Official Toyota RAV4 EV thread

[TonyWilliams]

Spotted a silver one on the 15 South at approx. 7:50pm today (Sunday) "hauling". Those headlights are crazy bright even in a truck.

I find myself driving 85mph a lot, since that's where the speed limiter stops (in Sport mode, however, 104mph).

I just pulled my 6x12 white box trailer with over 3000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies. Easy.

 

[Zythryn]

...
I just pulled my 6x12 white box trailer with over 3000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies. Easy.

Boy, and I thought I liked my thin mint cookies!

 

[TonyWilliams]

 

[MrIanB]

Tony;

Is the Tesla Rav4 EV limited to the previous body style or will it be available with the new body style recently shown at the auto show?

Tia,

Ian B

 

[TonyWilliams]

Tony;

Is the Tesla Rav4 EV limited to the previous body style or will it be available with the new body style recently shown at the auto show?

Tia,

Ian B

Exactly as the previous Rav4 was done (retained the previous model body), it will use this body for all 2600 cars. I suspect they have already punched out the 2600 body panels and other sundry bits, since they are already producing the 2013 Rav4.

You'll note that the car they are still selling as a "2012 Rav4 EV", which I predict has something to do with how they will report the sales to CARB. As you may know, Toyota must produce 0.79% of its fleet for the next three years as Zero Emissions Vehicles (or buy credits) to be combined with their strong hybrid sales figures. Without hybrids, they would have to sell far more than 0.79% ZEV.

 

[mkjayakumar]

I called my local Toyota dealer to find out what he knows about RAV4 EV, and sure enough he was trying to convince me there is no such thing as an electric RAV4 !!

Not even sure where to start if I were to seriously look for one to buy or lease, here in the DFW area.

 

[Bicster]

I called my local Toyota dealer to find out what he knows about RAV4 EV, and sure enough he was trying to convince me there is no such thing as an electric RAV4 !!

Not even sure where to start if I were to seriously look for one to buy or lease, here in the DFW area.

You should ask their service department if they have the ability to service one. They can't sell you one, but you can buy one from a California dealer and have it trailered to Texas. There are some other threads about people doing this, but not in or near Texas.

I wouldn't lease the RAV4 EV. IIRC, Toyota keeps the $7500 tax credit rather than passing it along (if I'm wrong, please correct me), and you'll end up paying full 6.25% Texas sales tax on the fair market value of the vehicle when you register it in Texas. You'd probably have to also pay California sales tax to get a lease on one.

 

[MrIanB]

Go to cars.com, autotrader.com and see the inventory in California. You will most likely will have to have shipped to you or buy it out there and drive it back. I am interested in one too but the more I see the rav4 in person, I find it too expensive for the older body style, size and cant justify the expense. Still fully satisfied with my 2011 SL Chili. She has never let me down or left me stranded.

Ian B

 

[Bicster]

Driving a Rav4 EV from California to Texas sounds like a nightmare, second only to making the trip in a LEAF. :lol:

 

[MrIanB]

Driving a Rav4 EV from California to Texas sounds like a nightmare, second only to making the trip in a LEAF. :lol:

Not if you have a lot of free time and in no hurry to get back. Lol :lol:

 

[TonyWilliams]

I called my local Toyota dealer to find out what he knows about RAV4 EV, and sure enough he was trying to convince me there is no such thing as an electric RAV4 !!

Not even sure where to start if I were to seriously look for one to buy or lease, here in the DFW area.

Toyota SPECIFICALLY does not sell them at dealers outside of California, and in addition, there are only 55 of those California dealers with the Rav4 EV.

 

[TonyWilliams]

You'd probably have to also pay California sales tax to get a lease on one.

Not true. It must be shipped out of the state. That means, don't take delivery in California, or fly in to drive it to Disneyland first, and then ship it.

It means quite simply, hands off until it arrives in your state. Then, pay the taxes and fees there.

 

[TonyWilliams]

Driving a Rav4 EV from California to Texas sounds like a nightmare, second only to making the trip in a LEAF. :lol:

At 40 amp charging, you can add 30 miles an hour charging at every RV park enroute. It's not the end of the world, but DO NOT TAKE DELIVERY IN CALIFORNIA IF YOU DON'T WANT TO PAY MUCHO TAXES!!!!

