With more and more automakers turning to electric motors, Toyota didn't wait long before building a hybrid model of the RAV4 in 2018 and dubbed it the RAV4 Hybrid. In 2020, the Japanese automaker took things a step further and built a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle – the RAV4 Prime.
Toyota's RAV4 Prime is an exclusively all-wheel-drive 5-seater compact crossover SUV. Powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, the RAV4 Prime has two front and rear axles electric motors. These electric motors give the RAV4 Prime a combined output of 302 hp and an acceleration of 0-60 in 5.7 seconds.
The Toyota RAV4 charges fully in 12 hours with a 120V power outlet, and if a 240V outlet is employed, the charge time drops to just 4.5 hours. When fully charged, the RAV4 Prime can travel 42 miles on just the electric battery. Toyota's RAV4 Prime might seem like the perfect small SUV, but, like every vehicle, it has some shortcomings. So if we were asked to pick between each of these EVs and a RAV4 Prime, we’d ditch the RAV4 Prime, and here’s why.
8 Tesla Model Y
The Tesla Model Y doesn't look like the conventional SUV, but it's a 5-door compact crossover SUV. Tesla’s electric vehicle uses a Permanent Magnet Synchronous Reluctance Motor and a 75kWh lithium-ion battery pack. The Model Y has a top speed of 150mph and an acceleration of 0-60 in 3.7 seconds.
For charging, the Model Y can charge fully with a 7.4kW home charger in 12 hours, but there's CSS fast charging that recharges up to 80% in 19 minutes. The Tesla Model Y beats the RAV4 Prime in speed, acceleration, and cargo capacity.
7 Ford Mustang Mach-E
Although the Ford Mustang Mach-E is more expensive than the Toyota RAV4 Prime, we would still pick it over Toyota’s EV. The Mustang Mach-E is Ford's fully electric SUV, and from the exterior, you can easily spot its Mustang features.
The taillights and design on the EV's body are reminiscent of the Mustang. With the rear-wheel variant, you can use a 68kWh battery with an output of 266 hp or use the big 88kWh battery and get 290 hp. The Mach-E can recharge up to 80% in 45 minutes with a DC fast charger. The advantage of the Ford over Toyota's RAV4 Prime is its superb handling and absence of braking problems.
6 2022 Chevrolet Bolt EUV
The 2022 Chevrolet Bolt Electric Utility Vehicle is a front-wheel-drive EV. Between the Chevrolet Bolt EUV and the Chevrolet Bolt EV, not much has changed with the exterior. However, the interior is redesigned. There are heated front and rear seats and a heated steering wheel. All-wheel-drive is unavailable on the Bolt EUV model, but it's cheaper and more fuel-efficient than a RAV4 Prime.
The Bolt EUV is powered by a single electric motor and 1-speed automatic transmission that delivers 200 hp. The battery pack is 65.0kWh and can charge fully in 7 hours using a 240V level 2 charger. The Chevrolet Bolt EUV offers all these for a starting price of $33,996.
5 2021 Kia Niro EV
Kia started production of the e-Niro in 2018. The electric vehicle is a compact crossover SUV with a 5-door hatchback body style. Kia's Niro EV also uses a Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motor and has an electric range of 180 miles. Additionally, The Niro EV achieves 201 hp and an acceleration of 0-60 mph in 7.3 seconds.
Powering the car is a 64kWh lithium-ion polymer battery that recharges from 10% to 80% in 45 minutes with a DC rapid charger. If a home outlet is used for charging, it takes about 10 hours and 30 minutes. The Kia Niro EV has a comfortable interior with lots of cabin space, and Kia claims the Niro EV produces zero emissions, but we can't say the same for the Toyota RAV4 Prime.
4 2021 Volkswagen ID.4
Volkswagen is growing its electric vehicle lineup, and the ID.4 lineup is nothing short of exciting. The ID.4 SUV is available in rear-wheel and a four-wheel-drive model, and both variants have different electric motor options and capacities. The rear-wheel-drive Volkswagen ID.4 is fitted with a 204 horsepower motor, while the four-wheel-drive model has a 306 horsepower electric motor.
Volkswagen fitted the ID.4 with a 77kWh battery pack that charges 62 miles in 10 minutes with a DC rapid charger. The ID.4 SUV has a unique interior and enough cargo. We'd choose the ID.4 over the RAV4 Prime because the former is more fuel-efficient and produces lesser emissions– a common theme with EVs.
3 Hyundai Kona
One look at the Hyundai Kona reveals its sleek exterior design. And that’s not all; one of the best bits of the Hyundai Kona is its infotainment system touchscreen. However, the major appeal of the Hyundai Kona is its 300 mile-range and starting price of $27,995.
There are three electric battery options. The 64kWh delivers 201 horsepower, while the 39kWh paired with a single-speed automatic transmission delivers 0-62 mph in 9.9 seconds. This EV is not only cheaper, but its driver's assistance features work smoothly, unlike the RAV4 Prime.
2 2022 Kia EV6
Kia's 2022 EV6 will be built on Kia and Hyundai's new electric car architecture– the EGMP platform. There are three trim levels of the EV6; the Base EV6, GTLine, and the GT. The available battery packs for the EV6 are 77.4kWh and 58kWh. Kia’s GT trim will have 585 hp and an acceleration of 0-60 mph in 3.5 seconds.
The entry-level trim delivers 228 hp, while the GTLine produces 325 hp. For charging, the EV6 charges 60 miles in 5 minutes and 10-80% in 18 minutes with a fast charger. While the Kia EV6 is not yet out, the quality of the build material promises to be better than that of the RAV4 Prime.
1 2021 Volvo Xc40 Recharge
Starting at $55,085, the Volvo Xc40 Recharge surpasses the Toyota RAV4 Prime's price, but we'd still buy the Volvo instead, and here's why. Every Xc40 Recharge will have two electric motors – one at the front axle and the other at the rear. These motors will provide the EV with 402 horsepower and accelerate to 60 mph in 4.9 seconds.
For charging, the Xc40 Recharge can charge 0-80% in 40 minutes, and for home charging, a wall box device can be installed. In other words, the Xc40 Recharge is faster and more fuel-efficient when compared to a Toyota RAV4 Prime. Furthermore, the Volvo Xc40 Recharge has a juicy four years or 50,000 miles warranty.