Spoiler Alert: 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime Demand Far Exceeds Available Supply

....remember the (forgettable) PT Cruiser? Also, the dealer mark-ups will be excessive. I doubt many will actually pay MSRP. Even our '07 RAV4 was popular 'in the day'. Our local dealer wouldn't discount the price as they were in high demand.

I'm phsyched for one of these. As I live in California and we have the most stringent pollution standards and goals I'm sure we will get plenty of them here although my local dealer stated it would be later than untill thought, fall '20, to arrive due to Covid. Her could bee lying to sell me a regular hybrid but I ain't buying a regular one so...

I like everything I've read about the RAV4 Prime and an interested in maybe getting one, but I have not seen the price announced. If the price is too high (and Toyota could charge more based on demand) then financially it won't make sense for me to get one.

I live in Florida. Will probably see this vehicle for sale sometime in 2050 or so, according to the estimates in this article. I looked at true electric, but I don't fit in a Model 3, and Model Y is too expensive. No other electric really for sale here. This PHEV RAV4 would suit my needs perfectly. Not gonna happen for years here.

From Toyota's perspective, I think this is what is called a "high-quality problem." Eventually, production will ramp to meet demand, but in the meantime, people will need to be very patient, or simply take a trip to a ZEV state to buy one. That's what I would do if I hadn't already made the jump to an EV.

I’ll be one of the first in line if it goes up to 50 mph on electric only. Small town outside of Las Vegas 35 and 45 mph speed limits. Otherwise it won’t work.

Definitely agreed. I'm one of those individuals who is waiting for its release. I live in Phoenix and called around to local dealers, they all have "lists" of people to call when it's released already. I've realized chances are I won't be able get one in 2020, and/or I'm not willing to pay whatever the ridiculous premium will be attached to acquiring one. I've already conceded that I'll have one in 2021, plus it'll be out of the first model year.

Hopefully the gas tank issue sort out in this iteration as well.

The RAV4 Prime, as are all plug-in hybrids, is a stop-gap to appease those egging Toyota to innovate while ignoring the fundamentals of costly Li batteries that use rare metals like cobalt. Toyota will continue to make relatively low volume Primes because as they rightly said, it is far more beneficial to spread the battery materials across regular hybrids than to concentrate them into fewer Primes (or BEVs). Ultimately, Toyota is waiting for the next-gen batteries before going full volume, one that is sustainable and affordable to the masses, meaning cobalt-free and probably solid state.

So, Toyota finally adopted the drive train design of the Chevy Volt and now it's the hottest thing since sliced bread.
Wonderful.

I grew up in the rural South where big truck bros rolled coal on Priuses, but now live in a big blue west coast city where Tesla's are common and 2/3rds of our power comes from renewable sources. I don't feel guilty if Toyota allocates far more RAV4 Primes to my state.

PLEASE bring back the Toyota FJ!!! No other SUV compares! PLEASE !!!!?

I am in Canada and have a deposit on a RAV4 Prime. My dealer said they are expecting four of them and I have been guaranteed one of them. I am just hoping they arrive before November. I have been waiting a long time. I actually had my deposit on a RAV4 Hybrid since last summer and just before the one I ordered arrived, Toyota announced the RAV4 Prime. I cancelled my order on the Hybrid and they switched my deposit over to a Prime.

It’s about time they moved this to an all-electric, given the problems that have plagued more than 92,500 of the 2019 and 2020 Hybrid models. The claimed 40 mpg which only get in the 20s, the gas tanks which short almost all models by a few gallons or in some cases by more than 10 gallons, etc. The range on some of these vehicles has been under 100 miles between fill-ups, causing class action lawsuits and a new Toyota mantra of “buyer beware.” I know given their quality control issues the past couple of years, failure to disclose known manufacturing defects, and refusal to honor their warranties, I won’t be buying another Toyota anytime soon.

I'm hoping to buy a RAV4 Prime SE in the U.S., even if I can't get the full federal tax credit. However, if dealers jack up the price, I'll just hang onto my 2015 Camry SE until things calm down.

Would I buy a RAV4 hybrid? No way. Hybrids are obsolete. That plug, a bigger battery under the floor, and beefier electric motors at both ends make a huge difference. Tax credits and perks allowed by many states make them that much more inviting.

Can't wait for releasing date.

Jeff, do you have any insight as to the production capacity for the Prime? I presume output is bottleneck'd by the availability of lithium-ion battery supply right?
If a dealership only receives limited (or 1) unit(s), how do dealerships determine who is allowed to purchase the vehicle?

Well this is gonna be like any high demand cars. If dealers gonna charge more because it's very popular car then look what the Subaru dealers did to make everyone get their Forester. Or how the Honda dealership did to Civic type R. The good news is this is not a limited edition car like Subaru S209. So mark up should NOT be too much unless they really want to lose market share, (remember the new RAV4 hybrid is not perfect yet because of the gas tank problem). With the current economy anything that is too much WILL NOT sell.

"early adopters" are excitable people - but they are also useful guinea pigs for those of us who are happy to sit back and view the product objectively once the initial hype has subsided.

Are you excited & how would you use it? Being as it’s a vehicle I’d do what any rational individual would do & keep it in the living room for extra seating when company comes over, Rose!

Not sure where that question was heading but I’d trade my prius in to upgrade if it actually hits in the 40mpg range. Guessing 420mpg/tank for lead footed people like me. My car is supposed to get 570mi on a tank but I do 10-15 over so...guessing this vehicle will hit somewhere around my usual for most people unless a stereotypical Prius owner gets one lol, rav4s doing 60 in a 70 that’ll be the day :)

Does the gas tank 'work' on this one? On my 2019, the gas tank will not fill up.