Would You Like a RAV4 Prime and 1,000 miles per gallon?
Consumers Reports' writers discuss the RAV4 Prime Plug-in hybrid and its ability to do 800 miles of driving with half a tank.
Many new EV models are arriving each day, but many early adopters realize that there’s not many plug-in hybrids (PHEV) or all-electric SUVs in the marketplace as of January 2021. The Rivian SUV is coming to consumers in 2021 — now 2022 (9/8/21) — and Volvo’s plug-ins and XC40s are here, but they don’t have huge range and many owners want towing.
Announced in 2019, the RAV4 Prime plug-in hybrid (PHEV) carries 42 electric miles — gas-assist from there — seemed to be ready for “prime-times” sales in 2020. But, Covid 19 hit. However, the Toyota isn’t getting behind the PHEV vehicle even as owners love the 1,000 miles it can get on one tank of gas. Toyota sold 5,000 RAV4 Primes in 2020.
With any marketing and education push, this PHEV would be a winner in the U.S. but Toyota isn’t getting behind it. Anyway, below is a great use case review from Consumer Reports and the 1,000 miles per tank should resonate with consumers.
If truck owners want freedom, rugged build quality, power and quiet EV driving, then the RAV4 Prime Plug-In seems to be the hands-down winner.
This same sentiment is shared on the recent Consumer Reports’ Talking Cars episode. John Goreham, long-time New England Motor Press Association member, was able to test the RAV4 Prime PHEV for over 800+ miles and didn’t use half of the gas in the tank to achieve this amount of driving.
Goreham mentioned that the vehicle offers 30+ miles of charge during the winter (rated for 42-mi.); used it primarily around town and charged the vehicle with a standard 120V outlet in his garage. Goreham plugs the vehicle in at 6 pm and is fully charged by the next morning.
Hopefully, Toyota will supply more than 5,000 of these vehicles to the U.S. in 2021.
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