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14 декабря, 2021
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Category Archives: Alternative transportation
Tesla Cries Foul In Michigan
Tesla Motors has issued another blog post decrying the latest politicized skirmish between state government officials and auto dealer associations, this time in Michigan.
Its post outlines what Tesla terms “dark-of-night tactics” used by dealers concerned that their arguments could not face the light of day.
“This amendment goes even further,” writes Tesla of a last minute wording change to otherwise general legislation now on the governor’s desk. “It also seeks to prevent Tesla from operating a gallery in Michigan that simply provides information without conducting sales. We could even be barred from telling people about our car.”
The bill is HB5606, which the post says was at first only a single amendment to existing law to prevent dealers from adding fees to vehicle prices, and this was for all brands, but somehow it became an exclusion against Tesla.
“Not content with enshrining their ability to charge consumers dubious fees, on the last day of the legislative session, the dealers managed to make a last-minute change to the bill in an attempt to cement their broader retail monopoly,” writes Tesla. “Using a procedure that prevented legislators and the public at large from knowing what was happening or allowing debate, Senator Joe Hune added new language in an attempt to lock Tesla out of the State.
Allegations by Tesla include cronyism catering to state auto dealer lobby which has given campaign contributions to Senator Joe Hune and favoritism by him given that his wife’s firm lobbies for the car dealers too.
“This anti-competitive behavior mirrors similar tactics in New Jersey and Missouri, where dealers have resorted to backroom political maneuvers to shore up their monopolies,” writes Tesla.
Tesla is asking its supporters to weigh in and ask the governor to veto the legislation. He meanwhile is reportedly in a tight spot in this home state to the Detroit Two automakers between conflicting desires of his constituencies.
Tesla says it wants him to “return the issue to the legislature for a full and open debate in 2015.”
Tesla Blog
Abengoa opens cellulosic ethanol plant in Hugoton; 1st commercial deployment of Abengoa enzymatic hydrolysis
Abengoa opens cellulosic ethanol plant in Hugoton; 1st commercial deployment of Abengoa enzymatic hydrolysis
17 October 2014
The Hugoton cellulosic ethanol plant covers 400 acres, more than 380 of which will be used to store biomass from local farmers. Click to enlarge.
Abengoa held the grand opening of its cellulosic ethanol plant in Hugoton, Kansas, located about 90 miles (145 km) southwest of Dodge City. Abengoa’s new biorefinery finished construction in mid-August and began producing cellulosic ethanol at the end of September with the capacity to produce up to 25 million gallons (94.6 million liters) per year. Abengoa received a $132.4-million loan guarantee and a $97-million grant through the Department of Energy to support construction of the Hugoton facility.
The plant utilizes only “second generation” (2G) biomass feedstocks for ethanol production—i.e.non-edible agricultural crop residues (such as stalks and leaves) that do not compete with food or feed grain. The facility also features an electricity cogeneration component allowing it to operate as a self-sufficient renewable energy producer. By utilizing residual biomass solids from the ethanol conversion process, the plant generates 21 megawatts (MW)
of electricity—enough to power itself and provide excess clean
renewable power to the local Stevens County community.
The Hugoton plant opening also marks the first commercial
deployment of Abengoa’s proprietary enzymatic hydrolysis technology,
which turns biomass into fermentable sugars that are then converted to
ethanol. (Abengoa Bioenergy licensed from Dyadic the use and modification of a microorganism that produces the enzymes required for the conversion of cellulose into sugars.)
In addition to the plant’s crucial role in proving the commercial
viability of cellulosic ethanol, its success provides a platform for
Abengoa’s future development of other bioproducts that reduce
petroleum use, such as bioplastics, biochemicals and drop-in jet fuel.
The Hugoton plant opening is the result of 10 years of technical development, roughly 40,000 hours of pilot and demonstration plant
operation, and the support of the DOE. This is a proud and pivotal moment for Abengoa and for the larger advanced bioenergy industry—and further demonstrates our longstanding commitment to providing sustainable energy alternatives in the United States. This would have been simply impossible without the establishment of the Renewal Fuel Standard.
At full capacity, the Hugoton facility will process 1,000 tons per day
of biomass, most of which is harvested within a 50-mile radius each
year—providing $17 million per year of extra income for local farmers
whose agricultural waste would otherwise have little or no value.
