Lexus UX300e Keeps Electrification Simple
While other automakers create strange-looking EVs, Lexus tries a simpler approach.
Different Formula
The UX300e is Lexus' first-ever all-electric vehicle, which makes it pretty important. But unlike every other EV maker out there, Toyota's luxury arm didn't try to create some unique (or strange) looking electric vehicle, rather, they simply applied a new electric drivetrain to the already-successful UX crossover. Even better, you'd be hard-pressed to tell by looking at it.
Photos: Lexus
Easy Transition
Making an EV wasn't terribly difficult for Lexus to do, either, as we are talking about an automaker with 15 years of hybrid experience. And with Europe's EV infrastructure growing at a rapid pace, now is the perfect time for Lexus to make that leap. But as the automaker likes to point out, the UX300e isn't just a UX with an electric drivetrain slapped in it.
Photos: Lexus
Next-Level Craftsmanship
The first Lexus BEV (Battery Electric Vehicle) offers exceptional craftsmanship, build quality, comfort, and quietness, which were the key points the automaker was looking for. From studying BEV noise patterns, specific actions like bespoke BEV tire 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. Even the car’s drive-by-wire selector has been shaped by hand.
Photos: Lexus
Fun to Drive
Aside from those characteristics, Chief Engineer Takashi Watanabe also wanted to make the UX300e fun to drive. Lexus achieved that with the EV's low center 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 LF-30 Electrified concept.
Photos: Lexus
Electrified Driving
Optimized for urban driving, the UX 300e’s all-new BEV drivetrain features a high-output 150 kW (201 horsepower) electric motor/generator and a newly developed high-capacity 54-kilowatt-hour battery located directly underneath the floor of the cabin which delivers 400 km (249 miles) of range in the NEDC cycle, corresponding to 305-315 km (190-196 miles) of range in the WLTP cycle depending on options, such as wheel size, etc.
Photos: Lexus
Unrivaled Experience
Finally, the new UX300e benefits from Lexus’ unique ownership experience that is unmatched by another premium BEVs. This means, for example, helping UX 300e customers with multiple charging solutions – at home with a Lexus charging station and on the move using a full-service solution called ‘Lexus Charging Network’ that was developed together with Digital Charging Solutions GmbH. When fully rolled out, this service will allow access to Europe’s largest network of around 160,000 public charging stations. This is accessible using the Lexus Link connectivity app that was created to complement the luxury brand’s famed ‘Omotenashi’ customer-centric service philosophy.
Photos: Lexus
On Sale Now
The UX 300e launched in selected European markets in the second half of 2020 and will follow in 2021 in the rest of Europe. Lexus expects it will make up as much as one-third of UX sales by 2022. The UX 300e is expected to have more appeal in countries with highly-developed charging infrastructures such as Norway, the Netherlands, Germany, and the UK, and to entice ’urban explorers’ attracted to the flexibility of a luxury crossover that is agile and fun to drive in the city. Unfortunately, it doesn't appear that it will be sold in the U.S., however.
Photos: Lexus
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