Shared Line with Gas-Powered RAV4 to Maximize Production
Efficiencies and Quality Control Tesla to Ship Electric Powertrains
from California
Woodstock, Ontario (August 5, 2011)-Toyota and
Tesla Motors have confirmed their jointly-developed RAV4 electric
vehicle will be built at the Toyota Canada manufacturing facility
in Woodstock, Ontario beginning in 2012.
"The Tesla-Toyota joint development team has agreed that building
the vehicle at the Woodstock plant on the same line as the
gasoline-powered RAV4, will streamline and simplify the production
process and guarantee the highest level of quality control," said
Ray Tanguay, TMMC Chairman, who hosted Canadian officials at the
plant and thanked them for their support.
"This is a great example of Toyota's determination to
collaborate with companies with leading edge technology."
"The RAV4 EV will be the first highway-capable electric vehicle
to be produced in Canada and the first electric vehicle to be
produced by Toyota outside of Japan," said Minister of State for
Science and Technology, Gary Goodyear.
As previously announced, Toyota will pay Tesla approximately
$100 million to supply the electric powertrain, which includes the
battery, motor, gear box and power electronics for the RAV4
EV. Tesla will build the electric powertrains at its production
facility in Palo Alto, California and then ship them to TMMC for
final assembly into the vehicle.
The RAV4 EV will be sold at U.S. Toyota dealers through Toyota
Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. (TMS). Details including pricing,
volume and regional distribution will be determined and announced
at a later time.
In July of last year, Tesla and Toyota Engineering and
Manufacturing, America (TEMA) collaborated to convert 32
conventional gas-engine RAV4 compact SUVs into fully functional
RAV4 EV prototypes.
The RAV4 EV is one of several advanced-technology new
products coming for Toyota. In addition to expanding the Prius
family with the upcoming Prius v and Prius Plug-in Hybrid,
Toyota will introduce an electric version of the Scion iQ in 2012
and a Hydrogen Fuel Cell Hybrid Vehicle by 2015.