Of that biomass, more than 80% is expected to consist of irrigated
corn stover, with the remainder comprised of wheat straw, milo stubble
and switchgrass.
Abengoa plans to offer licenses and contracts to interested parties
covering every aspect of this new industry—from process design, to
engineering, procurement and construction (EPC), supply of exclusive
enzymes, as well as operations and marketing of the completed products
from the facility.
The proprietary enzymatic hydrolysis technology utilized commercially
at Hugoton is a focal point in Abengoa’s efforts to diversify the
range of raw material feedstocks from which biofuels and bioproducts
can be produced. For example, for more than a year the company has been
operating a demonstration-scale facility that is capitalizing on the
same technology and enzyme cocktail used at Hugoton to extract
cellulosic sugars from municipal solid waste (trash), thereby allowing
expansion of the renewable fuels industry from rural to urban areas.
With a biofuels presence on three continents, Abengoa is an
international biotechnology company—one of the largest ethanol
producers in the United States and Brazil, and the largest producer in
Europe with a total of 867 million gallons (3.3 billion liters) of annual installed production capacity distributed among 15 commercial-scale plants in
five countries.
Abengoa’s overall presence in the United States—including its solar,
water desalination, biofuels and engineering and construction
businesses—has grown exponentially since the company expanded its
business more than a decade ago. Some 26% of the company’s
assets are currently in the United States, which is Abengoa’s largest
market in terms of sales.
BRD Changes Name To Alta Via Witty Press Release
Waaaay back in 2010, the newly-minted BRD promised to deliver a pair of electric motorcycles to a hungry market, and four years later it’s almost ready to fulfill that promise. But first though, BRD decided it needed to change its name via what is the best press release I’ve ever seen.
Now known as Alta, the press release (also posted below) doesn’t mince words over the immensity of this announcement; the company as a whole just felt like Alta was a better name than BRD. So now BRD is Alta, and that’s that.
There is still a former Tesla executive on Alta’s Board of Directors, and the company will plans to deliver two versions of their Redshift motorcycle, the street legal SM and the dirt track-ready MX. The MX will top out at 80 MPH but weighs about 15-lbs less than the SM, which can go up to 85 MPH. The 5.2 kWh electric motor is rated at 50 miles per charge and can be charged in just four hours from a 110-volt outlet, and the 40-horsepower electric motor spins to over 13,000 RPM/ but weighs in at just 11-lbs.
The street-legal Redshift SM will run you $15,495 when it goes on sale, with the MX coming in at about $500 cheaper should Alta meet its targeted delivery day of the second quarter of 2015. Four years in though and we’re still waiting for BRD Alta to make the first important delivery.
Press Release
TL;DR: BRD wasn’t a great name for the company, and now we have a new one we like more: Alta.
BRD was never a great external name. It had important internal meaning to us but for a lot of reasons, we always communicated it to the outside world as either “a secret” or meaningless. It was awkward:
We don’t want to exaggerate the significance here to the heights of ethereal clouds where Zeus profoundly frolics. The typical rebranding sounds something like, “OMG, our new brand is the most amazing and important thing ever with so much meaning and richness.” But that is the commentary of a pretentious asshole when it really all starts out as just a name. Like Bob. Or Sue.
We’ve found a name that fits us well, will be featured prominently at the top of the column in the yellow pages, and carries a lot of meaning to us: Alta. Alta California was also the name of our territory, sitting on top of Baja California. Alta also means other stuff we really like and it looks right on our bikes. So now we are Alta.
Volvo Autonomous Vehicles Will Plan Ahead.
When I was learning to drive, I was taught to anticipate trouble and always have an escape plan in case of emergency. Volvo says its future cars and trucks will do the same thing, only faster and better than humanly possible.
Volvo says by 2020, its centralized Sensor Fusion framework will gather input from onboard cameras, radar, lidar and GPS plus data from onboard speed, steering and brake sensors to generate a 360 degree electronic model of the car and its environment every few milliseconds. It will be able to see beyond the driver’s field of vision to anticipate potential collisions before they occur. The system will distinguish between pedestrians, bicyclists and motorcyclists, and know the predictable patterns of behavior for each group.
