Toyota unveils first all electric SUV on market

Los Angeles, May 8 (Xinhua-ANI): Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. debuted Monday Toyota RAV4 EV, the only all electric SUV on the market at the 26th annual Electric Vehicle Symposium in Los Angeles.

The MSRP (manufacturer's suggested retail price) for what Toyota calls a "fully-equipped" RAV4 EV is 49,800 dollars and "it will be available in late Summer," Bob Carter, group vice president and general manager of the Toyota division, told Xinhua.

"It is the only all-electric SUV on the market," Carter said. The all electric SUV co-designed by Tesla and Toyota was first announced almost 2 years ago and a typical car design takes 4 years or more to go from concept to shipping product.

Sales volume of what Toyota calls a ground-breaking vehicle is planned for approximately 2,600 units over the next three years. "It's all about blending the best of two worlds, the all-new RAV4 EV marries the efficiency of an EV with the versatility of a small SUV," Carter said.

With a battery and power-train designed by Tesla, Toyota says this all-electric SUV has an expected driving range rating of approximately 100 miles with the 41.8 kw hour lithium-ion battery pack. The battery warranty is 8 years or 100,000 miles (160,000 km) with a full recharge requires approximately 6 hours on a 240V/40A charger.

The electric drive system is rated for 154 HP (115 kw). This makes for a 0-60 mph (96 kmph) in 7.0 seconds and has a maximum speed of 100 mph (160 kmph) in sport mode. Normal mode achieves 0-60 mph in 8.6 seconds with a maximum speed of 85 mph (136 kmph).

The exterior emblems on the front, rear and the front door panel utilizing the signature Toyota "environmental blue." Stylistically, RAV4 EV, which weighs approximately 470 pounds more than the gasoline-powered RAV4, is a variation from its V6 counterpart. It features a redesigned bumper, grille and headlights (LED + halogen) along with clear taillight coverings out back.

The highlight of the interior is an eight-inch capacitive touch screen with a state of the art graphic display, featuring navigation, telematics, and EV drive information and settings designed specifically for the RAV4 EV. "The Toyota /Tesla team continually focused on the customer experience, " Carter said.

The 26th International Electric Vehicle Symposium opened Sunday at Los Angeles Convention Center, with more than 200 exhibitors and over a thousand attendees coming from all over the world to observe and discuss the latest trend in e-transportation industry. (Xinhua-ANI)