Tesla open to second collaboration with Toyota, Elon Musk says

By Stephen Edelstein Published September 9, 2014

Despite an underwhelming experience with the Toyota RAV4 EV project, Tesla Motors won’t rule out future collaborations with Japan’s largest carmaker.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk told Bloomberg that he “would not be surprised” if the two companies entered another partnership two or three years from now. While Tesla and Toyota have no set plans, Musk envisions a project larger than the RAV4 EV.

Recommended Videos

That’s quite optimistic, considering the results of the first Tesla-Toyota team-up.

Toyota only managed to shift around 2,000 RAV EV electric crossovers in its two years on sale. That’s partly due to the limited scope of sales. The RAV4 EV was only sold in California, largely to comply with the state’s zero-emission vehicle mandate.

However, reports say there were also conflicts between Tesla and Toyota engineers, and the companies have grown apart since the RAV4 EV was launched in 2012.

Toyota has essentially abandoned battery-electric cars for hydrogen fuel cells, a technology Musk has continually mocked.

Related: Tesla picks Nevada for its battery-making “Gigafactory”

While other carmakers are increasing electrification, Toyota is also holding fast to non-plug-in hybrids. With “Father of the Prius” Takeshi Uchiyamada installed as chairman of the board, that strategy probably won’t change anytime soon.

Tesla, meanwhile, is in the midst of tripling its lineup with the Model X crossover and Model III sedan, as well as building a huge “Gigafactory” in Nevada to supply that smaller sedan with batteries.

Still, it wouldn’t be prudent to completely rule out another Tesla-Toyota collaboration, as both companies understand the value of a good partnership.

In addition to developing the RAV4 EV’s powertrain, Tesla did similar work for the 2014 Mercedes-Benz B-Class Electric Drive.

Toyota, meanwhile, worked with Subaru to get the Scion FR-S into showrooms, and it’s currently collaborating with BMW on a sports car project that could yield a new Supra, and a sportier replacement for today’s BMW Z4.

Topics

Tesla
Toyota

Stephen Edelstein

Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

Cars

Tesla’s Elon Musk unveils the Cybercab robotaxi — and also the Robovan

Tesla's robotaxi.

Tesla boss Elon Musk has just taken the wraps off a prototype of the automaker’s long-awaited robotaxi.

Tesla’s CEO performed the unveiling at a special event at the Warner Bros Studios in Burbank, California, on Thursday night after being driven to the stage by the new autonomous vehicle. The "Cybercab," as Musk is calling it, sports a futuristic look and comes with butterfly doors that open upwards. The electric vehicle has ditched the steering wheel and pedals, and uses inductive charging instead of a plug. You can see the driverless Cybercab in action in the video below:

Cars

How to watch Tesla’s robotaxi unveiling on Thursday

Tesla's robotaxi event.

Tesla is holding a special event in California on Thursday that’s widely expected to focus on its highly anticipated robotaxi, dubbed the "Cybercab." It announced the event, called, "We, robot," in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday.

https://twitter.com/Tesla/status/1843922599765590148

Cars

Nissan joins ChargeScape, a way for EV owners to sell watts back to the grid

electrify america home charging station for electric cars

EV owners already enjoy the benefits of knowing their vehicle is charging up quietly while they sleep. Now they can dream about how much money they can make in the process.That’s the bet Nissan is making by joining ChargeScape, a vehicle-to-grid (V2G) venture that is already backed by BMW, Ford, and Honda.ChargeScape’s software wirelessly connects electric vehicles to power grids and utility companies. When connected with ChargeScape's platform, EV drivers can receive financial incentives for temporarily pausing charging during periods of high demand. ChargeScape says they will eventually also be able to sell the energy stored in their vehicle's battery back to the power grid.
A 2021 study by the University of Rochester found that EV owners could save up to $150 a year by using V2G technology. But the technology has evolved in recent years. V2G company Fermata Energy says that in some circumstances, a customer using its bi-directional charger was able to save $187.50 in 15 minutes by drawing energy from a Nissan LEAF to avoid costly demand charges.
Nissan intends to roll out the ChargeScape technology to its EV drivers across the U.S. and Canada. The company says the move is of particular significance given its U.S. sales of 650,000 Leaf models, one of the first EVs with the capability to export power back to the grid.ChargeScape, which launched in September, is equally owned by BMW, Ford, Honda, and now Nissan. But it expects other automakers to join the party.In August, GM announced that V2G technology will become standard in all its model year 2026 models. The project comes at a time when EV sales and infrastructure growth are ramping up quickly, along with challenges for the electric grid. Simply put, more EVs on the road means more demand on utilities to provide the needed power.At the same time, more and more EV makers seek to incorporate automotive software that provide advanced driver aids and other connected features. With vehicle-to-grid (V2G) technology quickly spreading, ChargeScape is entering a landscape where competitors such as ChargePoint, Electrify America, Fermata Energy, and BP Pulse are already vying for a piece of the action.
But there is one good reason for ChargeScape to move in now: Tesla, which otherwise dominates the field in the U.S., has so far backed off from embracing V2G technology, focusing instead on its Powerwall home-battery solution to store solar energy and provide backup power. However, CEO Elon Musk has hinted that Tesla could introduce V2G technology for its vehicles in 2025.