Next tow vehicle "Simpler is Better..."?

[JohnC]

I really like the RAV4. I found the following on another forum and found it interesting.

The rav4 phev has really big electric motors. They double the total horsepower of the vehicle. So climbing a hill that car will fly as long as the battery has juice. But when the battery depletes, then you really slow down.

Yes, that is true. Decided to research the HP at full and depleted battery levels.

"The 2026 Toyota RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid XSE produces a total of 324 net combined horsepower at full charge. When the plug-in battery hits its designated lower reserve limit ("depleted" user state), the vehicle transitions to hybrid mode and retains access to its full combined system power—effectively maintaining peak output as long as the hybrid buffer is managed by the gas engine and regenerative braking, though extreme continuous high loads may occasionally bottleneck down toward the 186 hp internal combustion engine alone."

Yeah, the PHEV operates just like the regular HEV when the main battery pack runs out. I don't believer the electric motors are any different than those on the HEV, they just get a power boost from the larger battery pack. The regular HEV has approximately a 1kWh capacity. I believe the PHEV is around 13kWh capacity.

The PHEV Rav4 in SoCal is not selling as well as the HEV. In the SE trim (which can be purchased either as PHEV or just HEV) the MSRP is $5400 more for the PHEV. They can be found on some dealer lots. The HEV are not found on dealer lots and are currently all pre sold before arriving.

It really depends on your need(s) as to which works best for a given buyer.

I want to address the bolded as well....That statement applies to all Toyota hybrids sold and pretty much always has. At some point in time if you truly use up the battery you will be left with only the ICE power supply (until the battery recharges). I've owned my 2017 Rav4 hybrid since new and have never encounter that situation. If you find yourself in that situation more than very infrequently, you have truly purchased the wrong car. The basic hybrid with AWD puts out 236 HP including the ICE and electric sources. When you step on it, it responds very well with added power/torque.