Lexus delivers electric shock

Lexus told the world five years ago that it would expand into hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles, but that promise appears to have been shelved.

At last week's global launch of the Lexus UX, Lexus Canada director Jennifer Barron told journalists – including an Australian contingent – that every Lexus model line would feature an 'electrified' variant by 2025, echoing a similar commitment by its parent company Toyota.

That means full battery-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids as well as the series-parallel systems pioneered by Toyota in its Prius – but not hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles (FCEVs).

“We are leading the industry, in terms of electrification, by offering the broadest selection of hybrid-powered models, which are all designed to reduce fuel use – and emissions of course – while completely engaging the driver,” Barron explained during her presentation to the media.

“Hybrids do give drivers the efficiencies of an electric motor and the performance, plus the convenience and the comfort of never having to alter their driving habits.

“Electrification really is for everyone, and when we talk about our hybrids we are talking about electrification. Lexus has committed to producing an electrified version of every Lexus vehicle by 2025. And this will include plug-in and full battery-electric models.”

Subsequently, when motoring.com.au asked a small panel of Lexus executives what plans there were for fuel-cell vehicles in the Lexus range, given it's the type of technology that Toyota has been championing in the Mirai – and such leading-edge tech would be a natural fit for a prestige brand like Lexus – the answer was less than enlightening.

“We're considering every possibility,” a spokesman simply replied.

Lexus becoming a standard-bearer for fuel-cell technology within Toyota is a possibility, according to the spokesman. But on the day, the Lexus executives preferred to talk about the potential of hybrid power, not fuel-cells.

Their reluctance to discuss fuel-cell vehicles indeed raises a red flag, particularly so when the company has courted the technology in the not-too-distant past.