As one of the most highly anticipated new electric cars of 2012, the Toyota RAV4 EV combines the practicality of an SUV with an all-electric, Tesla-engineered drivetrain for impressive performance.

When we drove the 2012 RAV4 EV back in August, we already knew Toyota was planning on selling it in California at an MSRP of $49,800, but yesterday, Toyota announced other ways of getting your hands on this limited-production car. 

If shelling out nearly $50,000 on a car up front makes you a little nervous, Toyota has said it will also offer customers a 1.9 percent APR financing package, along with a 36-month lease option. 

Costing $599 per month, with a $3,499 deposit, Toyota’s lease package isn’t exactly cheap. But as we’ve said before, it “does have the potential to be the best and most practical battery electric vehicle sold in the U.S. south of Tesla’s luxury-priced Model S sedan range.”

2012 Toyota RAV4 EV, Newport Beach, California, July 2012

2012 Toyota RAV4 EV, Newport Beach, California, July 2012

Before you get excited, there’s one tiny little catch: as a compliance car, built to satisfy California's zero emissions mandates, you’ll only be able to officially buy the RAV4 EV in certain areas of California.

For those lucky enough to nab one of the 2,600 limited-production RAV4 EVs, the car is also expected to attract a $2,500 Clean Vehicle Rebate in California, and a $7,500 Federal Tax Credit.

After rebates, that equates to an effective price of $39,800.

Toyota says sales officially start on Monday, 24 September, but with demand likely to be high, if you’re a Californian resident wanting one, you’ll want to get down to your local Toyota dealer or visit Toyota’s dedicated RAV4EV website sooner rather than later.

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