Lexus RZ450e Long Term Review

​Hone on the range

I drive a lot of electric cars so have a pretty good idea of how to stretch the battery power for as long as possible. In the case of the Lexus it means I drive in the 'Eco' setting as much as possible, relying on the brilliant automatic heated seats, steering wheel and infra-red knee heaters to keep me warm. The cut in motor power doesn't worry me in day-to-day use. There is a ‘Range’ driving mode which kills the front engine and the air con if I get really desperate too. But despite this, the Lexus is hugely inefficient. 

At the time of writing this, it is a pleasant 14 degrees Centigrade outside and they car is suggesting it has a range of 165 miles. The claimed range is 252 miles, but in three months I’ve never seen a number beginning with a two. Except when it’s gone down to twenty, which is does often. And when it’s gone down to just two, which has happened a couple of times…. 

That’s just not good enough. This car has 65kWh of usable battery capacity, which means the efficiency is 2.5 miles per kWh. That’s at least 1 mile per kWh less than I get in cars of similar size and performance. That isn’t just a pain as it means I have to charge more often – it costs a lot more too. If you went back to the old days, it’s like having a car which does 23mpg rather than 33. 

I can't understand why this should be the case. The RZX has the aerodynamics, including lots of funky spoilers. It’s not a super performance car. It has those clever heaters. Is there a parachute that comes out of the back when I’m not looking? Have I not noticed a caravan? Are there pixies smelting aluminium under the boot floor? It’s a mystery. 

Perhaps for this reason, Lexus offer owners a loan of a hybrid for up to two weeks a year. They’ll even deliver and collect from your home, but you don’t get to drink the nice coffee at the dealer then.