Unicorn Spotting at Work

"FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com" (alphaass)
05/27/2016 at 11:42 • Filed to: TOYOTA

Apologies for potato pic through my filthy window. First-gen RAV4 EV. Possibly !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! , though there are rumors that some of the 1,484 leased ones that were supposed to go back to Toyota and be disassembled made their way out into the public. Either way, it’s a rare bird. I’ve seen this one driving around several times in the last month, but this is the first time I’ve seen it parked. I’m thinking it is possible this is someone’s DD.

ETA: From the comments it sounds like a lot you have seen these things around recently, so it would seem that despite the low production these are drivers not collector items. Always cool to see rare cars out there being driven. Also despite being an early EV and the low production it would appear the typical Toyota build quality and reliability is present and accounted for.

DISCUSSION (22)

Party-vi > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
05/27/2016 at 11:46

I seen’t one of these on my way home once.

HammerheadFistpunch > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
05/27/2016 at 11:47

My uncle had one as a prototype for a while and he said it was a great little car, way more powerful than the gas version (which isn’t hard)

S65 > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
05/27/2016 at 11:48

I Didn’t Even Know There Was A Electric RAV4 Of Any Sort.....

SidewaysOnDirt still misses Bowie > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
05/27/2016 at 11:50

Wow, I didn’t think any of them made it out of the lease program.

Aaron M - MasoFiST > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
05/27/2016 at 11:51

There was one around Pittsburgh when I was in college...of course now CMU has an electric vehicle working group, so even by the time I left the city in 2011 there were already a number of both stock and modified electric cars tooling around.

Future next gen S2000 owner > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
05/27/2016 at 11:52

There was a hotel in Vail, CO that used one as a shuttle around town. Last time I saw it was around 2011-2012.

dsgolson > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
05/27/2016 at 11:52

Woah, I’ve never seen one of these! Not even when I lived in San Francisco.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > HammerheadFistpunch
05/27/2016 at 11:53

I’ve never driven the first-gen gas or EV, but my wife had a 2nd-gen that was more powerful than the first (thanks to VVT-i, which completely failed as soon as the warranty was up but that is a story for another day), and it was a slug. Having even less power would be painful. From what I read the EV was also pretty slow on paper, but if it’s like other EV’s I’ve driven the off-line torque would make it feel quick in town.

Invinciblejets > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
05/27/2016 at 11:53

Never seen one didn’t even know it exsisted.

HammerheadFistpunch > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
05/27/2016 at 11:54

I owned a 96 and even though I desperately loved that car, it was dog slow.

415s30 W123TSXWaggoIIIIIIo ( •_•))°) > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
05/27/2016 at 11:54

I see a few in SF, I saw one last week.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
05/27/2016 at 11:55

Someone in my town has one. Which makes sense because I live in hippie central.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > S65
05/27/2016 at 11:55

Yep, there were actually 2 generations of the EV. They made one more recently based on the 3rd-gen RAV4. I’ve never seen one of those, but I recall reading a blurb about it in C&D.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > HammerheadFistpunch
05/27/2016 at 11:57

I have a strong want for a first-gen manual soft-top. They didn’t make many and most on the market are in rough shape, though.

Jagvar > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
05/27/2016 at 12:05

Tom Hanks (still) has one, but his is green.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > Jagvar
05/27/2016 at 12:07

This is awesome. I had no idea.

Kinja'd!!!

HammerheadFistpunch > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
05/27/2016 at 12:08

mine was a 1st gen 5 speed with the optional Torsen rear LSD, it was a fun car. AWD, Manual, LSD, 2800 lbs

Amoore100 > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
05/27/2016 at 12:41

They’re all over the Bay Area. I heard that they used Tesla power trains in the third hen RAV4 EV which eventually led to the fallout between Tesla and Toyota because of reliability issues.

FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com > HammerheadFistpunch
05/27/2016 at 12:58

I wish we could still have lightweight, MT, AWD crossovers. The HR-V with an MT is only FWD and that is almost 2900 lb. The Renegade is probably the closest thing out there to the original RAV4, but the 4x4 manual is 3,200 lb. and also its an FCA vehicle so it will probably fall apart in about 60,000 miles.

Satoshi "Zipang" Katsura > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
05/27/2016 at 13:42

Needs a 3S-GE BEAMS swap. Or have the engine in the back with the motor in front.

Dr. Zoidberg - RIP Oppo > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
05/27/2016 at 13:50

That handsome socially-conscious talented rat bastard.

E90M3 > FTTOHG Has Moved to https://opposite-lock.com
05/28/2016 at 14:22

Kinja'd!!!

I saw one a long time ago at Costco in Alpharetta GA, they might not be collectable, but still very rare.