Defender of hybridization, the Toyota group will have taken its time before coming to electric technology. Admittedly, he was one of the pioneers of the hydrogen vehicle which is assimilated to an electric vehicle but the Japanese group had until now concentrated its efforts on the hybrid vehicle, whether rechargeable or not. But respecting the CO2 reduction objectives imposed by the European Commission means converting to electric. In this area, the first application of the Toyota group will appear in 2020 under the Lexus brand.
Lexus
It is the small UX crossover launched last year, a large volume vehicle, which was chosen to inaugurate this technology. The engineers modified the Prius' TNGA platform, which was not suitable at the outset to accommodate an electric powertrain. Under the front hood, the heat engine is replaced by an electric motor with a power of 150 kW (204 hp) and a torque of 300 Nm. It is powered by a battery placed under part of the floor and under the seat back. Due to limited space, its capacity is limited to 54.3 kWh when the competitors display values higher than 10 to 20 kWh. The Japanese manufacturer announces a range of 400 km but according to the NEDC cycle.
Lexus
In real life, the radius of action with a full charge should rather be around 300 km. Lithium-ion batteries cannot accept charging power greater than 50 kW. In question, its air cooling system. The Lexus UX300e will be launched later this year with a 6.6 kW on-board charger allowing full recharge in 8 hours on a Lexus wallbox. The conversion from UX to electric led to the integration of structural reinforcements, new suspension settings and an adaptation of the on-board instruments.
