Toyota is maximizing the use of RAV4 EVs

[Tideland Prius]

June 29, 2006 – Torrance, CA - Toyota has a policy to keep RAV4 EVs in service for as long as they are sustainable. As a full electric zero-emission battery-powered vehicle, RAV4 EV played an important role in the lineup of Toyota's environmentally-advanced vehicles. From 1998 to 2003, RAV4 EV served as a rolling laboratory, contributing technologies that have been incorporated into Toyota's hybrid vehicles which have gained wide accepted by consumers. It featured advanced nickel-metal hydride batteries, a reliable electric drivetrain, an early form of energy-saving regenerative braking, and a computerized power management system. Toyota is committed to keeping environmentally-advanced vehicles on the road as long as they are safe and it is practical to do so.

Highlights of Toyota's policy:

• RAV4 EVs are not being removed from service based solely on age or lease expiration.

• Retail lessees may renew their leases up to 60 months, then purchase their vehicles, or return them, at their option. Fleet lessees may extend their leases in renewable 12-month terms for as long as they are sustainable.

• RAV4 EVs that are returned to Toyota and are determined to be supportable and safe to operate are redeployed. They may be leased to a new fleet customer, loaned to community groups, including national and state parks, or placed in the Toyota company fleet.

• Determination of the usability of returned RAV4 EVs will be based on overall operational condition and exterior and interior condition.

• RAV4 EVs that are taken out of service are used to ensure a supply of unique electronic used salvaged parts to assist our customers with their long term parts needs. This includes battery packs and modules as well as other high-cost components that are unique to the EV. Toyota has enlisted a third party to administer this long term parts salvage program.

• After salvaging electronic parts, RAV4 EVs will undergo a thorough recycling process to maximize recovery of materials.


Source: Toyota Pressroom

[darelldd]

Indeed. They've managed to make it sound like their idea, haven't they? Lost in this wonderful missive is how Toyota was crushing the off-lease vehicles as a matter of course - regardless of condition. We've now stopped that practice, and this is their current official policy - which is awesome. I only wish they'd adopted it on their own....

[AnOldHouse]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(darelldd @ Jul 7 2006, 12:01 AM) [snapback]282404[/snapback]</div>

Indeed. They've managed to make it sound like their idea, haven't they? Lost in this wonderful missive is how Toyota was crushing the off-lease vehicles as a matter of course - regardless of condition. We've now stopped that practice, and this is their current official policy - which is awesome. I only wish they'd adopted it on their own....
[/b]

It's a great policy, but clearly a knee jerk reaction to the release of the film "Who Killed the Electric Car?", lest Toyota be cast in the same light as GM regarding their destruction of virtually all of their perfectly viable EV1 cars.

[darelldd]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(AnOldHouse @ Jul 6 2006, 09:15 PM) [snapback]282410[/snapback]</div>

It's a great policy, but clearly a knee jerk reaction to the release of the film "Who Killed the Electric Car?", lest Toyota be cast in the same light as GM regarding their destruction of virtually all of their perfectly viable EV1 cars.
[/b]

Certainly it looks that way, but we got this policy in writing many months before the movie was announced. Toyota ended up doing it for the right reasons... they just didn't do it without some serious prodding.

[gschoen]

Whether it was the origiinal policy or not, it's not fair to criticize if they changed their policy by your input. It's like telling your dog to sit, they don't, you tell them again, they do, and you scold them for sitting. Well, maybe not exactly the same analogy, but you get the idea... If a company responds to consumer input, we should thank them for listening, and not complain they didn't do it in the first place. Else why should they bother listening to consumers, other than for marketing decisions?

[wstander]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(Tideland Prius @ Jul 1 2006, 08:33 PM) [snapback]279917[/snapback]</div>

• Retail lessees may renew their leases up to 60 months, then purchase their vehicles, or return them, at their option. Fleet lessees may extend their leases in renewable 12-month terms for as long as they are sustainable.

• RAV4 EVs that are returned to Toyota and are determined to be supportable and safe to operate are redeployed. They may be leased to a new fleet customer, loaned to community groups, including national and state parks, or placed in the Toyota company fleet.

[/b]

So, as I read this, I as a non-fleet customer to be, will never be able to lease or purchase one of these because I was not in the 'chosen group' or a "fleet customer, loaned to community groups, including national and state parks, or placed in the Toyota company fleet."

Sigh...

[AnOldHouse]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(darelldd @ Jul 7 2006, 12:26 AM) [snapback]282417[/snapback]</div>

Certainly it looks that way, but we got this policy in writing many months before the movie was announced. Toyota ended up doing it for the right reasons... they just didn't do it without some serious prodding.
[/b]

Gotcha.

Well, certainly the timing of the press release with the information is definitely a direct response to the release of "WKtEC?". Since you and other Rav4EV owners already had been informed of this policy, what other point would there be to ever do a press release about it, and especially right now?

[darelldd]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(wstander @ Jul 7 2006, 08:59 AM) [snapback]282538[/snapback]</div>

So, as I read this, I as a non-fleet customer to be, will never be able to lease or purchase one of these because I was not in the 'chosen group' or a "fleet customer, loaned to community groups, including national and state parks, or placed in the Toyota company fleet."

Sigh...
[/b]

Possibly... but very unlikely. Our main push was to just keep these vehicles on the road as long as they were functional. There were obvious compromises along the way...

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(gschoen @ Jul 7 2006, 08:28 AM) [snapback]282524[/snapback]</div>

Whether it was the origiinal policy or not, it's not fair to criticize if they changed their policy by your input. [/b]

I agree. That doesn't stop me from being a bit angry at what a large percentage of these fine vehicles had already been crushed before this new policy was adopted. Most people who read the press release don't realize that this is a NEW policy - and assume it has been in place from the beginning for this vehicle. My main point is to mention that this is a relatively new development *after* many of the vehicles have been removed from the road and destroyed.

Yes... I do agree that I shouldn't cirticize them for finally "seeing the light."

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(AnOldHouse @ Jul 7 2006, 09:05 AM) [snapback]282545[/snapback]</div>

Gotcha.

Well, certainly the timing of the press release with the information is definitely a direct response to the release of "WKtEC?". Since you and other Rav4EV owners already had been informed of this policy, what other point would there be to ever do a press release about it, and especially right now?
[/b]

I wasn't thinking in terms of timing of the press release.... hmmm. Interesting proposition, certainly. Very interesting.

[theorist]

I was surprised to see the RAV4-EV in the Zip-car rental fleet around Boston. I believe these are the oldest vehicles in the zipcar fleet. Zip-car does pride itself on renting hip cars, often to environmentalist customers who pride themselves on not owning a car. Maybe I'll get a zip-car membership to try out the Rav4-EV (and the Mini, Mini Convertible, BMW 325, Volvo S40, etc. .)

[darelldd]

<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(theorist @ Jul 8 2006, 06:32 PM) [snapback]283164[/snapback]</div>

I was surprised to see the RAV4-EV in the Zip-car rental fleet around Boston. [/b]

Wow. News to me! That's pretty slick. The EV1 was the only other EV in rental fleets that I know of. I wonder if Zip-car owns the vehicles at this point. In a few more months, there will be little other option to still have one in your posession.