The Toyota RAV4 Prime Plug-In Hybrid-Electric Vehicle has now been sold in a majority of U.S. states. Here’s the list as it stands today.
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Toyota’s RAV4 Prime is a hot plug-in hybrid-electric vehicle (PHEV) that has been among the fastest-selling vehicles in America this past year. One source of frustration for many buyers has been finding one. Of course, that has been a frustration that pretty much every shopper, of every popular model has struggled with over the past many months as battery, semiconductor, and other parts shortages have decimated inventory from all brands.
The ZEV-State Only Myth
One myth that many folks unhappy with Toyota for whatever reason have sought to propagate is that the RAV4 Prime is only sold in ZEV or CARB-compliant states. This is not true now and was not true at the launch. We spoke with Toyota’s spokesperson for the Eastern U.S. regions and he confirmed that Toyota is not trying to exclude any specific states. Rather, the vehicles are and have been distributed in much the same way other popular models have been from Toyota. They go where they will sell the quickest. Toyota uses a regional distribution plan, not one that is state by state.
Related Story: Here’s Why Automakers Send Their New Electric Vehicles To ZEV States First
Here Are The States No Owners Have Reported Having Purchased a RAV4 Prime
It’s easier to list the states from which owners have not reported taking delivery. These 15 states include AK, AR, DE, ID, KY, MN, MO, MT, NE, NV, NM, ND, OK, TN, WV, WI, & WY. Based on owner comments below, we have added WI and OK to the list of states in which a RAV4 Prime has been delivered to an owner by a Toyota dealer.
Please note that this does not mean Toyota does not have owners of RAV4 Primes in these states. Simply that when we polled a large social media club for the vehicle, no owners from these states reported taking delivery from a dealer in these states. Many have purchased their RAV4 Prime out of state. Just as I have purchased Honda Accords and Mazda Miata cars from dealers from outside of my home state of Massachusetts. I went where the inventory was. Rhode Island in my case.
Related Story: Toyota Exceeds First-Year RAV4 Prime Deliveries by 400% - Beats ID.4 and Mustang Mach-E
The Low Sales Rate Myth
Toyota’s RAV4 Prime was outselling the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Volkswagen ID.4, and many other popular electric crossovers when manufacturers updated their delivery results at the end of Q3 (2021). The myth that the RAV4 was being sold in volumes smaller than typical for new EVs is easy to disprove. By our count, there may be only one EV crossover model that has outsold the RAV4 Prime. That would be the Tesla Model Y. We can’t say definitively because Tesla does not release model-specific and market-specific delivery data like every other automaker.
Related Story: Tesla Model Y Sold Out Until After Holidays In Northeast
If you own a Toyota RAV4 Prime and purchased it from a Toyota dealer in one of the states we listed above, please let us know and we will update our story. If you purchased your RAV4 Prime out of state, also feel free to tell us how you obtained it.
Toyota RAV4 Prime Image with American flag courtesy of RAV4 Prime owner Kate Silbaugh. Our thanks to Tom McColl for helping to organize the data in this story.
John Goreham is a long-time New England Motor Press Association member and recovering engineer. John's interest in EVs goes back to 1990 when he designed the thermal control system for an EV battery as part of an academic team. After earning his mechanical engineering degree, John completed a marketing program at Northeastern University and worked with automotive component manufacturers, in the semiconductor industry, and in biotech. In addition to Torque News, John's work has appeared in print in dozens of American news outlets and he provides reviews to many vehicle shopping sites. You can follow John on TikTok @ToknCars, on Twitter, and view his credentials at Linkedin
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I live in Washington and as
I live in Washington and as far as I can tell they are not for sale here.
I need to find a cooperative dealer in Oregon.
I live in WA state and
I live in WA state and purchased my Rav4 Prime in Hillsboro OR (Portland suburb). The only problem I encountered was that the dealer fudged up title papers and sent them to the wrong city.
I'm also in WA. How long did
I'm also in WA. How long did you have to wait and did you have to pay over msrp?
Put OK on the map . I’m went
Put OK on the map . I’m went to TX and bought it last month and brought it back !
I'm glad you posted this
I'm glad you posted this comment, Roy. It allows me to make a clarification to the story. Most U.S. states now have RAV4 Prime owners. They purchased across state lines and drive the car home or had it delivered. We wanted to highlight the states in which deliveries have happened. Congrats on the new vehicle!
I have definitely seen photos
I have definitely seen photos of at least one Prime with DE plates on it. Not sure where the purchase was though.
Had hybrid on order, Prime
Had hybrid on order, Prime was announced, cancelled hybrid. Contacted Toyota e suite, they actually hooked me up. Received my exact Prime premium in desired color shipped to my dealer of choice for MSRP in of all places Wisconsin. Unbelievable!
Can you explain more about
Can you explain more about what the Toyota e suite is? I've got some friends who would like a Prime here in Iowa but right now you have to order it out of state.
Thanks,
Phil
Thanks for your article! I am
Thanks for your article! I am a Florida resident but purchased my Prime SE in November in Maryland. I called 35 dealerships from my local area in South Florida all the way up the Atlantic seaboard to Connecticut. I only found 3 dealerships of the 35 I called that did not have a “market adjustment” added to the MSRP. All the florida dealerships I called, which was at least a dozen, had crazy high markups, one in Miami had added $17k to the MSRP! Of the 3 of 35 dealers without a price adjustment, one was actually my local dealer in Florida and two others in Maryland. I went with Brown’s Toyota in Baltimore simply because they had an allocation coming in the color I wanted, and I only had to wait about six weeks for it. The other two were waitlists of 6-12 months. I flew to Baltimore and drove it back to Florida. The 1600 mile one way trip in gas only cost me $74. To ship my car to Florida would have been far more expensive obviously. All in all I was lucky and had a relatively easy experience!
Thank you, I am going to try
Thank you, I am going to try Brown's for one!
Do you have a sales person that you would recommend?
Maaike, Congratulations and
Maaike, Congratulations and thanks for this posting. I'm assuming the local dealer in Florida without a price adjustment was Earl Stewart Toyota in North Palm Beach, which is actually my local dealer as well. If not, are you willing to share the name of the dealer?
As a repeat customer, last month I've ordered a 2022 Prime SE from Earl Stewart with delivery expected in May, although I'm not sure how realistic that date really is. I've considered a vehicle purchase road trip such as yours, but because I have a high value trade-in it doesn't make financial sense. So I'm left patiently waiting.
Final question: what part of FL is a 1,600 miles from Baltimore?
I live in Pennsylvania
I live in Pennsylvania outside of Philadelphia. I have been told by PA dealerships that the Rav4 Prime is not available from PA dealerships, and that I would have to go to New Jersey or Maryland.
Does anyone know of an eastern PA dealership that is selling them?
One without a high market adjustment markup would be preferred.
Can anyone recommend a New Jersey or Maryland dealership that has them coming in that will take a down payment to get on a list for one?
Thanks!!
This article is poorly
This article is poorly researched, I have a Prime in AK but bought it from Oregon. Was trying to get my mom one, and the Toyota dealership here affirmed positively that the Primes are not for sale at any AK dealership and will not be soon (including custom orders) and that furthermore, their understanding is that they are only being sold in ZEV states.
Can't comment on who is right between the Toyota sales rep and this author RE: ZEV states, but am strongly inclined to believe the AK dealerships saying that there have been zero new primes sold in AK. (They did say they'd buy mine and resell it though :D)