UX 300e will be on NZ roads from late November

THE first all-electric car from Toyota, albeit representing in upper-end Lexus guise, has priced $100 short of the cap for qualifying for Government’s largest clean car discount.

Lexus New Zealand has suggested positioning the UX 300e with a recommended retail of $79,900 including on roads is an intentional strategy.

Those eligible for the $8625 rebate Government pays to buyers of electric cars with RRPs less than $80,000 will be effectively spending $71,275 for the model, which becomes available in late November.

In introducing a car that he has called a crucial step on a journey focused deliberately on low emissions, Lexus (and Toyota) NZ chief executive Neeraj Lala has also reminded that his marque also already has one of the lowest overall CO2 emission averages of its fleet in New Zealand due to the high proportion of hybrid-electric vehicles it sells.

“Year-to-date electrified sales account for 69 percent of our overall sales,” Lala said today.

UX 300e will be the first of many new electrified Lexus models that will ultimately contribute to the decarbonisation of the national vehicle fleet, Mr Lala said.

“As a company we plan to introduce 10 further electrified models by 2025 based on the concept of offering affordable mobility in the right place at the right time.”

Lexus national general manager Andrew Davis described the car as “an expression of the Lexus brand today with its contemporary design, imaginative technology and focus on refined craftsmanship.

“Lexus has always pursued both performance and sustainability, and through the Lexus electrified badge, will continue to use technology to create a sustainable future while still embracing the enjoyment and pleasure that our cars offer customers.”

The car of course has strong visual similarity to the cheaper UX 200 petrol and UX 250h hybrid-electric variants have been on sale here since early 2019.

The edition runs a 54kWh lithium-ion battery under the cabin floor. Lexus claims a range of up to 400km, though that is based on the NEDC test that is now considered less accurate than the more recent WLTP regime Government prefers and seems set to establish as a barometer from January 1. The WLTP figure for the car is 315km.

The drivetrain offers maximum power of 150kW and torque of 300Nm and suggests 50 minutes’ DC fast charge replenishment will bring an exhausted battery back to 75 percent capacity.

The car features a number of driving modes so that the performance of the motor can be better managed, along with paddles to alter the strength of the regenerative braking.

Lexus says the drivetrain has been developed with a focus on on-road performance and the goal of offering a quiet and refined driving experience. Extra bracing has been added over the regular UX hybrid and the dampers reworked to maintain optimum weight distribution.

The model chosen for New Zealand is in a Limited specification.

Though this is the first Lexus electric car, the brand’s petrol-electric hybrid models have been a popular customer choice, with 4378 sold by the distributor since the first arrived in 2006.

Lexus Hybrid electric sales have increased 188 percent year to date on 2018 results. This year, 69 percent of New Zealand Lexus customers chose a hybrid-electric model.

The UX 300e price includes Lexus’ four-year unlimited kilometre warranty, service plan and roadside assistance package.

While the car is going be in circulation from late November, suggestion is that the initial units will