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The Toyota RAV4 Prime may be a Tesla killer. Is the RAV4 Prime Tesla’s biggest competition? Learn why the RAV4 Prime could steal Tesla’s thunder here.

Tesla’s rise to become the best electric automaker

Tesla Model Y with a surfboard on the roof
The Tesla Model Y | Tesla

Tesla models are responsible for a large percentage of the electric vehicle market share. The Tesla Model Y is currently the most popular electric vehicle on the market. Since Tesla only has electric vehicles in its lineup, it has a clear advantage in the EV space. Both the Tesla Model 3 and Model Y have been well-received by consumers.

Tesla is the clear leader in the race to create the best electric vehicle, but the company is still relatively new to the automotive industry compared to seasoned automakers like Ford and Toyota. Ford has unveiled two new electric vehicles as well as its first hybrid pickup trucks.

Tesla is rolling out its first electric pickup truck, the Cybertruck. The electric vehicle and clean energy company is also releasing its most affordable model, an electric hatchback in a few years. Tesla is set to dominate the electric vehicle space because of its versatility and many innovative features, but Toyota’s RAV4 Prime may prove to be stiff competition for Tesla’s models.

The 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime may be a Tesla killer

The 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime is proving itself to be one of the most exciting hybrid vehicles on the market. The RAV4 Prime is incredibly powerful, negating the stigma about hybrid vehicles being underpowered. The RAV4 Prime uses a hybrid powertrain that features a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and a motor system that makes a whopping 302 horsepower. It gets 40 miles per gallon in the city and 36 miles per gallon on the highway.

According to MotorTrend, the RAV4 Prime has a total range of 600 miles. It has a 42-mile electric-only range. The RAV4 Prime could be a Tesla killer because it is a hybrid version of America’s most popular SUV model. Aside from being more recognizable than Tesla vehicles. The RAV4 Prime has the power and fuel economy to rise to the top of the plug-in hybrid vehicle class.

Is the 2021 Toyota RAV4 Prime a threat to Tesla?

A red 2021 Toyota Rav4 Prime is on display.
The Toyota RAV4 Prime | Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

Tesla once enjoyed being one of the few automakers to mass-produce electric vehicles. Today, several major automakers have rolled out EVs and hybrids, and even more competition is on the way. The RAV4 Prime has the potential to steal the spotlight from Tesla models thanks to Toyota’s decades of experience producing popular vehicles.

Similar to the Ford F-150 Lightning and the Ford Mustang Mach-E, Toyota is using the familiar RAV4 nameplate to draw consumers to its new alternatively fueled vehicle. The RAV4 Prime enhances a compact SUV that many consumers have come to know and love, and that could pose a threat to Tesla.

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