The Toyota RAV4 EV has been an on-again, off-again, on-again venture, and still doesn’t seem to be garnering much attention from consumers. In fact, Toyota doesn’t seem to be placing a whole lot of faith in their electric vehicle [EV] program at all. Still, that hasn’t prevented them from offering EVs in California, the prime state to even out their Corporate Average Fuel Economy [CAFE], where not meeting that standard means they can’t even sell there.
Sure, the RAV4 EV might be CAFE fodder, but they’re having a lot of trouble selling them. Starting just shy of $50,000, the RAV4 EV doesn’t deliver $50,000 of range, which is pushing some consumers away. Toyota dealers in California are offering additional discounts on top of federal and California tax incentives that make the deal even sweeter.
Federal EV tax incentives amount to $7,500, then California’s EV incentive is up to $2,500, which is helping many people get into EVs cheaper. California Toyota dealers are offering an additional $5,000 discount on the RAV4 EV, plus and additional $2,500 if you trade in your old Toyota. Imagine getting a up to $17,500 off a RAV4 EV.
Is it worth it? Paying just $32,500 for an EV seems like it could be a good deal, but with a range of about 100 miles could still put people off. For comparison, the Tesla Model S with a 40 kWh battery starts at $49,500 and has a range of 160 miles, but it is also a smaller and more aerodynamic vehicle. Personally, getting 100 miles range for $32,500 in an SUV is actually not all that bad.