In an emergency situation, the system can apply the brakes or even override manual control of the steering to avoid a wreck or injury to others. For someone like me who grew up with British sports cars controlled by Lucas electronics, this sort of electronic wizardry is the stuff of science fiction.
The Sensor Fusion system was developed over the past 4 years by the Non-Hit Car and Truck Project, a partnership between Volvo Cars, Volvo Trucks and a consortium of electronics suppliers and universities. The goal was to reduce accident risks for passenger cars and commercial vehicles.
The automated accident avoidance technology is “imperative for the development of self-driving cars, which will be able to automatically steer and brake to avoid collision with any object in any situation,” says Anders Almevad, project manager for the Non-Hit Car Project. “Our primary objective is to focus on different types of accident scenarios.”
For commercial vehicles which cannot maneuver as easily as a car in congested areas, the system focuses on seeing electronically more than what the driver can see physically. If it detects an unsafe situation, it can give the driver up to 5 seconds of warning or bring the vehicle to a halt if necessary. This technology can be applied to a wide variety of Volvo vehicles, from its hybrid buses to plug-in SUVs
Some people are nervous about filling our roadways with self-activating robots, just as many were originally skeptical of air bags in cars. But with over 30,000 road deaths in the US alone every year, shouldn’t we welcome advances in technology that promise to dramatically reduce the annual loss of life due to driving accidents?
China To Punish Automakers That Don’t Meet Fuel Economy Standards
Though China’s lax automotive regulations have been rarely enforced, the central government says that it will begin publicly naming and punishing companies that don’t meet fuel economy and emissions standards, reports Euronews.
China’s major cities have notoriously dangerous levels of smog, and the government is pushing a scrappage program for older vehicles as well as generous incentives towards the purchase of plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles. But it also wants to enforce fuel economy standards that by 2015 call for average fuel consumption of 6.9 liters per 100km, which works out to about 34 MPG. By 2020, the average MPG rises to over 47 MPG, and automakers that don’t comply face stiff penalties.
Beginning in 2015 the government plans to clamp down on non-compliant automakers, limiting their production and levying fines against companies that don’t meet the call for higher fuel economy. New models that don’t meet standards will be banned from production, and the government will halt expansion plans of companies whose cars aren’t up to snuff. Of the 85 automakers selling vehicles in China, about 30% of them (almost all of them native Chinese companies) failed to meet last year’s standards, and while the government has turned a blind eye in the past, those days are over. 13 international automakers also failed to meet those standards, including GM and Nissan, but have a wider product protfolio to draw upon.
Unfortunately for China’s budding auto industry, few domestic automakers are expected to be able to meet the fuel economy standards set for 2020. One of the exceptions is BYD, which has embraced a fully-electrified lineup of hybrid and electric cars, but many smaller companies will struggle with these standards. It will likely lead to a serious consolidation of the oversaturated Chinese car market.
This move is another, more subtle way of China pushing automakers to develop more hybrid and electric vehicles, which up until this year have sold pretty poorly in the People’s Republic of China. But a new round of insanely generous incentives have propped up the EV industry in a big way, and China stands to become the biggest market for electric cars in the world.
MIT/Stanford team refines TREC battery for harvesting low-grade waste heat
MIT/Stanford team refines TREC battery for harvesting low-grade waste heat
17 October 2014
In May, researchers at MIT and Stanford University reported the development of new battery technology for the conversion of low-temperature waste heat into electricity in cases where temperature differences are less than 100 ˚Celsius. The thermally regenerative electrochemical cycle (TREC) uses the dependence of electrode potential on temperature to construct a thermodynamic cycle for direct heat-to-electricity conversion. By varying the temperature, an electrochemical cell is charged at a lower voltage than discharged; thus, thermal energy is converted to electricity. (Earlier post.)
Now, in a paper in the ACS journal Nano Letters, the team reports a refinement of the earlier Prussian blue analog-based system system, which although it operated with high efficiency, used an ion-selective membrane which, in turn, raised concerns about the overall cost. The refined system is a membrane-free battery with a nickel hexacyanoferrate (NiHCF) cathode and a silver/silver chloride anode. When the battery is discharged at 15 °C and recharged at 55 °C, thermal-to-electricity conversion efficiencies of 2.6% and 3.5% are achieved with assumed heat recuperation of 50% and 70%, respectively.
