Toyota is the undisputed champion of hybrids. But when it comes to cars with plugs, it’s barely a contender. Sales of the RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid and Prius Plug-In Hybrid are a mere fraction of what the conventional, non-plug-in hybrids do. (And it’s no secret that Toyota’s been rather behind the curve on purely electric cars, too.)
But with the advent of the 2026 Toyota RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid—as well as the 2026 Toyota bZ and CH-R on the electric-vehicle front—things seem to be changing fast. The plug-in car once known as the RAV4 Prime gets what’s ostensibly its best version yet, boasting 50 miles of all-electric range, more power and even DC fast-charging on two trim levels.
Get ready, EV owners. The new RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid is about to line up at the Electrify America station next to you.
2026 Toyota RAV4 GR-Sport Exterior 5
Photo by: Toyota
2026 Toyota RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid Specs
The crossover boasts Toyota’s sixth-generation plug-in hybrid system. It’s now found on four different RAV trim levels: the SE, XSE and Woodland. And as an added bonus, the PHEV powertrain is what you get on the new RAV4 GR Sport, a performance-focused variant that should be the most fun RAV4 since… well, probably ever.
All PHEV models get 320 horsepower going to all four wheels, with power coming from a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and a larger battery than previous models (although its size was unspecified). Interestingly, the RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid gets two electric motors as well. They should all be capable of up to 50 all-electric miles of driving, up from 42 miles previously.
Toyota RAV4 2025 GR Sport, the interior
Photo by: Toyota
But the real party trick is DC fast-charging. The PHEV XSE and Woodland trim levels get EV-style fast-charging, meaning they can connect to fast-charging equipment to charge more quickly than PHEVs normally do. Toyota claims the two models will charge from 10% to 80% in approximately 30 minutes on a DC charger. If you charge at home, it takes a few hours.
2026 Toyota RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid: DC Fast Charging
Now, the astute among you will notice that whatever the RAV4 PHEV’s battery size is, it is assuredly smaller than the EV battery in the all-electric bZ—which can also charge from 10-80% in 30 minutes. In other words, don’t expect lighting speeds for that little battery. It doesn’t work like that, but DC fast charging the RAV4 is still a heck of a lot faster than charging with a Level 2 plug. For context, the old RAV4 Prime used to do it in about 2.5 to 4 hours.
2026 Toyota RAV4 GR-Sport
Photo by: Brian Jones | Motor1
Will RAV4 PHEV owners really be lining up to use EV-style fast charging? That’s unclear to me. Generally, I’m not a huge fan of PHEVs because they require charging and a tank of gas. But even I can’t rule out that this flexibility suits some drivers’ needs better than EVs do at times, especially those who don’t have charging at home or at work. They’re a good temporary solution until the charging infrastructure in America and beyond gets built out more.
Interestingly, the RAV4 PHEV will use a CCS charger like most conventional EVs—not a Tesla-style North American Charging (NACS) plug like the bZ and C-HR. That may be due to different development cycles for the EV vs. Toyota’s other models, but for now, it’s probably fine; it’s not like Tesla-charging really exists for hybrids yet. And if you find a Tesla Level 2 charger, you can use an AC charging adapter to connect it to any other plug-in hybrid.
Either way, the RAV4 PHEV truly seems like a great gateway drug to EV ownership. Plus, with all of that power, more all-electric range than ever and some neat EV-like tricks, it’s a truly innovative machine.
Photo by: Toyota
Now, we’ll see how many of them Toyota decides to make, and how dealers respond. The last RAV4 Prime was kind of notorious for being difficult to find and production was occasionally hampered by COVID-related supply chain constraints. Maybe this new RAV4 PHEV will begin a more earnest push by Toyota in the direction of plug-powered cars.
New 2026 RAV4 models are expected to start arriving at Toyota dealerships across the U.S. later this year, and its pricing will be announced closer to the actual debut. The previous RAV4 Plug-In Hybrid started at $45,660, so we’re expecting similar pricing here.
Will this PHEV be the hit Toyota needs, or do you think the bZ will run away with the show? Let us know what you think in the comments.
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Source: Toyota
Contact the author: patrick.george@insideevs.com
