The cheapest Tesla you can buy is a 2013 Toyota RAV4 EV Jun 19th 2013 Tesla cars are supercool—and superexpensive. But there’s actually a Tesla-powered car that’s noticeably less expensive—if still not really cheap—and it’s called the 2013 Toyota RAV4 EV. Yes, Toyota took its popular small SUV and outfitted it with a Tesla-built battery and all-electric drivetrain. An electric car this roomy and practical should catch the eye of people who didn’t think they could fit their life into the smaller-sized competition. But there are two caveats: One, the RAV4 EV starts at just under $50,000—compared to a starting price of $23,300 for the non-electric Toyota RAV4. Also,its range on a full charge hovers around 100 miles—competitive with smaller all-electrics, but disappointing for the road trips this roomy car seems to invite. Given that Tesla demonstrates its swappable battery tomorrow, wouldn’t it be nice if this cousin could also enjoy that service? Dream on, but don’t hold your breath. Designed to save battery life For what it’s worth, Toyota has made some extra effort to boost the car’s electric power. The company designed a longer rear spoiler and special side-view mirrors for the SUV, to improve aerodynamics. The car also comes equipped with power-saving tools for the driver, including two different climate eco modes and two different drive modes (“Normal,” which has a maximum speed of 85 mph, and “Sport,” which has a maximum speed of 100 mph). A special “Eco Coach” for the driver shows an overall driving score (out of 100) along with a breakdown of how the driver is doing at acceleration, speed, and braking. Unfortunately. it doesn’t give information on how your driving directly affects the car’s power. A high-tech interior The cabin has multiple screens, including three that make up the all-digital instrument cluster. The instrument cluster screens consist of a range meter (think of it as your gas gauge), a speedometer/odometer, and a customizable screen that shows various modes (Eco Coach, Trip Efficiency, etc). The 8-inch touchscreen on the console is where you’ll find the car’s infotainment features, such as media, apps, phone connectivity, navigation, and EV information. The display can be partially controlled by voice commands and steering wheel buttons, in case you don’t want to take your eyes off the road. If you want to talk to your car, you can tap the voice-recognition button on the steering wheel and say a command. Voice recognition on the RAV4 EV is quite responsive—I’d say it’s just below Audi’s excellent voice recognition system, and far above Ford’s. The car understands most of what you say (though it did mistake “Home Goods” for “Pizza” on more than one occasion). As a touchscreen, the navigation screen is responsive and easy to use. A single, physical button under the screen takes you to the home screen when pressed—Apple users will feel right at home. To use certain features, such as apps via Toyota Entune, you’ll need to connect your phone and use its data plan. Apps include Bing Internet search, iHeartRadio streaming music, and OpenTable restaurant reservations. On the RAV4 EV, you can also use an app that shows you charging stations based on your car’s location. Volume controls are sparser than they should be My only issue with the controls: volume. First of all, the car lacks physical volume controls. In order to change the volume, you must tap the upper left corner of the navigation screen and then use the on-screen slider. The physical volume controls on the steering wheel may suffice for the driver, but not the passenger. Also, the car doesn’t automatically dim music volume when it gives directions. The RAV4 EV has one more screen: a small, full-color one, below the main navigation screen. Similar to what we saw in the Toyota Avalon, it displays the car’s climate settings and has touch-sensitive buttons. These were impressively easy to find and tap, and ultra-sensitive, so they worked better than I thought they would. A car you buy for love, not money The 2013 Toyota RAV4 EV is an interesting car: It’s high-tech on the inside, family-crossover-SUV on the outside, and…really expensive for a second vehicle. One of the supposed paybacks for hybrid or electric vehicles is the gas expense you’ll save over time. Given the RAV4 EV’s limited range, you’d have to work hard—really hard—to rack up enough miles to get your return on investment. The 2013 RAV4 EV is not a car you buy because it makes economic sense. It’s a car you buy because you care about the environment—and need to haul a lot of stuff around town. techhive/article/2042264/the-cheapest-tesla-you-can-buy-is-a-2013-toyota-rav4-ev.html
Posted on: Wed, 10 Jul 2013 02:57:22 +0000
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