Toyota is now selling its all-new RAV4 EV at select California dealerships. This all-electric SUV was jointly developed by Toyota and Tesla Motors, combining a Tesla designed and pro­duced battery and electric powertrain with Toyota’s most popular SUV model. No inte­rior space was lost due to EV components

Our editors who have driven the RAV4 EV have found it to be an excellent small SUV that performs seamlessly, with an intelligent approach to electric motoring. You’re not left wanting for power, comfort,  or the kind of driving experience expected of a Toyota product…it’s all there, but without the inherent drawbacks of burning gasoline. At nearly fifty grand, though, it’s likely not for everyone.The RAV4 EV’s 154-horsepower AC induc­tion motor drives the front wheels via a fixed-gear, open-differential transaxle. There are two drive modes, ‘Sport’ and ‘Normal.’ In the Sport mode with 273 lb-ft of peak torque brought to bear, the vehicle reaches 0-60 mph in 7.0 seconds and has a top speed of 100 mph. In the Normal mode with 218 lb-ft at the ready, acceleration to 60 mph takes 8.6 seconds and top speed is 85 mph.

Its liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery is a first for Toyota. Battery thermal management systems provide consistent performance in a variety of climates. The battery pack is mounted low and to the center of the vehicle, contributing to a more sedan-like ride. Two charge modes are available, with a Standard Mode charging up to 35 kilowatt-hours for an EPA-estimated range rating of 92 miles, optimizing battery life over range. An Extended Mode charges the battery to its full capacity of 41.8 kilowatt-hours to provide an anticipated range of 113 miles. The battery is warranted for eight years or 100,000 miles.

A drag coefficient of 0.30, the lowest of any SUV in the world, is an improvement over the conventional gas powered RAV4’s Cd of 0.35. To achieve this, Toyota restyled the front bumper, upper and lower grill, side mirrors, rear spoiler, and underbody design to optimize air flow. The Toyota/Tesla designed regenerative braking system increases driving range by up to 20 percent. A tire repair kit replaces the spare to reduce weight.

An innovative climate control system offers three modes. In the NORMAL mode, it operates just like that of a conventional vehicle for maximum comfort, drawing the most power and resulting in the least range. The ECO LO mode balances comfort with improved range through reduced power consumption by the blower, air condition­ing compressor, or electric heater. In cold weather, ECO LO automatically activates and controls seat heaters to optimal levels. ECO HI further reduces blower, compressor, and heater levels and also automatically activates the seat heaters as necessary. Efficiency achievements are notable. ECO LO can reduce power consumption by up to 18 percent compared with NORMAL, while ECO HI offers up to a 40 percent reduction. Remote Climate Control – set by a timer, by the navigation display, or by using a smart phone – pre-cools or pre-heats the interior while the vehicle is plugged into the grid to save on-board battery power.Driving efficiently is assisted with an all-new instrument cluster that includes a power meter, driving range display, battery gauge, speedometer, shift indicator, and multi-information display. The latter has six screens that provide information on driving range, efficiency, trip efficiency, CO2 reduc­tion, and ECO coach and AUX power func­tions. Trip efficiency displays the average power consumption in intervals of five min­utes. Eco coach evaluates the level of eco-sensitive driving according to acceleration, speed, and braking and displays an overall score. CO2 reduction, displayed graphically via a growing tree, is compared to a conven­tional gasoline vehicle.

Premium Intellitouch Navigation features EV system screens that help maximize driv­ing range. The EV Charging schedule lets customers schedule when the vehicle will charge and activates pre-climate condition­ing based on departure time. A Range Map shows how far the car can travel on avail­able battery charge. A Charging Station app displays nearby charging stations.

 

For the shortest charge time of about six hours, Leviton offers a custom 240 volt, Level 2 charger with 40 amp / 9.6 kilowatt output. The RAV4 EV comes equipped with a 120 volt Level 1 charging cable operating at 12 amps for use when the recommended Level 2 charging is not available.

The RAV4 EV comes standard with the STAR Safety System that includes enhanced vehicle stability control, traction control, anti-lock brake system, electronic brake-force distribution, brake assist, and smart stop technology. While the RAV4 EV is pricy at $49,800, that price decreases a bit since it qualifies for a $2,500 rebate through California’s Clean Vehicle Rebate Program as well as a $7,500 federal tax credit. Toyota plans to sell about 2,600 units through 2014.

