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| Lexus' three newly released EV models showcased at the Lotte Tower Seoul, Wednesday. / Courtesy of Lexus Korea |
By Kim Hyun-bin
Lexus Korea launched its first pure battery electric vehicle (BEV), UX 300e, and the first plug-in hybrid (PHEV), NX 450h+, in the local market, Wednesday.
With this latest launch, the company plans to build a full lineup of electric vehicles and aims to work towards carbon neutrality.
"The launch of the New NX and UX300e gives customers diverse choices among PHEVs, hybrid vehicles and BEVs that better suit one's lifestyle, while going a step closer toward carbon neutrality," Kang Dae-whan, the managing director at Lexus Korea said during the launching ceremony held at the Lotte Tower in Seoul, Wednesday.
The UX 300e is equipped with a 54.35-kWh lithium-ion battery, and the maximum driving distance per charge is about 233 km. The charging time takes about 50 minutes to charge up to 75 percent and about 80 minutes to charge fully.
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| Lexus Korea CEO Nobuyuki Takemura gives an opening speech at the company EV launching ceremony held at the Lotte Tower in Seoul, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Kim Hyun-bin |
Compared to other competitors, which have a maximum driving range of more than 300 km, the relatively short driving range and long charging time are considered disadvantages.
'We are well aware that Korean customers are concerned about the driving range per charge, but there are other factors, such as performance, that made us decide to introduce the UX 300e," Lexus Korea CEO Nobuyuki Takemura said.
Lexus explained that the UX 300e is equipped with a total of 10 airbags, including multi-stage airbags for the front seats, and the Active Sound Control (ASC) function that provides different sound depending on the driving mode.
The second-generation New Generation NX, will be released with two powertrains: a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) one and a hybrid one.
The plug-in hybrid models include NX 450h+ Premium and NX 450h+ F SPORT, while the hybrid models include the NX 350h Premium and NX 350h Luxury.
The New Generation NX vehicles are equipped with Lexus' electronic four-wheel drive E-Four system. The vehicles provide excellent acceleration and high turning stability, according to the company.
The NX 450h+ has a total output of 307 horsepower, combined with fuel efficiency of 14.4 km/L.
The NX450h+ is equipped with an 18.1-kWh lithium-ion battery consisting of a total of 96 cells, so the range of pure electricity on a single charge is about 56 km.
The NX 350h is equipped with an improved hybrid system, the total system output is 242 horsepower, and the combined fuel efficiency is 14.0km/L.
