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Toyota to Launch all Battery Lexus: Change of Heart or Reflection of Reality?

Discussion in 'General' started by interestedinEV, Oct 26, 2019.

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  1. Oct 26, 2019 #1
    interestedinEV

    interestedinEV Well-Known Member

    This floored me. It is significant enough so that I posted it in the general thread rather than Toyota. They want to come out in 2020,.

    Toyota the epitome of HEVs, the company that poo-poohed BEVs is now coming out with BEVs? Is this a reflection of reality, that Toyota is realizing that they need to get a head of it or will be left far behind?

    https://www.benzinga.com/news/19/10/14642333/toyotas-lexus-to-launch-all-battery-electric-vehicle-next-year

    Toyota's Lexus To Launch All-Battery Electric Vehicle Next Year
    [​IMG]
    Japanese automaker Toyota's TM 0.15% luxury vehicle division Lexus will launch an electric vehicle (EV) entirely powered by a battery in 2020, Reuters reported on Wednesday.


    Speaking at an event ahead of the Tokyo Motor Show, Lexus International President Yoshihiro Sawa told reporters that they would release the product first in China, North America, and other regions where demand for ‘pure’ EVs was high.


    Sawa also unveiled a concept model of a futuristic EV named ‘LF-30 Electrified,’ which is touted to have features like gesture control, augmented reality, self-driving technology, in-wheel motors, and drones, according to The Verge. The publication mentions that these features may not translate into a real product shortly.


    According to Sawa, Lexus’s goal is for sales of EVs, including battery electrics and gasoline hybrids, to outpace sales of the luxury brand’s gasoline vehicle models by 2025.
    There has been increased pressure on automobile companies to develop zero-emission vehicles as concerns over climate change rise. Toyota is, in fact, late to the party as many of its competitors have launched and aggressively marketed their battery-powered electric vehicles for years, including Nissan and Tesla.
     

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  2. Oct 26, 2019 #2
    bwilson4web

    bwilson4web Well-Known Member Subscriber

    Huntsville, AL
    The irony is the first plug-in, Prius were homegrown. Then Toyota 'got a clue' and offered the Prius Prime that killed the homegrown modifications.

    I agree that Toyota is late but they made a common mistake using the Lexus (as did Jaguar and Audi.) Lexus have a wretched, design rule based on massive, useless front grills just like Jaguar and Audi. These poor design rules maintains the 'brand look and feel' but hobbles their performance. Only Porsche, Hyundai, and Kia seem to have some understanding of EV design heuristics.

    Bob Wilson
     
  3. Oct 26, 2019 #3
    101101

    101101 Well-Known Member

    About time. If they are serious it will have a range of 300 plus miles and have quick charging at home and at an outside charger and
    will have a reasonable price tag coupled with reasonable availability and actually launch in 2020 and have dealers that aren't trying to work against the sale of the BEV and not have stupid styling- styling should say its their top model. Do we think they will check those 7 boxes.
     
    electriceddy likes this.
  4. Oct 26, 2019 #4
    101101

    101101 Well-Known Member

    @ bwilsion4web By the way the empg for the 2014 BMW i3-REx is about 117 empg no 180- must be a typo- 180 is the range with range extender right?
     
    electriceddy likes this.
  5. Oct 27, 2019 #5
    bwilson4web

    bwilson4web Well-Known Member Subscriber

    Huntsville, AL
    That is the European rating. <GRINS>

    You're the first person to notice. I'll fix it once the PayPal problem is fixed.

    Bob Wilson
     

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  6. Oct 27, 2019 #6
    Pushmi-Pullyu

    Pushmi-Pullyu Well-Known Member

    I knew that Toyota was developing a BEV for the China market, but this is the first news I've seen that they'll be selling one (is it the same one they announced earlier?) not only in the China market, but also in North America.

    Strange that they would single out North American, since I think the European market for EVs -- or at least BEVs -- is shooting strongly ahead of the NA market this year. Perhaps just another sign that Toyota is aiming at the past market, not the future market?

    ​
     
  7. Oct 27, 2019 #7
    Pushmi-Pullyu

    Pushmi-Pullyu Well-Known Member

    That's not at all a mistake if their #1 market for the car is China. The Chinese love honkin' huge grilles!

