Why The 6th Generation Toyota RAV4 Is Important For The EV Revolution

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Last Updated on: 22nd May 2025, 01:24 pm

“Game-changer” is a much overworked phrase these days. We see it all the time in the headlines that clatter into our teletype machines in the CleanTechnica newsroom. A company adds a new paint color or increases the diameter of the rear brake discs by 1 millimeter and it’s “Stop the presses!” Suddenly it’s “game-changer” time. We confess most of those breathless announcements wind up in the round file. But Toyota introduced its 6th generation RAV4 this week and it truly is a game-changer for a number of reasons that are important to those of us who are tracking the EV Revolution.

No, the new RAV4 is not battery-electric, although the reincarnated C-HR will be. The big news here is that the new RAV4 will have the same hybrid or plug-in hybrid options as before, but this time, a conventional version powered solely by a gasoline engine will not be available. This is huge news. According to Tim Levin at Inside EVs, the RAV4 is the third bestselling vehicle in the US, outsold only by the Ford F-150 and Chevy Silverado.

If you remember what happened to Jeep when it gave its vehicles square headlights, the backlash from loyal customers can be fierce when companies mess with success. The gamble Toyota is taking is that current RAV4 owners will not be upset when they find out they can no longer choose a good old fashioned gas-sucking, emissions-spewing version of their favorite car. What they will get instead is a vehicle that has a combined fuel economy rating of 39 mpg for the base hybrid version — 9 mpg higher than the gas-only models.

Stop and think about that for a moment. The current administration is hellbent on rolling back fuel economy standards, claiming the auto industry doesn’t have the technological knowhow to meet them. Then Toyota goes ahead and introduces a model that is 30 percent more efficient. Take THAT, right wing crazies! We wonder if customers will picket their Toyota dealerships demanding the right to burn more gasoline?

When the new RAV4 begins arriving at Toyota dealerships later this year, the base hybrid model will come standard with front-wheel drive and 226 horsepower, or customers can select an all-wheel drive version with 236 horsepower. The plug-in hybrid powertrain will be rated at 320 horsepower. People who want to know more about the welter of powertrain and trim options can read all about it in this Toyota press release.

Toyota RAV4 Gets More Powerful PHEV Powertrain

According to Car and Driver, the hybrid powertrains in the new RAV4 have been upgraded from those offered in the current versions of the car. The base hybrid uses a 2.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder gasoline engine with more oomph than the engine used previously. Customers can now get that setup in a front-wheel drive only version. In the current car, AWD was standard. The optional all-wheel drive version adds an electric motor to power the rear wheels.

The plug-in hybrid version used to be known at the RAV4 Prime, but the word Prime has now been deleted — just another way in which Toyota is making modern technology seem normal to its customers. The Prime had 302 total horsepower; the new powertrain bumps that up to 320 horsepower. The new system also raises the battery-only range from 42 miles to 50 miles, which means drivers who actually bother to plug their cars in can accomplish more of their daily driving on electrons alone.

What this does, of course, is get people used to driving on electricity, which will eliminate the strangeness of the idea and make them more receptive to driving a battery-electric car in the future. CleanTechnica readers, for the most part, turn their noses up at plug-in hybrids because they have all the complexity of internal combustion engines, which most of us consider unnecessary. But they eliminate the fear so many people have of being stuck with a depleted battery on the side or the road at night in East Overshoe and needing to call a tow truck. With the current administration doing everything in its power to inhibit the expansion of EV charger infrastructure, PHEVs may suddenly have become more relevant for some drivers.

Speaking of charging, the current RAV4 Prime cannot charge using a Level 3 DC fast charger, but some versions of the new RAV4 PHEV will be able to. In particular, the Woodland and XSE models have CCS charging ports — not NACS, for some curious reason — but the SE and GS Sport versions are limited to Level 1 or Level 2 charging. Toyota says the models that support fast charging can replenish the 22.7 kWh battery from 10 to 80% in 30 minutes. That is not exactly stellar charging performance, but it is a step in the right direction. The RAV4 Prime was equipped with an 18.2 kWh battery.

Evolutionary, Not Revolutionary

Styling is in the eye of the holder, and the refreshed exterior of the sixth generation RAV4 continues with the chunky look that customers find so appealing, including the faux fender flares that are de rigeur for off road enthusiasts.  The interior has more screens and fewer knobs and buttons, which some will lament. Towing capacity of the AWD hybrid and plug-in hybrid models is now rated at 3500 pounds. However, the front-wheel drive hybrid and the LE AWD model are limited to the same 1750 pounds towing capacity as is the case with current models.

So how much will the new RAV4 cost? Toyota says final pricing information with be forthcoming closer to the new car’s on-sale date later this year. Car and Driver says it expects the base price to increase somewhat, given that the hybrid powertrain is standard. “We expect the base LE to kick off at around $34,000, and the GR Sport PHEV may crest $51,000.” it says. The kicker, of course, is what impact the tariff insanity promoted by the current administration will have on Toyota and every other automaker that sells its vehicles in the US. Depending on how Toyota sources the components for the new RAV4, prices could be affected a little or a lot.

Toyota is making the new RAV4 appeal to a broad range of customers. The Woodland trim will appeal to off-road enthusiasts with chunky all terrain tires, standard all-wheel drive, and faux skid plates. Those with a preference for performance have a new trim level available, the GR Sport, which features a more aggressive appearance and different suspension tuning. The GR Sport is only available with the more powerful PHEV powertrain and 20-inch wheels fitted with summer tires.

The Toyota Camry is now only available as a hybrid. Since Toyota has a large and loyal customer base in the US, its emphasis on hybrids and PHEVs will necessarily change people’s minds about driving a more fuel efficient car with lower total tailpipe emissions. Ford and GM say they are going to follow suit, but haven’t done so in any meaningful way as of yet, which makes staid Toyota sort of a trailblazer, at least in the US. We need to take our successes where we find them.