BMW's  Concept Active Tourer, a through-the-road plug-in hybrid, uses a front-mounted engine to drive the front wheels and an electric motor to drive the rear, with no mechanical connection between the two. In most hybrids the output of the engine and motor are combined. The Concept Active Tourer is the first additional application of the eDrive sys­tem used in the i8, which incorporates an electric motor, lithium-ion battery, and intelligent engine control. BMW will use the eDrive designation for all its electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles.

Like BMW’s latest four- and six-cyl­inder engines, the BMW Concept Active Tourer’s 1.5-liter three-cylinder gasoline engine uses BMW TwinPower turbo tech­nology. Even though it has only three-cylinders, BMW claims it is very smooth running even at low speeds and emits the sporty sound expected of a BMW.

The synchronous electric motor can power the car for up to 18 miles exclu­sively on a fully charged battery. It also augments the gasoline engine to provide over 190 horsepower when maximum power is required. BMW expects it will get an impressive 94 mpg, achieved partly through automatic engine start/stop and regenerative braking energy supplied the rear axle during deceleration. A high-volt­age generator connected to the 1.5-engine also charges the battery while driving.

BMW’s Concept Active Tourer has an ECO PRO mode to help reduce fuel con­sumption. When appropriate, it reduces air conditioning and other electrically powered creature comforts to increase fuel efficiency. Linked to the navigation system, ECO PRO mode gives drivers advice on how to reach a destination using minimum fuel. ECO PRO mode also completely shuts off the engine at speeds up to nearly 80 mph, and then decouples the engine from the drivetrain up to 100 mph to make full use of the kinetic energy already generated.

The Efficient Dynamics strategy uses information from the navigation system to optimize electric motor and battery ef­ficiency. For example, it calculates in ad­vance the most suitable driving situations and sections of a route for electric-only operation or to charge the battery. This optimized charging strategy can achieve an energy savings up to 10 percent and thus increase electric range.

While small on the outside, the Tourer is very roomy on the inside. It rides on a long 105 inch wheelbase and has an over­all length of 171 inches. A tall roof allows a raised seating position for an excellent all-around view. Batteries are located entirely beneath the floor so there’s no intrusion into passenger or cargo space.

Will the BMW Concept Active Tourer appear in dealer showrooms? BMW has a good track record for putting concept vehicles into production, so here’s hop­ing.

 

Most electric vehicle owners expect free public charging opportunities. Still, plenty of charging providers aim to sell such services and have built business plans around this.

Even as a pay-for-play network of charging stations emerges, we do expect many businesses to offer free charging as a way to attract environmentally-inclined customers. As all this unfolds, there’s substantial partnering going on as electric vehicle makers try to send the right message that charging stations are coming in greater numbers and many of them will indeed offer charging for free.

Case in point: Electric vehicle owners will now have access to free charging at an additional 15 charging stations in California because of an arrangement between Nissan North America and Adopt a Charger, a nonprofit group that works with companies and organizations to fund fee-free electric vehicle chargers in public places. Nissan is paying for three 220 volt Level 2 chargers at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and four Level 2 chargers at the Music Concourse Garage in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park. An additional eight 120 volt Level 1 outlets are also being sponsored at the Music Concourse.

These charging locations should get maximum visibility and use since both are at highly-visited family attractions with large concentrations of electric vehicle owners in the regions. This 'best-bang-for-the-buck' approach is sure to influence both free and pay-for-play charging locations in the future.

 

It should be no secret that electric vehicles are pricey because of the extraordinarily high cost of their advanced lithium batteries. Yet, most folks still wonder why the purchase price of a battery powered vehicle is so high. Here’s a clue: Ford’s CEO Alan Mulally has now shared that the cost of the lithium-ion batteries used in the $39,200 Ford Focus Electric – Green Car Journal’s 2011 Green Car Vision Award winner – is $12,000 to $15,000 per vehicle.

Obviously, this kind of battery cost is limiting the number of electric vehicles automakers are willing to make since building them is just one part of the equation. The other important part is selling them…and that means either convincing buyers to step up to their higher price or relying on federal or internal subsidies, or both.

We’ve been through this before. During the test marketing of battery electric vehicles in the 1990s, people wondered why electric cars couldn’t be a success. We pointed out then, as we are again now, that the batteries in the EVs of the day – the GM EV1, Honda EV Plus, Toyota RAV4 EV, and others – were likely $20,000 to $30,000 per vehicle. The latter figure was confirmed to us by the late Dave Hermance of Toyota’s electric vehicle program some years ago.

So what really killed the electric car back then? The cost of batteries. We’re just hoping that battery development costs for a new generation of electric car batteries – whether lithium-ion or other technologies – can be overcome to provide the momentum needed by the emerging electric vehicle market.