    A 2012 article from MarketWatch: "China’s new status symbol: car grilles"

    P.S. -- Do I need to repeat my GrammarNazi rant about "grille" vs. "grill"???
    :eek: ;) :cool:
     
    Last edited: Oct 27, 2019
  8. Oct 28, 2019 #8
    electriceddy

    electriceddy Moderator Staff Member

    Nanaimo BC, 2021 Kona Ultimate Built Sept 2020
    Unnecessary and I doubt it will make a difference media wise;)
     
  9. Oct 28, 2019 #9
    interestedinEV

    interestedinEV Well-Known Member

    I actually think (you know I always paraphrase it that I have been known to be wrong), it is a good strategy to focus on their smaller brand. The announcement says "
    The Lexus Brand is not very popular in Europe to begin with. This is converse of the US and China. Hence it makes sense to mention China and the US as the Lexus brand is popular there, without eliminating other options. It just priortizes what makes sense in that context.

    Clearly, Toyota is aiming at the higher end of the market as a starter, just like VW did when they came out with the Audi brand first. I would think that they have other cars under the Toyota brand in development that might be focused on the European market. To me, it makes sense that they would begin with the higher end brand in the areas that the higher end brand is popular. Once they get some experience with selling pure BEVs, they could use the knowledge to bring out products under the Toyota brand for a wider range of markets. So I would not assume that they are ignoring the European market. It looks to me that it is a way of putting their toe into the water without having to disclose all their intentions.

    https://www.reddit.com/r/cars/comments/49nndi/why_is_lexus_not_very_popular_in_europe/

    https://www.reddit.com/r/AskEurope/comments/amb2r7/how_is_the_reputation_and_popularity_of_lexus/
     
    Last edited: Oct 28, 2019
    Pushmi-Pullyu likes this.

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  10. Oct 28, 2019 #10
    R P

    R P Well-Known Member

    Vancouver, BC, Canada 2023 Solterra Tech Pkg
    Haha, I think that battle has been lost long ago. Almost every reference I see about cars, uses grill, whether a vendor, article, and of course forum posters everywhere. That's how language changes,... for better or worse. But you can't fight it...
     
  11. Oct 28, 2019 #11
    interestedinEV

    interestedinEV Well-Known Member

    I learned my lesson from @Pushmi-Pullyu. In my case it was "cache" vs "cachet"

    As much as the battle may be lost, I still think we need people who have the courage of their convictions

    [​IMG]
     
    Pushmi-Pullyu likes this.
  12. Oct 28, 2019 #12
    Pushmi-Pullyu

    Pushmi-Pullyu Well-Known Member

    The title of the article I linked to, above, spelled "grille" correctly.

    What does Mr. Google say about this?

    "car grille" = about 799,000 hits
    "car grill" = about 561,000 hits

    You could certainly make a good case for "grill" being an alternative spelling, and one that might appear in dictionaries soon. But your claim of "almost every reference" being spelled incorrectly says more about your personal observational bias than it does about objective reality.

    ​
     
  13. Oct 28, 2019 #13
    R P

    R P Well-Known Member

    Vancouver, BC, Canada 2023 Solterra Tech Pkg
    Bias?? Do you think I really care? Just saying what I have observed, esp in car forums when people talk about changing their "grills". But it is a fact that language changes over time... Heck just look at how far American English has changed from British English. And both are correct now.

    Anyway, more important things to care about in life than try to "correct" language...
     
  14. Oct 28, 2019 #14
    Pushmi-Pullyu

    Pushmi-Pullyu Well-Known Member

    No, R P, I think you have made it very clear that you don't care how biased you are, on pretty much every subject. Nor do you seem much interested in learning better.

    ​
     
  15. Oct 29, 2019 #15
    gooki

    gooki Well-Known Member

    I’m not confident this will be a long range EV.
     
  16. Oct 29, 2019 #16
    bwilson4web

    bwilson4web Well-Known Member Subscriber

    Huntsville, AL
    Ok, that tears it!

    From now on, I'm spelling them as 'gills' and blaming autocorrect!

    Bob Wilson
     
  17. Oct 29, 2019 #17
    interestedinEV

    interestedinEV Well-Known Member

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Oct 29, 2019
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  18. Oct 29, 2019 #18
    Pushmi-Pullyu

    Pushmi-Pullyu Well-Known Member

    Poking the bear, eh?
    [​IMG]
     
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