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Toyota's Luxury Division, Lexus, Thinks Plug-in Hybrids Are Dumb, Will Skip Them

Any government interested in learning a thing or two about democracy should ask its members to apply for an internship with the Toyota Motor Corporation.
Lexus UX Concept 30 photos
Photo: Lexus
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The Japanese mammoth is proving that all of its companies have near complete freedom in deciding their future and speaking their mind after the European head-honcho at Lexus, Alian Uyttenhoven, said the premium manufacturer would skip from hybrids straight to EVs.

That means overlooking the plug-in hybrid alternative, a powertrain solution that Toyota appears to believe in. And for good reason since it provides the perfect combination for those interested in zero-emission mobility who are still worried about running out of juice in a battery-powered vehicle.

With a limited electric range, a plug-in hybrid can still cover the daily needs of most users - particularly in Europe - without having to fire up its combustion engine. But the gas burner is there as a safety net in case an unscheduled detour presents itself.

On the other hand, dragging around a full-size ICE - and everything that comes with it - while traveling in EV mode is ridiculous. Plus, a plug-in hybrid will have a larger battery pack than a mild hybrid, meaning added weight and complexity. So there are downsides to be considered as well.

And Lexus seems to be well aware of them as it doesn't plan to make any hybrids that can be charged from outside. Talking to AutoExpress, Uyttenhoven announced that the premium Japanese brand would jump directly to fully electric vehicles to meet the ever more stringent emission regulations.

“Soon we will have to reach 75g/km,” he said. “At that time pure hybrids will not be sufficient. The two things we can do are introduce plug-in or introduce electric.” After settling on the latter, Uyttenhoven also mentioned we should expect the company's first EV to be an accessible one - at least by Lexus standards.

In Europe, the more successful electric car sales are at the high end,” he said. “But in the premium market, 50 percent of cars are sold below 40,000 Euros. If it’s more than that, how will people afford it?” He is probably right about the EV technology making a breakthrough in the smaller segments first, even though Tesla might disagree.

That means the first battery-powered Lexus cars should be similar in size to its CT hatchback and NX SUV, which also happen to be the two most active segments in the European market. With Toyota signing a cooperation agreement with Mazda on EVs, the company is actively working toward that goal. However, it might take a while before we get to see an actual electric vehicle bearing the Lexus logo.
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About the author: Vlad Mitrache
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"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie)
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