 

[socalgt]

Spotted a silver one on the 15 South at approx. 7:50pm today (Sunday) "hauling". Those headlights are crazy bright even in a truck.

I find myself driving 85mph a lot, since that's where the speed limiter stops (in Sport mode, however, 104mph).

I just pulled my 6x12 white box trailer with over 3000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies. Easy.

Then that was you that I saw...it looked silver in the dark. I had just gotten on at Mira Mesa Blvd. in the red Ram loaded with 850lbs worth of bricks in the bed...15mpg highway for that trip...not terrible vs. 20mpg empty

 

[TonyWilliams]

Spotted a silver one on the 15 South at approx. 7:50pm today (Sunday) "hauling". Those headlights are crazy bright even in a truck.

I find myself driving 85mph a lot, since that's where the speed limiter stops (in Sport mode, however, 104mph).

I just pulled my 6x12 white box trailer with over 3000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies. Easy.

Then that was you that I saw...it looked silver in the dark. I had just gotten on at Mira Mesa Blvd. in the red Ram loaded with 850lbs worth of bricks in the bed...15mpg highway for that trip...not terrible vs. 20mpg empty

I did go southbound on 15 past Mira Mesa then, but I had the 6x12 white box trailer behind (you couldn't miss that at night with LED lights all over).

I don't think I was "hauling" then, but on the return northbound after dropping off the trailer, probably.

 

[abasile]

With all of the talk of out-of-state RAV4 EV purchases, I find myself curious as to whether non-California purchases (even if from California dealers) will count toward the ZEV credits that Toyota needs to earn for CARB compliance. In other words, for every non-CARB-state RAV4 EV sale, will Toyota be "missing" a ZEV credit? I suppose that would be Toyota's problem and no one else's, however.

 

[TonyWilliams]

With all of the talk of out-of-state RAV4 EV purchases, I find myself curious as to whether non-California purchases (even if from California dealers) will count toward the ZEV credits that Toyota needs to earn for CARB compliance. In other words, for every non-CARB-state RAV4 EV sale, will Toyota be "missing" a ZEV credit? I suppose that would be Toyota's problem and no one else's, however.

Toyota did their part. They provided the cars to 55 privately owned dealers to sell 2600 cars in California. Absolutely, they are all being sold in California.

Are they meeting the intent of cleaning up our air? No, but Toyota has no control over who buys the car, and where those folks take those cars.

 

[waidy]

Just a note for '12 Rav4EV potential buyers. My neighbor just purchased a '12 Rav4EV with $2,782 off MSRP. MSRP is $50,870 (includes floormats and destination). He got it for $42,088 ($50,870-$6000 Toyota incentive-$2,782 dealer discount). He also took advantage of the 0.0% financing.

 

[TonyWilliams]

Just a note for '12 Rav4EV potential buyers. My neighbor just purchased a '12 Rav4EV with $2,782 off MSRP. MSRP is $50,870 (includes floormats and destination). He got it for $42,088 ($50,870-$6000 Toyota incentive-$2,782 dealer discount). He also took advantage of the 0.0% financing.

What dealer? I think more out of state buyers might be interested than in the state (since they won't qualify for the state $2500 discount, but everybody gets the $7500 fed tax credit, if they pay that much in fed taxes)!!!

 

[jspearman]

Just a note for '12 Rav4EV potential buyers. My neighbor just purchased a '12 Rav4EV with $2,782 off MSRP. MSRP is $50,870 (includes floormats and destination). He got it for $42,088 ($50,870-$6000 Toyota incentive-$2,782 dealer discount). He also took advantage of the 0.0% financing.

What dealer? I think more out of state buyers might be interested than in the state (since they won't qualify for the state $2500 discount, but everybody gets the $7500 fed tax credit, if they pay that much in fed taxes)!!!

Sounds like Fontana Toyota, which is also where I'm buying mine. That's the price I'm paying, and with the 0% interest - $6k subvention cash - fed tax credit, it's a pretty awesome deal. They aren't great with email, but Roy, their Internet manager, is good about phone calls. They just fedexed my paperwork today. They had 7 on the lot last week, but with the extra $ off they will probably go fast.