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The Toyota ‘RAV4 EV’ concept, an
electric vehicle jointly developed with Tesla, has made its debut at the
Los Angeles Auto Show.
A total of 35 vehicles will be built
for a demonstration and evaluation program through 2011, with the
introduction of a final production model in the US in 2012. The final
production vehicle will have a target range of 100 miles in actual road
driving patterns, in a wide range of climates and conditions.
The RAV4 EV concept is based on the
current Toyota RAV4 compact SUV body and fitted with a Tesla electric
powertrain.
“When we decided to work together on
the RAV4 EV, President Akio Toyoda wanted to adopt a new development
model that incorporated Tesla’s streamlined, quick-action approach,”
said Jim Lentz, president and chief operating officer, Toyota Motor
Sales USA.
“The result was a hybrid – a new
decision and approval process and a development style that our engineers
refer to as “fast and flexible.”
Led by the Toyota Motor Engineering and
Manufacturing North America (TEMA) Technical Centre in Michigan, the new
development model helped reduce development time without compromising
product quality. The team has accomplished this by approaching the
project as they would a typical mid-cycle “major-minor” product change.
Specifically, midway through a generation, the team began with a fully
engineered current-generation RAV4, to which was added a major
powertrain option, along with minor feature and cosmetic
changes.
Tesla was responsible for building and
supplying the battery, as well as other related parts, that met specific
Toyota engineering specifications in performance, quality and
durability. Toyota was responsible for development and manufacturing
leadership and the seamless integration of the powertrain.
“From the beginning, the customer
experience has been the focus,” said Lentz. “In other words, how do we
deliver an unconventional product to mainstream customers that is
compelling and affordable and that offers an acceptable level of daily
convenience.”
A large part of the team’s focus on the
customer experience targeted driveability. In this case, the end goal is
a vehicle with driveability characteristics as close to the conventional
RAV4 as possible. For example, the demonstration vehicle weighs
approximately 100kg more than the current RAV4 V6 (US model) yet it will
accelerate from zero to sixty nearly as quickly.
This added weight factor required
significant retuning of major components and a prioritized focus on
weight distribution. Not only were suspension and steering modified
significantly, major components needed to be relocated to better balance
the increased mass of the battery pack.
The demonstration vehicle Toyota is
currently testing is powered by a lithium metal oxide battery with
useable output rated in the mid-30kwh range. However, many decisions
regarding both the product, as well as the business model, have not been
finalised. Battery size and final output ratings, as well as pricing and
volume projections of the vehicle Toyota plans to bring to market in
2012, have not been decided.
As for a final assembly location,
Toyota is considering many options and combinations. The basic vehicle
will continue to be built at its Canadian production facility in
Woodstock, Ontario. Tesla will build the battery and related parts and
components at its new facility in Palo Alto, Calif. The method and
installation location of the Tesla components into the vehicle is being
discussed.
The RAV4 EV received several distinct
exterior styling changes including a new front bumper, grille, fog lamps
and head lamps. New EV badging and the custom “mutually exclusive” paint
colour, completed the transformation. The interior received custom seat
trim, multimedia dash displays, push-button shifter and dashboard
meters. No cargo space was lost in the RAV4’s conversion to an electric
powertrain.
In 1997, Toyota brought to market the
first-generation RAV4 EV in response to the California zero emission
vehicle (ZEV) mandate and was the first manufacturer to meet the
mandate’s Memo of Agreement on volume sales. Powered by a nickel-metal
hydride battery pack, the vehicle had a range of between 80-110 miles on
a single charge. From model year 1998 to model year 2003, only 1,484
vehicles were sold or leased in the U.S. 746 first-generation RAV4 EVs
are still on the road (www.toyotarav4ev.com).
“A price and convenience proved to be
critical success factors and they remain so today,” said Lentz. “But
much has changed in the last few years. Most importantly, the growing
level of awareness that sustainable mobility will come at a cost that
must be shared by the automakers, government and the consumer.”
RAV4 EV is a further example of
Toyota’s efforts to reduce the use of fossil fuels and cut CO2 emissions
by developing more efficient and alternative powertrain technologies. It
has led the industry in the development of hybrid petrol-electric
systems, as deployed in Prius, Auris hybrid and other models in markets
worldwide. |
