Japan · 1998 U.S. fleet model · program launched October 1997

Toyota RAV4 EV

An ordinary-looking small SUV helped test what everyday life with a battery car could be like.

Electric cars

Exterior · Photo shows exact-generation-and-powertrain, vehicle year unspecified. Source identifies a first-generation electric RAV4 photographed in California in 2007. The individual vehicle year is not established; use as a representative first-generation RAV4 EV.
1998 Toyota RAV4 EV · Plug In America · CC BY-SA 2.0

Auction-based estimated value

Research pending

A matching completed auction sale has not been verified for this exact year, body, trim, engine, transmission and market.

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A place in vehicle history

More than a set of wheels.

Toyota began offering the RAV4 EV to U.S. fleet operators in October 1997. Toyota’s U.S. history identifies the cars as model years 1998 through 2003, so this page uses 1998 for the early American vehicle. It carried a nickel-metal-hydride battery instead of a fuel tank and gave fleet drivers a practical way to try electric travel.

Look a little closer.

In an EV America test, the 1998 RAV4 EV travelled 94 miles on the SAE J1634 driving cycle.

Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.

A range figure needs a test name

EV America measured 110.9 miles at a steady 45 mph and 86.9 miles at 60 mph. Its driving-cycle result was 94.0 miles. These are results for a tested car under stated conditions, not a promise that every journey or every aged battery will achieve the same distance.

Source: U.S. DOE EV America · 1998 Toyota RAV4 EV with NiMH test sheet ↗

Room for people, room for batteries

Toyota placed the five-door version’s battery beneath the cabin floor. That left room for five people and their luggage. The electric motor also enabled regenerative braking, while a heat-pump climate system reduced the challenge of heating and cooling a car without a petrol engine.

Source: Toyota GB · RAV4 Electric Vehicle, August 1999 technical background ↗

Where these facts come from

Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed September 30, 2026.

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