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2011 NAIAS: Toyota RAV4 Electric

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For the second time on US soil Japanese manufacturer Toyota is presenting the RAV4 electric, its first EV developed in collaboration with Tesla Motors. On the floor of the Cobo Center at the North American Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, the model has been snapped by the team we sent to Motor City.

The electric RAV4 will enter production soon, with the first models to roll off the assembly lines just in time to be launched on the market in 2012 (35 electric RAV4 vehicles will be produced and used for demonstration and evaluation purposes this year).

When it will arrive, the exterior of the model will be a bit different than that of the regular production version, with modifications made to the front bumper, grille, fog lamps and head lamps.

Of course, visual appearance is not what Toyota went after when partnering with Tesla to create the model. The electric drive train which powers the model, supplied by Tesla, comes in the form of 30 kW lithium metal oxide which gives it a range of around 100 miles (160 km).

At the interior, the electric RAV4 features custom seat trim, multimedia dash displays, push-button shifter
and dashboard meters. According to Toyota, no cargo space has been launched with the fitting of the battery system (73-cubic-foot cargo area with rear seats folded down).

So far, the Japanese manufacturer has been reluctant in releasing more revealing photos of the model. The live gallery shot by our team in Detroit can be found below, to be used for all those who want to take a closer look at the model.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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