- Toyota currently has no plans for a RAV4 EV.
- Chief engineer Yoshinori Futonagane said the company hasn’t ‘thought it through’ yet.
- Toyota wants to have a multi-energy strategy across the model line.
Toyota’s electric SUV lineup is already expanding with new additions like the compact C-HR and three-row Highlander, along with the updated bZ. Of course, this begs the question: Will the next RAV4 be a fully electric version? The answer: Probably not.
In an interview with Australia DriveRAV4 chief engineer Yoshinori Futonagane said the EV variant is not currently a priority. According to him, the team had not considered the idea seriously.
Instead, Toyota says it is focusing on maintaining a wide range of powertrain options across its lineup, offering gas, hybrid and electric models side by side rather than combining them all into one vehicle. As Futonagane explains:
‘When Toyota said [we] If we have a multi-lane strategy, we don’t want multiple lanes crammed into one vehicle. We are trying to do that with the vehicle line-up… What Toyota is thinking at the moment is that we want to use [bZ] as the vehicle in which we explore and discover the most advanced expressions of BEV technology.’
Photo by: Toyota
Still, the RAV4 doesn’t lack electrification. It comes standard as a hybrid, featuring a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 226 horsepower. There’s also a plug-in hybrid version, which pairs the same engine with two electric motors for a combined 320 hp and an electric-only range of up to 50 miles.
For buyers who want a fully electric Toyota SUV, there are other options.
Motorcycle Pickup1: Toyota’s approach makes sense for now. With models like the bZ and C-HR already covering the EV space—and a Highlander EV on the way—the brand doesn’t seem to be rushing to electrify the RAV4.
