Here's Your Chance To Own A Super Rare Tesla-Powered Toyota RAV4 EV

Photo: Cars & Bids

Tesla sold an absolutely massive number of Model 3s and Model Ys last year, which was good news for Tesla but not exactly great news for owners who like the idea of driving something that not many other people have. What if we told you, though, that you could still drive a Tesla-powered electric vehicle that won’t be anywhere near as common as a Model S, much less a Model Y? That sounds incredible, right? You just have to be OK with it also being a Toyota RAV4.

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Most people aren’t even aware that Toyota sold an electric version of the RAV4, and even fewer know that the RAV4 EV actually got a second generation that used a Tesla-sourced powertrain. Total production was only limited to a few thousand, though, so it’s understandable that the second-generation RAV4 EV isn’t particularly well-known. Now that someone is selling their 31,000-mile 2014 Toyota RAV4 EV on Cars & Bids, you can actually own one of these rare Tesla-powered EVs.

If you’re coming from a modern Tesla, it may take a little bit of time to get used to your new EV. For example, the RAV4 EV’s range is a little bit lower than what was offered even on the earliest Tesla Roadster, coming in at an EPA-estimated 103 miles. So you’re not driving from Atlanta to Charlotte on a single charge, but who needs to visit Charlotte anyway? To see the Panthers play? They went 2-15 last season. Just stay home and watch them lose from the comfort of your own couch.

Power is also not exactly what many people have come to expect from a Tesla. It only comes with a single motor sending power to the front wheels, and it makes a grand total of 154 horsepower and 273 pound-feet of torque. Still, it’s a spacious, practical crossover, so do you really need more power? Of course, you don’t. Sports car owners in the ‘70s and early ‘80s would have killed to get 273 lb-ft of torque.

The best part is, this Tesla-powered EV shouldn’t cost anywhere near what you’d expect to pay for a used Model Y. There’s still plenty of time before the auction ends, but at least for now, bidding has yet to hit $5,000.