Toyota electric vehicles: overview, features, advantages and disadvantages

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42

Today, no one is surprised by such a term as an electric car. These vehicles are driven by one or more non-electric motors. And since they do not need an internal combustion engine (ICE), they can create compact cars due to the freed space. Recently, this direction has been actively developing and several foreign companies have already produced several "electric" models. The automotive corporation from Japan did not stand aside, presenting several of its versions of Toyota electric vehicles.

General Questions

Also on the market you can find hybrid cars with two engines. And this is mainly due not to concern for the environment, but rather to ways to increase power. Many buyers pay attention to how many horses are hidden under the hood, and the savingsfuel and the preservation of the environment fades into the background.

Are these electric vehicles needed? And the most important question that probably worries many motorists: can they seriously compete with vehicles with internal combustion engines? And there are many more of the latter, and euro standards are being introduced, which makes it possible to reduce the amount of harmful substances in emissions. Let's try to figure it out by reviewing Toyota's electric vehicles - RAV4 and Prius. We will also find out what advantages and disadvantages they have. But first, how it all began.

How it all started…

The first prototype of an electric car was created even before the development of internal combustion engines. In 1831, Michael Faraday discovered the phenomenon of electromagnetic induction, and a few years later an electric motor was created that was suitable for use in vehicles. And seven years after the discovery of Faraday, the first such car appeared in England, and the Scotsman Robert Davidson is to be thanked for this.

In the period from the end of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century, electric vehicles were the main transport for movement in the city, which successfully competed with their steam-powered counterparts. They were not even inferior to the first gasoline cars.

It is worth noting that it was the electric car that overcame the speed of 100 km/h, which was the first time in the world. It was possible to do this on a La Jamais Contente car, and the tests themselves were carried out in the city of Usher (near Paris). He was able to develop a maximum speed equal to105, 882 km/h, which was a record at the time.

Big popularity

If today electric vehicles "Toyota" are not yet enviably popular, then earlier such vehicles were widespread in many cities, rather than fuel analogues. A New York taxi alone in 1910 had about 70,000 electrical units! At the same time, there were a lot of not only cars, but also trucks and buses, called omnibuses. Prominent scientists, whose big names are known all over the world, took part in the development of electric vehicles - Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla.

Remarkably, at the beginning of the 20th century, this type of transport successfully fit into the urban lifestyle. Such cars were owned by we althy and intelligent people. For them, the priority was comfort and ease of maintenance, not high speed.

But more importantly, the electric cars didn't smell bad, they were clean and comfortable. The same cannot be said for the petrol carriages, which were also very noisy.

Revolution in history

Perhaps electric cars from Toyota and any other company would not have appeared at all, since cars with internal combustion engines were not going to give up just like that. Active work and research was carried out, the purpose of which was to eliminate many shortcomings. As a result, cars become more reliable, more comfortable, travel distance and speed increased. In addition, the cost of transport began to decline.

Ultimately, permanentThe development of internal combustion engine vehicles has led to the fact that electric vehicles have ceased to exist, but not completely. Some models have not lost their relevance and have been useful where there was no place for cars with internal combustion engines due to noise and gas pollution.

Interest in electric transport began to revive after the middle of the 20th century due to environmental problems. And 10 years later, thanks to the energy crisis, the cost of fuel has risen sharply.

Currently, electric vehicles have received a new development - an increasing number of well-known companies are interested in the production of ecological vehicles. There are various prototypes that are being tested and quite successfully. Hybrid transport is also being developed.

Good electrical equivalent

The world famous company Toyota has been producing electric vehicles since the end of the 20th century. A full-fledged version in this regard is the Toyota RAV4 EV crossover, which was produced in California from 1997 to 2003. And it was the first generation to come out of California concerns about the environment.

The serial version was equipped with 24 NiMH batteries, each with a capacity of 95 Ah. On one charge, the car could cover a distance of 160 to 180 km, and the maximum developed speed was 120 km/h. Only the popularity of electric vehicles was short-lived, after some time the GM EV1 was discontinued, with the removal of vehicles from their owners. Soon almost the same fate befell the RAV4, onlycars were not confiscated from the owners.

In 2010, Toyota entered into an agreement with Tesla Motors, according to which it was planned to produce environmentally friendly cars. For a while, all the details were not disclosed, but later it became clear that work was being done on the second generation of the Toyota RAV4. The first test versions were released in 2011, and their mass production began in 2012. Unfortunately, two years later, the company makes the difficult decision to stop producing the RAV4 crossover due to the loss of relevance.

Hybrid technology

Toyota began to promote not only full-fledged electric vehicles, the first hybrid, called the Toyota Hybrid System or THS, was presented to consumers back in 1997. All the main components of the future car were created at the Toyota factory, but for the production of the battery, a separate enterprise was created jointly with Panasonic.

The cars were assembled at the Takaoka Plant, and sales began at the end of the year. The novelty required a special approach to itself, and soon a special service was created that quickly tracked all the problems that buyers had. There were fears that the Toyota Prius electric car would not appeal to many people, but the fears were unfounded, as evidenced by the growth in sales.