A vast amount of low-grade heat (
TREC entails a four-step process:
- heating up the cell with waste heat;
- charging at the higher temperature;
- cooling down the cell; and
- discharging at low temperature.
Because the charging voltage is lower at high temperatures than at low temperatures, once the battery has cooled it delivers more electricity than what was used to charge it—i.e., converting heat to electricity.
The concept of TREC was developed a few decades ago, the researchers note, but focused on high-temperature applications (500−1500 °C) and showed efficiencies up to 40−50% of the Carnot limit. Low-temperature TREC did not received as much attention since electrode materials with low polarization and high charge capacity at low temperature were limited.
The low-temperature TREC system on which the research team earlier reported was based on a copper hexacyanoferrate (CuHCF) cathode and a Cu/Cu2+ anode. The low polarization of electrodes, moderate temperature coefficient, high charge capacity, and low heat capacity led to a high efficiency of 5.7% when the cell was operated between 10 and 60 °C, assuming a heat recuperation efficiency of 50%.
Schematic of thermally regenerative electrochemical cycle (TREC). (a) The voltage−capacity plot of a TREC. Net energy is generated because the discharge voltage is higher than charge voltage. (b) The corresponding temperature−entropy (T− S) plot. (c) A TREC with an ion-selective membrane to block certain ions to avoid side reactions (i.e., the earlier system). (d) The new membrane-free NiHCF/Ag/AgCl system with no unwanted reaction between electrodes and ions. Credit: ACS, Yang et al. Click to enlarge.
However, one potential issue they identified with their system was the use of an ion-selective membrane to allow NO3− anion passing through but not Cu2+ cations to avoid side reaction between CuHCF and Cu2+. Ion-selective membranes are currently expensive; further, it would be difficult to block completely the penetration of Cu2+ in long-term operation. A membrane-free systems would lower the cost and facilitate long-term operation, making the TREC battery more practical, they concluded.
To address this issue, we apply a criterion that any soluble chemical species in electrolyte should not induce adverse side reactions other than the desired two half-cell reactions. In this paper, a membraneless electrochemical system with a nickel hexacyanoferrate (NiHCF, KNiIIFeIII(CN)6) cathode and a silver/silver chloride anode is demonstrated, where no adverse side reaction is introduced due to solutes in electrolyte. … In this system, ions involved in each electrode do not have side reactions with each other, so the ion-selective membrane is unnecessary and can be replaced by an inexpensive porous separator.
…We believe that further optimization and searching for new systems will lead to new development and possibly practical deployment of TREC.
Resources
-
Yuan Yang, James Loomis, Hadi Ghasemi, Seok Woo Lee, Yi Jenny Wang, Yi Cui, and Gang Chen (2014) “Membrane-Free Battery for Harvesting Low-Grade Thermal Energy”
Nano Letters doi: 10.1021/nl5032106
The Crazy Complicated Porsche 919 Hybrid Steering Wheel Detailed
Part steering wheel, part remote control, part personal computer, the steering wheel of the Porsche 919 Hybrid looks more complicated than it is…and Porsche wants to explain just what all those buttons are for.
Today’s hybrid endurance race cars like the Porsche 919 Hybrid are amongst the most complicated vehicles on the planet, powered by engines and hybrid systems that cost more than entire neighborhoods. It takes a special kind of driver using a special kind of steering wheel to get the most out of these vehicles as you can imagine, and with 24 different knobs, dials, and buttons to keep track of, they’re not going to put just any idiot behind the wheel of these multi-million dollar machines.
Of course the most important button in any endurance race car is the “overboost” feature, which releases the stored kinetic energy of the hybrid system to give drivers a brief boost of extra power. But there’s a number of other toggles that change everything from brake balance and traction control to the windshield and drink system.
Yes, the drivers have a water feeder system controlled by their steering wheel. There’s even a speed limiter for the pit lane so drivers aren’t black flagged, and the mid-section has a screen to display all the pertinent information. As complicated as it seems though, once you get a handle of it I’m sure it’s like operating any other steering wheel covered with buttons and a LCD screen.
