Toyota Chooses an Electric Vehicle Equipment Provider
Published Friday, 12 August, 2011 by Chris Dugan. Categories: Toyota, Green, Electric Vehicles, Technology.
Though it still feels like light years away to those of us in the car business or fanatical Toyota drivers, the 2012 model year is inching its way to our collective doorsteps. Part of this slowdown of time is the enhanced anticipation of a fantastic year for Toyota and indeed the entire automotive world. Toyota alone is unveiling its newest form of not just transportation but propulsion this year, that being the unleashing of the EV, electric vehicle, category.
We've discussed to great length the Toyota Prius Plug-in, this year's evolution of the world-famous, gas-sipping Prius that runs for 13 miles on pure, gas-free electricity after only four hours of charging from a standard 120-volt charger, but what about the "other" EV, the 2012 Rav4 EV, a vehicle on which Toyota has collaborated with electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla? With an unsure media base curious as to whether or not Toyota will release this new SUV to the public in 2012, Toyota Motors makes a bold statement by selecting a distributor for components needed in an electric vehicle (less the battery and propulsion systems supposedly designed and supplied by Tesla of course).
For this need Toyota looked to Leviton, a company not only fitting the bill but one that parallels Toyota's own green initiatives quite well. Leviton offered Toyota a portfolio of future green solutions to many needs in the EV realm, to which Toyota fired back a resounding "welcome aboard."
The biggest and perhaps first thing needed from Leviton is charging stations. Toyota has already entertained the notion of putting charging stations on the backburner in hopes that people's house chargers will suffice, and though they very well could for a vehicle like the Prius Plug-in that has a range-extending gasoline engine - in fact the same Hybrid Synergy Drive platform that current Prius-owners know and love - a single 13 miles may suffice, but with a vehicle like the Rav4 EV which will couple the power of the Rav4 with zero gasoline consumption, folks are going to want rapid charging and available charge facilities/areas whilst making a longer voyage.
As TMS corporate manager for marketing of passenger cars Rick LoFaso states, "Leviton provides electric vehicle charging products and a high level of customer service that will benefit both Toyota customers and dealers when the Prius Plug-in Hybrid vehicles and next generation Rav4 EV come to market in 2012." In other words LaFaso states on no uncertain terms should customers or dealers like Handy Toyota be worried for the future of the EV - not only will we have charging stations, but if something breaks relegated to said station we'll be able to get them fixed. Oh, and speaking of no uncertain terms, please note LaFaso states "when the Rav4 EV releases in 2012..." Need I say more?
To me, this sounds like more of the same from Toyota, but I mean that in a good way: customer satisfaction and security before all else? That is indeed the name of the game when you view Toyota's history.
Stay tuned to Handy Toyota's blog for details on the Rav4 EV and Prius Plug-in as the release date for each approaches, and don't forget to subscribe to our blog for up to the minute coverage.
Chris Dugan
Handy Toyota
We've discussed to great length the Toyota Prius Plug-in, this year's evolution of the world-famous, gas-sipping Prius that runs for 13 miles on pure, gas-free electricity after only four hours of charging from a standard 120-volt charger, but what about the "other" EV, the 2012 Rav4 EV, a vehicle on which Toyota has collaborated with electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla? With an unsure media base curious as to whether or not Toyota will release this new SUV to the public in 2012, Toyota Motors makes a bold statement by selecting a distributor for components needed in an electric vehicle (less the battery and propulsion systems supposedly designed and supplied by Tesla of course).For this need Toyota looked to Leviton, a company not only fitting the bill but one that parallels Toyota's own green initiatives quite well. Leviton offered Toyota a portfolio of future green solutions to many needs in the EV realm, to which Toyota fired back a resounding "welcome aboard."
The biggest and perhaps first thing needed from Leviton is charging stations. Toyota has already entertained the notion of putting charging stations on the backburner in hopes that people's house chargers will suffice, and though they very well could for a vehicle like the Prius Plug-in that has a range-extending gasoline engine - in fact the same Hybrid Synergy Drive platform that current Prius-owners know and love - a single 13 miles may suffice, but with a vehicle like the Rav4 EV which will couple the power of the Rav4 with zero gasoline consumption, folks are going to want rapid charging and available charge facilities/areas whilst making a longer voyage.
As TMS corporate manager for marketing of passenger cars Rick LoFaso states, "Leviton provides electric vehicle charging products and a high level of customer service that will benefit both Toyota customers and dealers when the Prius Plug-in Hybrid vehicles and next generation Rav4 EV come to market in 2012." In other words LaFaso states on no uncertain terms should customers or dealers like Handy Toyota be worried for the future of the EV - not only will we have charging stations, but if something breaks relegated to said station we'll be able to get them fixed. Oh, and speaking of no uncertain terms, please note LaFaso states "when the Rav4 EV releases in 2012..." Need I say more?
To me, this sounds like more of the same from Toyota, but I mean that in a good way: customer satisfaction and security before all else? That is indeed the name of the game when you view Toyota's history.
Stay tuned to Handy Toyota's blog for details on the Rav4 EV and Prius Plug-in as the release date for each approaches, and don't forget to subscribe to our blog for up to the minute coverage.
Chris Dugan
Handy Toyota
Tags: rav4, toyota, Electric Vehicles, rav4 ev, Toyota Motors
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