A full range of Lexus Hybrid Vehicles was on show at the UK Headquarters for Toyota Lexus housed in an extremely good looking building fronted with a water feature running the full length of the façade. We were greeted by David Crouch, PR Officer for Toyota Lexus who introduced us to their range of hybrid and newly launched performance vehicles.
As we entered the building a cavernous glass and steel purpose-built structure opened out before us, as shown top right. Opposite the gleaming façade a line of mature yew trees stand in juxtaposition to the world’s leading showcase for hybrid engine technology.
Toyota Lexus Hybrids
In the opening discussions the future ambitions for Toyota Lexus hybrid technology were revealed. A natural progression for hybrid engines is the extension of the range and upper limit of speed when operating in entirely electric mode. An exciting development is the trial of a ‘plug in’ hybrid engine which offers just that;
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the possibility of commuting daily without causing emissions. Currently a prototype hybrid engine using an overnight mains charge is attempting to achieve a greater range without drawing heavily on the petrol counterpart of the hybrid engine. This could enable the dream of an emission free daily commute for many.
Technically, this is the equivalent of producing an all electric car equipped with a back up petrol generator to supplement charge only when it is depleted. Every new generation of Toyota Lexus hybrids is a step closer to this ambition. The latest edition to the range is the Lexus LS600h. This is the first Lexus hybrid designed to operate with 4 wheel drive as the standard mode. The range of Lexus 4x4 vehicles was also on display with the RX400h. All of the Lexus hybrid 4x4 vehicles currently fall below the 225g CO2/km excess London Congestion Charge (RX400h 192g CO2/km). Currently, Lexus sells more hybrid cars than petrol only versions, testimony to the success of hybrid technology. |