I wonder if they ever get quizzed on things like this?
GM Hits Landfill-Free Milestone
Originally posted on Sustainablog
The idea of zero-waste car manufacturing may seem like a really ambitious goal: a lot of materials go into your average automobile. And while most metals and glass are pretty easily recycled – at least in the developed world – paints, plastics, cushioning, and fabrics (all just off the top of my head) present various challenges. And of course, production requires cutting or otherwise measuring or fabricating materials to fit, so leftovers come with the process. Despite these hurdles, the auto industry has done very innovative work transforming its facilities in terms of waste production, even hitting landfill-free status in quite a few cases.
A few weeks ago, we took a look at Ford Canada’s achievement of landfill-free status for all of its facilities. That’s impressive… but GM has gone even further. Yesterday at sustainablog, I dug into General Motors’ latest milestone for eliminating waste production in both assembly and operations locations around the world…
But How Much Waste Does GM Keep Out of Landfills?
Last month, we joined sister site Gas 2.0 in congratulating Ford Canada on reaching landfill-free status for all of its operations. That’s pretty impressive, right – all of the factories in one country sending nothing to landfills? While I’ve wrestled with other ideas since then, another question struck me: how’s the competition doing on this front? Is GM, for instance, making similar strides in reducing its waste stream?
The short answer, I found out today, is a resounding “yes!” While I don’t know if the company has reached total landfill-free status in any of the countries that host multiple facilities (like Ford), I do know that General Motors has added 11 more operations to the landfill-free column… and that it has a total of 122 manufacturing and non-manufacturing locations around the world that send nothing to landfills.
OK, that’s really impressive! What I really enjoy digging into with these kinds of stories is the “how”: facilities in the developing world – or even in many parts of developed countries – can’t just call up the local recycling company and say “Come and get it!”… especially when “it” involves industrial chemicals of various configurations. Overall, these materials require specialized knowledge and nearby resources to handle them; more specifically, they require creative business thinking that will measurably lighten a company’s footprint without making investors feel like they’ve been ignored, or customers feel like they’re paying way too much for a company’s green initiatives.
Such thinking has to involve all possible means of handling waste, from reuse and recycling at the back end to reducing it at the front end. So, a facility like Spain’s Zaragoza Assembly composts wastewater treatment sludge, as well as reuses 80% of its paint solvent. Canada’s CAMI Assembly turns wood scrap into mulch for the facilities’ wetlands, while Grand Rapids Operations turns used grinding wheels into sandpaper. All of these collective efforts by the company worldwide contribute to a reduction of 600,000 metric tons of CO2-equivalent emissions. No doubt they’re saving massive volumes of landfill space, too, as well as reducing air, water, and soil contamination.
Used grinding wheels waiting to go to the sandpaper factory
Car makers have really jumped on the landfill-free movement – I still remember those Subaru ads touting its Indiana plant – and, at least in terms of number of facilities, they’re making impressive strides. I’d love to see weight/volume numbers from GM: emissions equivalents are great, but it’s hard to get a picture of the amount of waste from them. Still, not only is this quite an accomplishment on its own, but it also puts them in a very good position to reach their goal of 125 landfill-free facilities by 2020… I think they’ll probably make it.
While I don’t know what organizations are certifying this status, I do know that GM has received numerous accolades for its initiatives to keep waste out of landfills. If you’ve got thoughts on any of this, do share…
2015 Lexus RS 450 h Review – Video
For 2015 the RX 450h hybrid carries forward as an alternative in Lexus’ best-selling line of vehicles.
Like low-calorie cake, the highly contented RX 450h in all-wheel- or front-wheel-drive lets drivers oxymoronically indulge without the gas-guzzling guilt assuming they can justify its $6,650 premium to get an extra 9 mpg over RX 350 compatriots.
The two-row suburbanite cushmobile gets the fuel mileage of a four-cylinder sedan while providing more room, the power of a V8, and it outsells the also fully contented three-row Toyota Highlander Hybrid by nearly three-to-one.
The RX hybrid actually originated the luxury crossover hybrid sub segment a decade ago. It saw a facelift for 2013 and revisions since, and is close to getting a thorough redesign but still stands strong.
