The first fleet version of the RAV4 EV became available on a limited basis in 1997. In 2001 it was possible for businesses, cities or utilities to lease one or two of these cars. Toyota then actually sold or leased 328 RAV4 EVs to the general public in 2003, at which time the program was terminated despite waiting lists of prospective customers. Overall, approximately 1,900 units were sold or leased through 2003, of which approximately 1,500 in the U.S. and 400 in Japan. The RAV4 EV closely resembles the regular
internal combustion engine (ICE) version - without a tailpipe - and has a governed top speed of with an EPA rated range of . Actual fuel economy and range depends on the same factors as a traditional gasoline-powered vehicle including
rolling resistance and average speed (
aerodynamic drag). The RAV4 EV battery pack uses 24 12-volt, 95Ah NiMH batteries capable of storing 27 kWh of energy.
Charging Production vehicles use the
Magne Charge connector, a
inductive charging paddle produced by
General Motors subsidiary
Delco Electronics also used on other electric vehicles of the time including the
EV1 and
Chevy S10 EV. The inlet was mounted on the front grille of the vehicle. When using a 6kW charging unit on a 240-volt, 30-amp circuit, the RAV4 EV's batteries can be recharged from being fully depleted to fully charged in about five hours, the process monitored by a passive battery balancing system. Some RAV4 EV prototypes were charged via a front fender mounted conductive charger coupling made by Yazaki Corporation.
Mileage costs Charging a RAV4 EV from full-dead to full-charge uses approximately 30 kW·h of electricity; the excess above the battery pack capacity is used by the charging system. At a rate of per kilowatt-hour, this costs around . As of May 2008, based on a gasoline price-per-gallon cost of and up and the non-EV 2003 RAV4 2-wheel-drive gasoline
fuel efficiency of , the RAV4 EV costs approximately 5 times less a per mile basis, and makes mileage in the RAV4 EV the cost equivalent to a small SUV. In addition, the RAV4 EV has a charge timer built into the dashboard that enables the vehicle to start charging at a specific time. As the RAV4 EV easily becomes the main cost of electricity in an average-sized home, this enables the owner to use a
Time-Of-Day Meter to reduce electricity costs. This configuration is a standard practice with RAV4 EV owners. The price of electricity at night depends on the carrier, but is usually in the range of 60% of the normal rate. In the use of charging the RAV4 EV, this equates to a cheaper cost-per-mile, roughly equivalent to a vehicle capable of , based on a price of per gallon. The
United States Environmental Protection Agency listed mileage ratings for the RAV4 EV in its yearly Fuel Economy Guide from 2000 through 2003. The 2003 model recorded fuel efficiency of 39 kW·h/100 mi city, 49 kW·h/100 mi highway; the city mileage rating was equivalent to , and on the highway. The EPA rated combined mileage was . In 2007, the EPA updated its rating system and revised the ratings to a city equivalent of , highway equivalent of , and a combined equivalent of . Toyota tested the RAV4 EV in Japan for over two years before introducing the vehicle in the United States. The
economies of scale are affecting the replacement cost of the RAV4 EV.
Prototyping RAV4 EV pre-production prototypes were first released in a confidential evaluation program with electric utilities throughout the U.S. These prototypes were based on the smaller, shorter, two-door version of the RAV4. The prototypes included some versions fitted with Panasonic
NiMH batteries, and others with high-performance Panasonic lead–acid
PbA batteries (the same ones that eventually found their way into the
EV1 and other production GM electric vehicles). The RAV4 EV prototypes also were equipped with on-board
level 2 chargers and connected via a front fender conductive charger coupling made by
Yazaki Corporation. Both prototypes were well accepted. The utility employee evaluators did not have to personally pay for the more costly and advanced NiMH batteries, and the NiMH RAV4 EV prototype received better reviews, due to its increased range. Its
energy efficiency, however, was not as good as the PbA version. Due to the impracticality of developing two battery types for a limited volume program, Toyota opted for the higher-performance, higher-cost NiMH RAV4 EV. This resulted in a greater manufacturing cost, and higher purchase price. A number of electric vehicle advocates voiced disappointment that the choice was made to manufacture only the NiMH version. Many electric vehicle advocates claimed that automaker's choice of the NiMH battery worked against the 1990s deployment of cost-effective electric vehicles based on PbA batteries, and that further development of lead–acid technology could result in performance equal to NiMH, but at a substantially lower price. Their argument was that a usable electric vehicle is possible at a substantially lower price, and that the lower purchase price would foster greater acceptance of electric vehicles. In fact, lithium-ion batteries soon displaced both nickel and lead from electromobiles.
Corporate purchasing Initially, RAV4 EVs were only available for three-year fleet lease, not for sale and not for lease to the public, at a few dealerships beginning in 1997. From 2001, leases were made available to small "fleets of one" purportedly run by small businesses.
Public availability In March 2002, due to a shift in corporate policy, the Toyota RAV4-EV was made available for sale to the general public. All 328 that Toyota made were sold. No one knows for certain what prompted Toyota to change their position on the RAV4-EV, since they had long since fulfilled their obligations under the MOA with the California Air Resources Board's zero-emissions vehicle (ZEV) mandate via its fleet lease program. The
MSRP was ; but in California, ZIP-grant rebates of , decreasing in 2003 to , and a credit from the Internal Revenue Service brought the price down to a more palatable ( for some 2003 deliveries), including the home charger. of which 1,484 were leased and/or sold in California.
Chevron patent encumbrance Whether or not Toyota wanted to continue production, it was unlikely to be able to do so because the battery was no longer available. Chevron had inherited control of the worldwide patent rights for the NiMH battery when it merged with Texaco, which had purchased them from General Motors. Chevron's unit won a settlement from Toyota and Panasonic, the manufacturer of the battery, and the production line for the large NiMH batteries was closed down and dismantled. This case was settled in the ICC
International Court of Arbitration, and not publicized due to a
gag order placed on Toyota. Only
smaller NiMH batteries, incapable of powering an electric vehicle or plugging in, were allowed by Chevron-Texaco. == Second generation (2012) ==