Lexus Electric Car (UX300e) heads into new markets this year [Update]

The availability of the Lexus UX 300e, the first Lexus battery-electric car, is set to expand this year. Following the global launch in China, the compact electric SUV went on sale in Europe earlier this year.

New Zealand & Singapore receive the Lexus UX300e in 2021

On 3 May 2021, Lexus announced that it plans to launch the UX 300e in New Zealand at the end of 2021. The company has listed it on the Lexus NZ website with the brochure. Customers can register their interest in the model at their local dealerships or on the official website. A little over a week before the Kiwi announcement, on 22 April, Lexus introduced the UX 300e in Singapore on Earth Day. The Lexus UX 300e is insanely expensive in this market due to the duties and taxes, retailing at SGD 251,800 (EUR 157,745).

Specifications

Powering the Lexus electric car is a 54.3 kWh battery pack that offers a range of up to 315 km or 196 miles in the WLTP cycle. The GA-C platform-based electric car has an electric motor mounted on the front axle, making 150 kW of maximum power and a peak torque of 300 Nm. It features one of the quietest cabins in its class. EVs are naturally silent, but the UX 300e gets insulation to suppress wind or other road noise from entering the cabin. The thermal management system, along with multiple other monitoring systems, makes sure that the battery operates at low and high ambient temperatures, and it regulates charging and prevents overcharging.

Through a 32A socket, the battery can be charged from 0 to 100% power in 6.5 hours, while the 125A DC fast charging method gets the battery from 0 to 75% in 50 minutes. Lexus has said its electric SUV can accelerate 0-100 km/h in 7.5 seconds and onward to a top speed of 160 km/h. It has developed special aerodynamic wheels and an underbody cover for the UX 300e.

Features

The Lexus electric car features pre-crash safety system PCS, high beam automatic control AHB, adaptive cruise control system ACC, lane departure Warning system LDA, intelligent lane tracking system LTA, Parking Assist Radar, and Reverse image monitoring system. The vehicle comes loaded with 10 airbags.

The pure-electric UX 300e is equipped with a 7-inch LCD instrument cluster and a 12.3-inch floating central control screen, leather-wrapped multi-function steering wheel, 8-way electrically adjustable front seats, Heated and ventilated front seats, Heated rear seats, Digital key, Head Up Display, 13-speaker Mark Levinson premium sound system and Remote Touch touchpad. Its onboard system can also be connected with a smartphone through the e-Lexus Club app that remotely controls functions such as lights, air conditioning, and window defrosting.

Source: Youtube/Lexus UK

Later this year, Lexus will launch the 2022 NX as its first plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (Lexus NX 450h+). Next year, the first dedicated Lexus EV will enter showrooms. All Lexus models will have electrified variants by 2025, including hybrid, plug-in hybrid, battery-electric, and fuel cell electric vehicles.

New Lexus UX 300e (facelift)

By mid-2022, the production version of the Lexus LF-Z Electrified concept is likely to enter showrooms. Lexus confirmed to CNET Roadshow in June 2021 that the dedicated electric SUV will arrive in 14 months (by August 2022). By mid-2023, a new Lexus UX 300e (facelift) with an improved range, new features (including an upgraded infotainment system), and featuring the brand’s new design language could follow. The new model will probably go on sale in European countries and China before other overseas markets, including Australia, New Zealand, and Singapore.

Featured image: Lexus