It’s a new milestone for the Japanese luxury brand as they passed 2 million global sales of Lexus electrified vehicles as of the end of April 2021.
Lexus UX 300e
Since the launch of the RX 400h in 2005, Lexus have been a pioneer of electrification in the luxury segment, and the line-up continues to evolve. The Lexus electrified range has nine models, including Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) and Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs), in over 90 countries and regions around the world. Globally, electrified vehicles accounted for a third of Lexus’ sales in 2020. The RX, meanwhile, comprised more than a quarter of the total electrified car sales, with 518k sold out of the 2,020,000 total. The ES was next with 384k units sold with the CT close behind in third racking up 379k units. The NX was the fourth best-selling one with 285k sold.
Lexus electrified vehicles provide a wide range of options tailored to meet specific needs and are based on the philosophy of “right time, right product, right place”. The cumulative effects of reduced CO2 emissions to date (from 2005 to April 2021) add up to approximately 19 million tonnes; equivalent to the combined CO2 output of 300,000 passenger cars per year. Lexus will further develop their electrified product portfolio in response to a varied range of energy sources and infrastructure. By 2025, Lexus will introduce 20 new or enhanced models, including more than 10 BEVs, Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs), and HEVs, thus offering electrified options across the range.
The first luxury PHEV model comes this year with an all-new BEV coming in next year. Future Lexus electrified models will feature steer-by-wire systems and DIRECT4 – their active four-wheel-drive torque distribution technology. We expect the PHEV to be loosely based on the new Toyota Corolla/Prius Plug-in or perhaps the more recent RAV4 PHV. The powertrain could include a 1.8-litre four-cylinder combustion engine with a 53-kW motor but with a larger battery pack. More powerful versions could adopt the 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine instead of the 1.8. The BEV meanwhile, could be based on the new bZ4X, or an evolution of the UX 300e; their first full EV.
Lexus formally arrived in India in 2017 with an aim of crafting a better tomorrow through its initiatives and a robust portfolio of self-charging hybrid electric vehicles. The range includes the NX 300h compact SUV, ES 300h executive sedan, the RX 450h L seven-seater, the LC 500h sports coupé and the LS 500h flagship sedan.
