Where's Toyota's Electric Car?

 The automotive industry can be best surmised by trends in design and features. Vehicles initially needed a crank to start the engine and used lanterns for headlights. Eventually they graduated to internal combustion engines, big blocs, and steel unibody designs. Then came the modernization of the engine and the vehicles we know and drive today. But, today we're faced with another trend. Electrification. Full electrification. Cars that run solely on electricity stored in large battery packs. 

Companies like Tesla are revolutionizing the electric car and other popular makes are following suit (Ford, GMC, Nissan, and so on). Many auto manufacturers are venturing into electrification territory, but what about Toyota? If you're also wondering where Toyota's electric car is hiding, Toyota of Clermont is here with some potential answers!

Why Hasn't Toyota Made an Electric Car Yet?

Toyota is arguably one of the most profitable global automotive brands in the world. Their vehicles (which we proudly offer here at Toyota of Clermont) have broken sales records and are engineered to last. So, why don't we have a pure electric vehicle on our lineup? A dive into Toyota's history and business opinions might offer some clues. 

Toyota Has Done an EV Before

Believe it or not, Toyota has experimented with the idea of an electric car before. In a collaborative effort with Tesla (yes, that Tesla) the RAV4 EV was produced. This take on the RAV4 used only electricity for power and could manage to travel at low speeds with a range of 100 miles. Today's electric cars can manage longer ranges and higher speeds, but for its time this Clermont electric car was quite the engineering marvel. However, it wasn't a highly desirable item due to its limitations. 

There's Not Enough Charging Infrastructure Available

While electric cars run on electricity, charging them can be taxing on your utility bill and there aren't a huge amount of electric chargers as readily available as a gas pump. While this could be a plausible reason for there not being a Clermont Toyota electric car on the road, it doesn't hold too much water considering Toyota's investment in hydrogen fuel cell technology. Which brings us to our next point. 

Toyota is Pursuing Other Means of Alternative Fuel

Electric cars are greener for the environment by not using gasoline and creating greenhouse gasses, battery production and disposal is still quite harmful for the environment and charging requires power from fuel burning. Toyota's answer has been to pursue hydrogen fuel cell tech with the Clermont Toyota Mirai. This technology makes use of treated hydrogen for fuel and create zero emissions. 

Hybrids Work for Toyota

Toyota doesn't have a full EV on its lineup but it does have several hybrid variants of popular models and is currently aiming to offer electrified options of every vehicle in the coming years. The Prius began the trend of hybrid vehicles and Toyota has kept up with it all these years later. As a result Toyota is able to produce hybrid vehicles that can enjoy both electric car and gasoline powered benefits. They can also outpace their internal combustion engine counterparts. 

Shop for an Electrified Car with Toyota of Clermont Today!

While Toyota might not have a pure EV available yet, we still have plenty of fuel-efficient and quality electrified vehicles at Toyota of Clermont! Shop them all with us today at 16851 State Road 50 or check out our inventory online anytime.