After furthering their partnership earlier this week (see article), Toyota and Tesla Motors are now planning an electric version of the RAV4.
The aim is to bring the electric vehicle to market in the US in 2012 with prototypes to combine the traditional Toyota RAV4 model with a Tesla electric powertrain. Tesla is hoping to produce and deliver a fleet of prototypes to Toyota for evaluation this year with the first already undergoing testing.
The existing Toyota RAV4.
The electric RAV4 project has come about after Tesla and Toyota announced their intent to co-operate on the development of electric vehicles back in May. A new electric model of the RAV4 would represent a second generation electric version of that vehicle as from 1998 to 2003 Toyota leased or sold 1,485 first generation RAV4 electric vehicles to fleet customers and private customers in California as part of the state’s zero emission mandate programme.
At the time, those vehicles were powered by a 288V, 26kWh NiMH battery pack with a range of around 80miles.
