Photo: Website screenshot
Lexus, just like its parent company, Toyota, doesn't really believe in EVs. We're tempted to add "for now," because if the market proves them wrong at some point, they will have the options of aligning with the flow or go down fighting. Don't worry, they will go with the flow.
For the moment, though, the premium Japanese constructor is happy with its hybrid powertrains and thinks they are the best. Toyota is dabbling with the idea of hydrogen fuel cells, but the rest of the world seems to disagree with it, so, again, it might be faced with a choice later on: give up on the idea altogether (aka "the right choice") or build a worldwide infrastructure for those few thousand clients that would have bought one such vehicle.
Lexus, though, doesn't have to bother its head with that since it only sells gas-powered cars and hybrids. It does, however, feel the ever-expanding contingent of EVs breathing down on its neck, so it feels the need to take a stab at them.
A banner on the brand's website reads "Always Charged. Always Ready," with the insinuated continuation of "unlike those stupid EVs." Well, somebody should tell Lexus that having a battery that's recharged on the go using the gasoline engine is nothing to brag about. Actually, it's part of the problem.
Sure, a hybrid is a better solution for now if your daily commute distance is greater than the maximum range of an EV, and it's definitely better than a diesel engine, but "always charged" it is not. Drive a hybrid in EV mode for the whole four or five miles it offers, and you will get a message informing you the battery is depleted in the form of an engine throb.
Lexus isn't done with the battery-powered cars, though. Further down the website, it says that its cars "perfectly blend fuel efficiency, instantaneous power, and indulgent luxury—all with nothing to plug in." That's correct, but only if you limit the idea of "plugging in" to an electric charger. How about the nozzle at the gas station?
Don't get us wrong, we love Lexus and Toyota hybrids (some of which Lexus would disapprove of since they are actually plug-in), but identifying the electric cars as your enemy seems like a bad position to take. First of all, because EVs still represent a small percentage of the market and you'll look stupid picking on the little guy, but also because you're supposed to be in the same boat.
Lexus, though, doesn't have to bother its head with that since it only sells gas-powered cars and hybrids. It does, however, feel the ever-expanding contingent of EVs breathing down on its neck, so it feels the need to take a stab at them.
A banner on the brand's website reads "Always Charged. Always Ready," with the insinuated continuation of "unlike those stupid EVs." Well, somebody should tell Lexus that having a battery that's recharged on the go using the gasoline engine is nothing to brag about. Actually, it's part of the problem.
Sure, a hybrid is a better solution for now if your daily commute distance is greater than the maximum range of an EV, and it's definitely better than a diesel engine, but "always charged" it is not. Drive a hybrid in EV mode for the whole four or five miles it offers, and you will get a message informing you the battery is depleted in the form of an engine throb.
Lexus isn't done with the battery-powered cars, though. Further down the website, it says that its cars "perfectly blend fuel efficiency, instantaneous power, and indulgent luxury—all with nothing to plug in." That's correct, but only if you limit the idea of "plugging in" to an electric charger. How about the nozzle at the gas station?
Don't get us wrong, we love Lexus and Toyota hybrids (some of which Lexus would disapprove of since they are actually plug-in), but identifying the electric cars as your enemy seems like a bad position to take. First of all, because EVs still represent a small percentage of the market and you'll look stupid picking on the little guy, but also because you're supposed to be in the same boat.
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