Twenty-seven years ago, Toyota released an all-electric version of the first-gen RAV4. It’s a car you’ve probably never heard of given how few examples were built, but over the weekend, one RAV4 EV hit the auction block and was sold for $5,120.
The electric SUV was originally introduced in 1997 and was initially available exclusively to businesses and cities looking to add EVs to their fleets. Towards the end of its production run in 2003, Toyota started selling the RAV4 EV to private customers and delivered roughly 328 of them, in addition to around 2,200 sold to fleets.
Read: Over 2 Million Toyota RAV4 SUVs Recalled Over Loose Battery That Could Cause Fire
The original RAV4 EV gets its juice by a 95 amp-hour nickel-metal hydride battery with a 27.4 kWh capacity that’s powering a synchronous permanent-magnet motor with 67 hp and 140 lb-ft (190 Nm) of torque. The SUV had a range of 95 miles (153 km) when it was new and took approximately five hours to fully charge.
This RAV4 EV was sold through Cars & Bids with ~74,900 miles (~120,000 km) under its belt and included a Carfax history report that confirms it hasn’t been involved in any accidents. The exterior has some signs of wear and tear, including various scratches and minor dents but for the most part, it looks to have been well-maintained. It is a similar story in the cabin where the cloth seats have lasted well and there are some minor signs of use.
Toyota doesn’t currently have a modern-day RAV4 EV in its line-up with the closest being a plug-in hybrid version. Whoever ended up buying this 22-year-old RAV4 could use it as a city runabout (that 95-mile range doesn’t lend itself to long trips) that offers more space and practicality than a Nissan Leaf.
