Another Toyota RAV4 EV for sale on eBay, already going for $50,000

Looks like fluffytheleopard (seller rating: 0) saw the possibility of big cash when that 2001 Toyota REV4 EV sold for a record $89,200 on eBay the other day. Actually, the record price in that sale turned out to be a bit of a problem for the high bidder, about which we'll have more later today. Still, after a few months with nary a RAV4 EV on the internet auction site, a second all-electric vehicle is currently on the block. And fluffytheleopard is hoping his or her RAV4 EV with 60,000 miles on the odometer will bring in the big bucks like the other. Here's a snippet from fluffy's lengthy auction description:
Here are some highlights for you, which I hope you will find helpful:
1. Recent prices: A 2001 model in white, which did not have leather upholstery and did not appear to have tinted windows, sold for $89,200 on Ebay on May 25, 2008. That particular car also had two previous owners before it was sold again on Ebay. By contrast, I have been the single owner of my EV since inception.
We're not against fluffy - or anyone else - trying to catch a wave and make some money on a six-year-old electric car. We mention this sale to point out, one again, that electric vehicles that operate like real cars are in incredibly high demand. So far, after just a few hours on eBay, two bidders have bid fluffy's ride up to $50,100. We'll see where this ends up.
[Source: eBay]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Mike Z 10:10AM (5/28/2008)
Take about a zero-sum game. One person will win and get to show off, everyone else will just buy a Prius. Net Net, same impact. The only reason it's being bid up this much in vanity, plan and simple.
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steven 11:06AM (5/28/2008)
Oh my ! It has the leather interior AND tinted windows!! This one should go for way more!!!
Now if we could just find out who sells NOS "EV" stickers and replacement grid/vents for the back, we could make a TON of money recycling old RAV4's
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stevejust 2:03PM (5/28/2008)
What's weird to me is why these RAV4s do so well on e-bay, when people could be spending the same money on one of those Hybrid Technologies electric Minis. Does Hybrid Technologies actually sell any of those things? Does anyone know? I tried to go to their website today, and it seems to be down. Are they defunct? Aren't they the company that was providing the MINIs available from the Sam's Club Christmas catalog?
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EvenSteven 2:07PM (5/28/2008)
a couple very rare EV sold on Ebay does not equate to EVs being in "incredibly high demand." Not to say EVs with reasonable cost and a good range would not be in high demand. I just think you are jumping the gun by equating a few EVS being sold on Ebay with high demand.
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Kevin Nugent 6:38PM (5/28/2008)
As i said it does not make sense to purchase a car for that much especially the fact that it is so old. I doubt oil prices are hitting you that hard that you cannot wait until 2010 when there will be a range of electric vehicles to purchase
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BlackbirdHighway 5:47AM (5/29/2008)
Looks like this one had been pulled off ebay.
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Maurice 8:26PM (12/03/2008)
I must say that contrary to what some say...this is a sign of interest. We are trained to look for vehicles that travel 300 + miles on a tank of gas, but when we know the facts our attitudes change. I remember when Obama suggested making sure your tires were inflated properly, those opposed to him attacked this as rubbish. Those of us that care about fuel economy knew that this was one of the best ways to raise mileage cheaply, along with changing or cleaning the air cleaner, etc. The fact that many people jumped on this falsehood, and sent around air gauges making fun of this suggestion, shows how ignorate we as a nation are about the truth. When we finally check how we use our vehicles, then many will find that they only do a 50 mile, and most do much less per day, so we don't actually need the 300 mile tank range we are convinced we need. This revelation will change the demand overnight. After driving a EV, people will find how exciting they are to drive around town. The torque of the electric motor really is seemless, and if they don't need to travel 70 mph on the highway, it is a dream to own.
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