera, six-speaker stereo with a touch-screen display, Bluetooth and a USB port. You can also get the following upgrades like climate control, push-button start, dual-zone automatic navigation, a premium audio system, lane departure alert, blind spot monitoring, a power lift gate etc.
The Toyota RAV4 EV has the following
Pros
- Good build quality
- Larger space
- Ability to check of charge status through your smart phone
- Offers full integration of the smart phone
Cons
- Very costly
- Available only in California
- Limited range of 80 t0 100 miles
- Messy controls for the music system
Thus, the Toyota RAV4 EV is one of the popular choices for your clean and green electric vehicle and no doubt that the giant Toyota motors will add more to their future Electric cars that are to be launched soon.
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