Toyota has decided that the RAV4 electronic vehicle will not be made available to consumers. According to Geri Yoza, Toyota’s national business planning manager of advanced vehicle marketing, the vehicle will instead be focused for “very strategic applications” such as fleets and car sharing programs.
The RAV4 EV has made use of Tesla’s electric drivetrain and has been tested with 160 users receiving positive feedback, according to Yoza. Testers charged the RAV4 more frequently (around 10 times a week), costing $150 for six weeks.
This is Toyota’s first RAV4 EV after first launching the vehicle 15 years ago in 1996. The EV is the first vehicle in the world powered by nickel-metal hydride batteries, capable of achieving 78 mph (125 km/h) and a maximum range of 120 miles (190 km). The RAV4 is expected to arrive in the U.S by the first quarter of 2012.
GALLERY: Toyota RAV4 EV
[Source: Reuters]