It’s a more interesting shape than the slab-sided SUVs we used to get.
Jonathan Gitlin
Most of the time, propulsion to the front wheels comes from a second electric motor, also connected to the eCVT; this permanent-magnet synchronous traction motor has an output of 203 hp (151 kW) and 201 lb-ft (272 Nm). So most of the time, the RAV4 is a series hybrid, and while you may hear the revs flare when you accelerate hard, most of the time the power that’s being generated along with that sound is headed to the battery pack. But sometimes—highway speeds, really—it’s more efficient to work as a parallel hybrid, something the eCVT allows.
A third electric motor powers the rear axle, providing an additional 55 hp (41 kW) and 91 lb-ft (123 Nm), and together the RAV4 PHEV offers a maximum combined output of 324 hp (242 kW) and 315 lb-ft (427 Nm).
Trim determines efficiency
