Toyota Says The RAV4 EV Isn’t Happening Anytime Soon

With new models like the three-row Highlander, the small C-HR, and the updated bZ, Toyota’s electric SUV lineup is still expanding. The question raised by this development is whether the RAV4 will soon be accessible as a fully electric car. Probably not.

Yoshinori Futonagane, head engineer of the RAV4, stated that an EV model is not currently a priority in an interview with Australia’s Drive. He claims that the team hasn’t even given the concept any thought.

Instead, Toyota says it’s focused on maintaining a range of powertrain options across its lineup, offering gas, hybrid, and electric models side by side rather than combining everything into a single vehicle. As Futonagane explains:

‘When Toyota says [we] have a multi-pathway strategy, we don’t want to have multiple paths all crammed into one vehicle. We’re trying to do it with a vehicle line-up… The Toyota thinking at the moment is we want to use the [bZ] as the vehicle where we explore and discover the most advanced expression of BEV technology.’

Nevertheless, the RAV4 has enough electricity. With a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that generates 226 horsepower, it is a hybrid by default. Additionally, there is a plug-in hybrid model that combines two electric motors with the same engine to provide a total of 320 horsepower and a range of up to 50 miles on electricity.

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