Local Toyota Technical Center designs new all-electric RAV4 with Tesla Motors

Posted on Wed, Aug 15, 2012 : 3:41 p.m.

Local Toyota Technical Center designs new all-electric RAV4 with Tesla Motors

By Ben Freed

According to a report from the Ann Arbor Journal, engineers at the Toyota Technical Center in Ann Arbor Township have teamed up with electric carmaker Tesla Motors to develop a RAV4 Electric Vehicle that will go on sale in California late this summer.

Melanie Maxwell | AnnArbor.com

The technical center is increasing its role in vehicle design and engineering; it was responsible for the design and engineering of the 2013 Toyota Avalon earlier this year. The center also announced earlier this year its intention to hire an additional 150 engineers to keep up with its increased responsibilities.

The new vehicle was unveiled at a conference in Los Angeles in May. The project, initiated by Toyota’s president two years ago, combines a battery and electric powertrain designed by Tesla with the RAV4 compact SUV model. The new car will be built at a Toyota Canadian plant.

According to the Journal’s story, the new RAV4 EV will have the longest EPA estimated driving range rating of any non-luxury electric vehicle.

Click here to read the full story.

Ben Freed covers business for AnnArbor.com. Reach him at 734-623-2528 or email him at benfreed@annarbor.com. Follow him on twitter @BFreedinA2

Comments

BernieP

Thu, Aug 16, 2012 : 3:31 a.m.

Targeting an annual volume of 6.

Tag

Thu, Aug 16, 2012 : 12:56 a.m.

Odd or maybe poorly written article. Headline and first paragraph talk about the RAV4 electric. Second paragraph jumps and talks about the Toyota Avalon and the TTC, then the third paragraph jumps back to talking about the RAV4, without any sort of transition. Kinda confusing and IMO could be written better.

shepard145

Thu, Aug 16, 2012 : 12:21 a.m.

Get them before they're gone!! ...I mean bankrupt. Is anybody asking why yet? And how much of our tax dollars did obama borrow from the Chinese to give to Tesla to make this car? Beyond stupid.