LS 600h

The hybrid battery is covered by the warranty of the vehicle. In normal use, we expect the battery to last much longer than the length of this warranty.

The length of time the battery holds its charge is dependent on many factors, including driving style, frequency of vehicle usage and ambient weather conditions.

While Lexus Hybrid Drive will operate on battery power alone at low speeds, the system is designed to make optimum use of the petrol engine and electric motor or motors. The actual distance you can travel purely on battery power depends on a variety of factors, including road and weather conditions, the level of battery charge and vehicle load.

Lexus Hybrid Drive features regenerative braking technology. The kinetic energy produced during braking, is transformed into electricity and stored in the high-voltage, compact, battery.

This means energy is recaptured which would otherwise be lost as heat, which contributes to efficient and responsible driving.

No, Lexus Hybrid Drive vehicles never need to be plugged in. The technology automatically recharges the compact, high-voltage battery, either through regenerative braking or by generating electricity from the running engine at cruising speeds.

Lexus will continue to invest in and develop hybrid technology, as we believe it is the next major advancement in car technology. Although some critics claim hybrid will be a short-lived phenomenon, many leading automotive experts predict continued and expanding growth, with hybrid technology spreading across all segments and into virtually all passenger vehicle types.

Manufacturers make, or stop making, vehicles based on customer demand. Once customers experience the power, quietness, fuel economy, reduced emissions, and in the case of Lexus, the luxury, of a hybrid, there will be no turning back.

Lexus Hybrid Drive offers high performance with great efficiency. If a competitor can match its performance, it cannot match its efficiency; if a competitor can match its efficiency, it cannot match its performance.

Lexus Hybrid Drive vehicles are the most powerful hybrid vehicles available and the first luxury hybrid models on the market. And, unlike most competitors, Lexus Hybrid Drive allows electric-only operation under certain low-speed, stop-and-go conditions for maximum efficiency and minimum environmental impact.

We believe that our combination of high performance, quiet running, fuel economy and lower emissions cannot be matched.

All Lexus Hybrid Drive models are specified with Electronic-Continuously Variable Transmission, rather than a conventional automatic gearbox.

The RX 350 is specified with permanent four-wheel drive, while the RX 400h has E-FOUR.

The LS 460 is rear wheel drive, while a new permanent all-wheel drive system harnesses and delivers the increased power and torque of the LS 600h.

The luggage storage compartment is identical for the RX 350 and RX 400h models. The boot is smaller in the GS and LS hybrid models, although there is still generous storage capacity.

As Lexus Hybrid Drive vehicles are the top models in their respective ranges, they also enjoy higher equipment levels. Please refer to the relevant model range section for additional information.

The Lexus Hybrid Drive system is designed to make optimum use of the petrol engine and the electric motor or motors. Electric power delivers instant torque, while the petrol engine’s power and torque build with engine speed.

The petrol engine is therefore best used for steady and higher speed driving, while the electric motor or motors are best used at lower speeds or when instant acceleration is required.

It is the intelligent power control unit, the Lexus Hybrid Drive brain, that decides exactly which power sources to allocate and in what combination and proportion.

In a typical driving cycle, the high output electric motor or motors are used during start up and for low speed driving. Providing instant power, they burn no fuel thereby creating zero emissions. As they run almost silently they also significantly reduce noise pollution.

As speed increases and more power is required, the power control unit starts the petrol engine. At steady cruising speeds, just the petrol engine normally provides power. If necessary, the generator also converts some of the engine power into electricity to recharge the battery.

If acceleration is required, for example to overtake, the power control unit uses both the petrol engine and the electric motor or motors to provide maximum torque.

Lexus Hybrid Drive can also generate electricity when braking, by converting the kinetic energy that would otherwise be wasted as heat into electricity and using it to recharge battery.

This will vary depending on various factors, including the battery charge level, general driving conditions and vehicle load. Under gentle acceleration with a well-charged battery, Lexus Hybrid Drive vehicles are capable of achieving approximately 40 km/h using only the electric motor or motors.

It should be noted however, that Lexus Hybrid Drive is designed to make optimum use of both power sources and is not intended to operate purely as an electric vehicle.

No. Although Lexus Hybrid Drive enables the vehicle to operate on electric power at slow speeds when there is fuel in the tank, it is not designed to run without fuel. Doing so could cause severe damage, so drivers should be sure to keep fuel in the tank at all times, just as you would with a conventional petrol- or diesel-powered car.

The intelligent power control unit constantly optimises power distribution. Usually at start-up and at low speeds only the electric motor or motors power the vehicle. As speed increases, the power control unit will switch on the petrol engine to provide additional power. At cruising speeds, the electric motor or motors are usually switched off. The Power Control Unit can call on additional electric power at an instant if required, for example, if the driver accelerates hard to overtake.

The driver cannot control the allocation of power sources as this is managed intelligently by the power control unit. In the LS 600h, however, the driver can choose to switch to electric vehicle mode for a short period where conditions permit.

As with all vehicles, if left for an extended period of time without use, it should be stored in a reasonably protected environment ensuring that the vehicle is not exposed to severe weather conditions. In the unlikely event that the battery discharges completely, the petrol engine will start the car and be used to recharge the battery.

Of greater significance is the risk of discharge of the conventional battery, which will affect non-hybrid vehicles. As with all vehicles, it is recommended that advice be taken before leaving a vehicle unused for an extended period and consideration given to charging the conventional battery during this time.

We expect Lexus Hybrid Drive to be as reliable as our petrol and diesel powered vehicles. In short, very reliable.