Featured 2019 RAV4 hybrid endorsed by Tesla short seller

'reduced charging time', are we getting a plug in rav4?

$800. more? that would be a paradigm change for toyota, and a welcome one. still, people will be weighing that $800. vs fuel savings based on their driving, and the headache of owning a hybrid.

 

I came across that article, and stopped reading when it listed the electric rate they used. All in(taxes, line fees, etc), I pay around 16 cents here.

Yep it is. If you were going to get AWD either way. So Toyota managed some major cost cutting for the hybrid system, or there was a lot of profit in the mechanical AWD system to cover the cost.

 

would love to see that happen with camry

 

First - that guy is trolling. He is a short trying to spread FUD. I doubt he would buy a hybrid.
Second - He is comparing a sports sedan that accelerates 0-60 in 5 seconds to a CUV that probably does it in around 9 seconds. They are extremely different vehicles and his metric fuel cost per mile is corrupted by his bad cost assumptions. If you want to compare it to a toyota hybrid its closest to the lexus es hybrid, and the market says people want the model 3 a lot more than any lexus hybrid or not.

But third, the rav4 hybrid appears to be a big leap forward in toyota's hybridization of the awd CUV. Toyota is doing it on their best selling vehicle, and the 2019 model seems to check all the boxes except for a plug. Forbes reviewed it and said that the hybrid was the one to get. $800 is a small price for a longer warranty and more power, with the hybrid you get those plus better fuel economy. This has nothing to do with the tesla, but he's using it to get eyeballs.

 

Gas at $2.319 the other day.

Any attempt to project rates over a long time span to justify immediate spending more for a hybrid or EV is doomed.

I tried it buying my hybrid and am only off by about $6k in higher costs and lower savings on an around $32k purchase. Investment return higher for the additional outlay, gas prices consistently less than my estimate in 2012, depreciation more on hybrid, depreciation lower on cars traded, etc. Electricity rates here are bound to go up to pay for environmental damage from coal ash generated in the past.

Buy on utility, fun, green contribution, uniqueness, want.

 

All-New 2019 Toyota RAV4 Prices Revealed - How Much More Than the Outgoing 2018? | Torque News
From the 2 wd the hybrid is $2200 more expensive the awd is $1400 more expensive. The camry xle hybrid is $3800 more expensive.

Someone guestimated the cost of a model 3 motor and inverter and gearing to be $2500. Toyota's mg3/inverter/gearing probably costs them around $800, it is much less powerful doesn't require as complicated of an inverter. That would mean the step up from automatic transmission is only $1400 in the rav4 hybrid, but almost 3 times as much in the camry hybrid. Either there is a big profit in that camry hybrid versus conventional, or toyota is taking a much smaller profit on the rav4 hybrid than the conventional rav4s to gain market share.

 

hard to know intentions. maybe they figured the 50 mpg would be enough stimulus

 

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Is that a fair comparison?
So he's saying $67 per 1000 miles or 6.7 cents/mile. And for the Tesla M3 he's saying 250 wh/mile.
That is probably a good number, on average. But he said in "California" where I'm getting closer to 200 wh/mile (mild weather and high gas and electric costs). But my cost to charge at home is (or would be) $0.18 per kwh from PG&E, which most people would be paying most of the time.
Additionally, with gas you have no option except to pay the local rate.
I have solar, so my rate would really be below $0.10 per kwh...except when I get to charge for free at work...which is most of the time since the battery in the car is so big.
But at $0.10/kwh I can drive 1000 miles at 2 cents per mile or $20. That might not be typical, but it is impossible in any gas car rated at 39 mpg.
Sure, if I need/want to drive to LA I'll have to use supercharger rates for a bit over half the miles. No big deal because I don't do that often and it really isn't as convenient in any other EV.

Mike

 

Any cost comparison must factor in the additional costs you paid for the PHV and in your case the costs of your solar system. Spread out over years or miles, true. And the gain you would have had investing those costs since you paid for them.

 

I read a comparison review the other day which much preferred the CRV but which completely ignored the CRV's 1.5L engine's troubles with defrost, cabin heat, rising oil levels and gas in the oil. A quick browse of a CRV forum would find half the messages there relate to these subjects. Oddly, some have the issues and some don't.

It reminded me to wait a while after a new model's introduction for initial troubles to be shaken out.

 

Without getting into the normal side bars, our 2017 RAV4 HV has a lifetime real of 30 mpg. Getting 39 mpg in a 2019 is better than 30.

 

can't argue with that kine of improvement

 

I was comparing to my Tesla, just like in the OP. My home energy costs are not really ~$0.10/kwh...it is more like $0.07 (cost of solar and qty of generation over 25 years...even though the warranty is for 30 years). I increased it to $0.10 to account for loss of investment income.

Mike

 

I'm getting about 35mpg over 11k miles in an 18 Rav4 Hybrid with a max range of 518 (14.8 gal in hybrid) miles per tank. Same driving style I should expect 42-ish mpg in a new 19 Rav4 Hybrid. I averaged 55mpg in a 17 Prius over 12k miles and 50mpg in a 13 Prius over like 8k miles.