TOYOTA'S ELECTRIC RAV4

The Toyota ‘RAV4 EV’ concept, an electric vehicle jointly developed with Tesla, last week made its debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show. 

A total of 35 vehicles will be built for a demonstration and evaluation program through 2011 with the introduction of a final production model in the US in 2012. The production vehicle will have a target range of 160 km in actual road driving patterns in a wide range of climates and conditions.

The RAV4 EV concept is based on the current Toyota RAV4 compact SUV body and fitted with a Tesla electric powertrain. Led by the Toyota Motor Engineering and Manufacturing North America (TEMA) Technical Centre in Michigan, the new development model helped reduce development time without compromising product quality. 

Tesla was responsible for building and supplying the battery, as well as other related parts, that met specific Toyota engineering specifications in performance, quality and durability. Toyota was responsible for development and manufacturing leadership and the seamless integration of the powertrain. 

A large part of the team’s focus on the customer experience targeted driveability. In this case, the end goal is a vehicle with driveability characteristics as close to the conventional RAV4 as possible. For example, the demonstration vehicle weighs approximately 100kg more than the current RAV4 V6 (US model), yet it will accelerate from 0 to 100km/h nearly as quickly. 

The added weight factor required significant retuning of major components and a prioritised focus on weight distribution. Not only were suspension and steering modified significantly, major components needed to be relocated to better balance the increased mass of the battery pack. 

The demonstration vehicle Toyota currently tested is powered by a lithium metal oxide battery with useable output rated in the mid-30kWh range. However, many decisions regarding both the product, as well as the business model, have not been finalised. Battery size and final output ratings, as well as pricing and volume projections of the vehicle Toyota plans to bring to market in 2012 have not been decided. 

The basic vehicle will continue to be built at its Canadian production facility in Woodstock, Ontario while Tesla will build the battery and related parts and components at its new facility in Palo Alto, California. The method and installation location of the Tesla components into the vehicle is being discussed. 

The RAV4 EV received several distinct exterior styling changes including a new front bumper, grille, fog lamps and head lamps. New EV badging and the custom “mutually exclusive” paint colour, completed the transformation. The interior received custom seat trim, multimedia dash displays, push-button gearshift and dashboard meters. No cargo space was lost in the RAV4’s conversion to an electric powertrain. 

Toyota brought the first-generation RAV4 EV to market in 1997 in response to the California zero emission vehicle (ZEV) mandate, and was the first manufacturer to meet the mandate’s Memo of Agreement on volume sales. Powered by a nickel-metal hydride battery pack, the vehicle had a range of 130-210km on a single charge. From 1998 to 2003 only 1484 vehicles were sold or leased in the U.S. 746 first-generation RAV4 EVs are still on the road. 

RAV4 EV is a further example of Toyota’s efforts to reduce the use of fossil fuels and cut CO2 emissions by developing more efficient and alternative powertrain technologies. It has led the industry in the development of hybrid petrol-electric systems, as deployed in Prius, Auris hybrid and other models in markets worldwide. 

STORY BY TOYOTA