Based on Lexus' best-selling UX urban crossover, the first all-electric Lexus leverages 15 years of leadership in electrified hybrids. Timed perfectly to benefit from Europe's improved charging infrastructure and the rapid growth of interest in luxury electric vehicles, the UX 300e will provide a near-silent driving experience that is both dynamic and razor-sharp.
With the all-electric Lexus UX 300e, Lexus takes its 'Lexus Electrification' vision to the next level. However, first and foremost, this is a Lexus, and nothing has been overlooked. The first Lexus BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) offers exceptional craftsmanship, build quality, comfort and quietness. From studying BEV noise patterns, specific actions like bespoke BEV tyres and wheel-arch liners that reduce noise caused by stones, grit or water spraying up from the road, were taken to reduce in-cabin noise significantly. Leaving no stone unturned, even the car's drive-by-wire selector has been shaped by hand.
Also high on Chief Engineer Takashi Watanabe's 'must have' list was 'fun', which has resulted in a BEV driving experience that is dynamic yet extremely refined. This is due mainly to the car's low centre of gravity, a characteristic of the UX platform (GA-C), helped in this case by locating the battery beneath the vehicle body and the electric motor low in the engine bay. The UX 300e also boasts bespoke suspension and steering, with elements of the Lexus advanced posture control, which was showcased on the new LF-30 Electrified concept.
LEXUS ELECTRIFIED
Having launched the world's first premium electrified hybrid, the RX 400h, in 2005, Lexus introduced the first V8 hybrid flagship in 2008 and broke new ground again in 2011 with the CT 200h hybrid compact. More recently, Lexus engineers developed a new high-performance Multi Stage Hybrid for the LS 500h and LC 500h models, and the latest 4th generation Lexus Self-Charging Hybrid system launched last year on the UX 250h and ES 300h. Today, Lexus offers no fewer than ten different hybrid models.
Unveiled at the 2019 Tokyo Motor Show alongside the LF-30 'Electrified' concept, the luxury carmaker's new 'Lexus Electrified' vision targets a fundamental leap in vehicle performance, handling, control and driver enjoyment - even as mobility within society continues to change with autonomous driving and vehicle electrification.
Evoking the original fun of driving, Lexus is now developing an integrated approach to electric motor control and other electrification technologies to further evolve driving pleasure and to fundamentally transform the essence of luxury vehicles of the future. Towards this end, Lexus engineers can draw on the lessons learned developing the core technologies found in the highly successful ten-model Lexus Self-Charging Hybrid range, such as battery management, power control modules and electric motors.
With the UX 300e spearheading this quantum shift at Lexus, 'Lexus Electrified' includes the development of next-generation HEVs, PHEVs, BEVs and FCVs. Moving forward, Lexus plans to expand its electrified vehicle line-up: the first Lexus PHEV and a new dedicated BEV (all-electric) platform will be launched early this decade.
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