Featured 2020 RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid Spy Shots

Eeexcellent.

I think un-Priusing the PHEV is one of the best things Toyota could do.

 

The Prime supports 19kW CHAdeMO in Japan.

And every Tesla.

Very few places use oil for electrical power generation, so even if your electricity is still a mix of coal and natural gas, you're still way better off than using oil in the form of gasoline.

 

I’m new to this (estimating benefits of EV/Phev ca a traditional hybrid), so I could be way off. I went to a government website that estimated the carbon of a relatively efficient EV nationally and by state. I then did some calculations assuming the Rav4 PHEV efficieny was similar to an upcoming Escape PHEV (30 miles of range from a 14 kwh battery estimate).

My numbers say that in MN, where a good chunk of our electricity comes from coal, the electric miles would be equivalent to 41mpg from an emissions standpoint. It would be barely better than a standard Rav4 hybrid, and worse than a Gen4 Prius.

 

Carbon Dioxide isn't the only issue.
NOx and SOx matter.
Resource depletion matters.
Where we obtain our materials matters.
What industries compete for use of the same material matters.

Every one of these reasons sees use of oil for energy in a bad light. Therefore, even if the carbon argument is a wash, not using gasoline for energy is a big winner.

 

The 2017 MN electricity grid was 39% coal, down from 66% coal in 2001. That's not great for any BEV or PHEV running on electric, but I still think a PHEV Rav4 will beat the HEV version in environmental impact. Also, the MN grid is steadily improving, particularly with wind, so even if the PHEV Rav4 isn't better now, it probably would be in the future.

 

I am getting 43.2 MPG in my '19 Rav4 hybrid. Good but not great. Better than expected. Would I like a plug in, sure. But while waiting, this is the compromise at the price point I was willing to make. Now 3 hybrids in the family and that doesn't even count the one I just sold.