Strengths of EVs

Now it is worth considering what are the pros and cons of electric vehicles or hybrids. And it's better to start with a pleasant one. It should be noted that there are not so many advantageslittle:

• Savings. This is a great option to save money on expensive fuel purchases. In addition, from time to time, the price of it rises rapidly, which deals a good blow to the family budget.
• Less noise. Electric motors can quietly and smoothly accelerate the car and provide significant acceleration.
• Safety. All electric vehicles go through the same checks as vehicles with internal combustion engines. They are also equipped with many sensors and airbags to help protect the driver and passengers from serious injury.
• Tribute to fashion. The popularity of electric vehicles is steadily growing year by year. A new circle of interested buyers appears, which gives impetus to the production of new models.
• Sustainability. This is an advantageous advantage of the Toyota electric car, since electric motors, due to their design features, are not capable of releasing harmful substances into the environment.

Among other advantages are ease of maintenance, simplicity of the entire structure of the vehicle, long service life of parts. There are also no vibrations, which is typical for internal combustion engines.

Reverse side of the coin

Sad as it may seem, there are drawbacks to such a seemingly ideal transport. Therefore, many buyers will once again think before giving a solid amount. Significant disadvantages include:

• Few "gas stations". Electric stations for cars startedappear in European countries starting in 2015. The plans of the domestic authorities to open several similar points in Moscow. However, things are not very rosy yet.
• There is no freebie. You need to choose ecological transport wisely, as different models consume their own amount of energy. Therefore, in case of an erroneous choice, the electricity bill will be significantly increased.
• Short run. Among the shortcomings of the Toyota electric car, this is perhaps the most significant. The maximum distance that an electric car can cover on a single charge is 240 km. Therefore, it is better not to plan long trips, since there will still be not enough “gas stations” on the territory of Russia. Although there are plans to increase the path to 500 km, and work in this direction is already underway. Let's wait and see.
• Slow speed. Due to the insufficient level of technical progress, batteries also do not contribute to the development of the desired speed. And, as you know, what Russian does not like to drive fast?!
• Charging duration. As a rule, it takes from 8 to 10 hours. What to do order all this time? Sure, you can park your car overnight or work in the office, but what if your battery runs out before you even arrive at your destination?
• Battery needs to be replaced. Depending on the type of battery you are using, it should be replaced every 3-10 years.

Another major downside to Toyota's EVs is their cost. The price of even the basic versions of electric vehicles remainsbeyond the reach of most buyers. And this is due to the use of modern technologies that require significant investment in implementation.

Technical specifications of electrical counterpart

We got acquainted with the strengths and weaknesses, but what about the technical content? The considered version of the Toyota RAV4 is driven by a 154 hp engine. with., developing 2800 rpm. The energy source is lithium-ion batteries with a capacity of 41.8 kW / h. And so that they do not have any effect on the handling of the car, they are located in the lower part of the body near the center.

It takes 6 hours for the battery to be fully charged from a household outlet. In this case, the next "refueling" will be required after overcoming 165 km. The manufacturer guarantees the correct operation of the Toyota Rav 4 electric car battery for 160 thousand kilometers (or 8 years of use).

Technical filling of the hybrid

The Toyota Prius hybrid has a more favorable fate. If RAV4 ceased production in 2014, then this series has 4 generations! As an example, consider the latest Toyota Prius, which will hit the global market in mid-2018.

The hybrid is equipped with an engine with two power units:

• 95 hp petrol engine. s.
• 53 kW electric unit.

Together they can produce a power equal to 121 "horses". In addition, there is a modern stepless variator. As far as fuel economy is concerned,it can be 4.4 liters per hundred kilometers.

Futurism is evident

Many buyers value cars for their looks. The example of the Prius in question, due to enter the global market in mid-2018, looks bewitching. It is worth noting that the entire Prius line is not a beauty standard, since the exterior is created to be as practical and economical as possible. However, each new generation acquired more and more attractive features.

When looking at Toyota's hybrid electric car from the front, the T-shaped head optics immediately catches the eye, which looks unusual, but pleasant. In fact, this is a whole spaceship that will not leave anyone indifferent. Each new model changed its appearance, but the stern still remained almost untouched and recognizable.

Important plastic changes

The RAV4 electric car will surprise even the most avid motorists with its exterior. It differs from the traditional SUV with a new design of the radiator grille. The changes also affected the rear spoiler, side mirrors, which now have a modified aerodynamic shape and the front bumper.

The bottom has become flat, and LEDs are used in the optics. Thanks to many changes, the car has now acquired improved aerodynamics and dropped several tens of kilograms. As a result, the electric car has become easy to drive.

Result

The cost of eco-friendly transport is still high, while the performance of electric vehiclesToyota, Chevrolet, Fiat, Ford, Honda and other large companies are not yet perfect. In addition, the gas station network is not yet fully developed, which does not allow you to enjoy trips around the city. But this shortcoming should be eliminated over time and, perhaps, in 10 years, many drivers will change their usual transport to electric vehicles.