Toyota,Tesla to reveal electric Rav4 next week

It's been nearly two years since Toyota announced its collaboration with Tesla Motors to bring an electric version of the RAV4 to market in 2012. We first saw what the vehicle might be like through a demonstration prototype unveiled at the 2010 L.A. Auto Show.

Toyota now is preparing unveil its fully engineered Rav4 EV at the 26th World Electric Vehicle Symposium and Exposition next Monday.

The one tease we have of the new electric Rav4 is the badge on the door near the rocker panel (above). Later this year, Toyota will begin production of the jointly developed EV at its Woodstock plant in Ontario, where the current Rav4 is built.

Toyota paid Tesla about $100 million to supply the Rav4 EV's powertrain, including the battery, motor, gearbox and power electronics. Toyota says the Rav4 EV's range could reach about 100 miles, which is what most carmakers quote for their EVs before EPA testing that typically dials that back a bit.

There's no word yet if the Rav4 EV is based off a new Rav4 design or the current vehicle, which has been on the market for nearly six years now.

 

Courtesy of USA Today