Competitors have risen to challenge it, but for now combined mpg of 29 for AWD and 30 mpg for FWD remains best in class, and is among the best the EPA rates for all SUVs sold, and with legendary reliability and customer service baked in.
This year the RX 450h gets a few updates including standard seven-inch display audio, new wheels and paint, optional HID and LED headlamps, and updated navigation system.
Lexus Hybrid Drive
The primary distinguishing feature between the RX 450h and RX 350 is of course, under the hood. There you’ll find concealed under expanses of plastic beauty covers what is essentially Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive full parallel/series hybrid system albeit re-named because this is a Lexus.
The system has four modes of operation from low-speed pure EV to Normal to Eco and Sport and the RX 450h can operate in electric-only or gas-engine-only modes as well as a combination of both.
This may be the only time most RX owners look overly long at what’s under the hood. It uses Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD), but it’s called Lexus Hybrid Drive (LHD) – not Lexus Synergy Drive. The latter choice has unfortunate initials, so that would never work.
It’s also a more powerful system than found in a 200-horsepower four-cylinder Camry Hybrid or Lexus ES hybrid. Specifically, an Atkinson cycle 3.5-liter V6 is merged up front with a 116-kilowatt electric motor generator adds to 295 system horsepower with robust but unspecified total torque. Out back for the “all weather drive” model is an additional 50-kw motor that helps in slippery conditions and adds to the acceleration.
Incidentally, Tesla just made public relations hay with its all-wheel-drive P85D version of the Model S which uses front and rear motors. The Tesla EV is special in other ways, but the principle of its AWD system is not original, as Lexus has had something like it for years, as has the Toyota Highlander Hybrid.
Unique is there’s no mechanical driveshaft between front and rear and nothing for the RX driver to do to engage rear wheel drive. On one hand, that makes the RX ill-suited for off-roading, not that matters for whom this car is catering. On the positive side, those same targeted drivers will be happy it just works when the need is sensed.
Power is otherwise routed for the RX’s front-wheel drive portion by a planetary-type continuously variable transmission (CVT). A 288-volt nickel metal hydride (Ni-MH) battery pack under the second-row seats stores power from brake regeneration and a third motor generator.
Pod On Wheels
Americans tend to love their SUVs and crossovers and this one with the big “L” on the updated spindle grille is just so much more rich than a humble Honda CR-V, or other work-a-day five-person people hauler.
The exterior design of the RX is otherwise less than ostentatious, and it blends well enough into suburban landscapes like camouflage garments do in the woods. Most people are not bothered by it. Others have said it’s a bit feminine, or neutered, or best suited for soccer moms and grandparents.
It is unique with its ovalized lines pretending to be a truck, but it is really more like a Camry or ES with the dimensions enlarged. Cargo area is the same as the RX 350 at 40 cubic feet and 80.3 with seatbacks folded.
Packed With Features
Driver and occupant accommodations are quite plush, and the RX comes standard with a laundry list of infotainment, creature comforts, and with plenty of space for people.
In the standard car are touches like bird’s eye maple and dual automatic climate control as well as heated front seats. Also included is a Display Audio with Rear Backup Camera, a 12-speaker sound system or optional 15-speaker Mark Levinson Surround Sound system with 330 watts and 0.1 percent total harmonic distortion.
Options include dual rear seven-inch LCD screens for passengers, and the RS includes Safety Connect which is subscription based, optional navigation, end Enform with Safety Connect to communicate with 24/7/365 response centers. Subscription-based features come free the first year.
Also packed in is Apple’s Siri Eyes Free Mode technology to connect with compatible devices and phones.
The Drive
Why is the RX line Lexus’ best seller? Because it’s the quintessential have-it-all car, with good power, economy, ride, and decent handling, if not super sharp – something has to give.
As for that power, 0-60 for the quicker AWD has been clocked on a good day as low as 6.7 seconds, and the quarter mile has gone by in 14.9 seconds. That’s pretty sporty, and should put to silence other publications that have said this vehicle is suited for the AARP set.
Even at a more-realistic 7-plus-second 0-60, the RX 450h is a virtual lightening bolt next to an utterly sensible choice like Toyota Prius v which may be 3-seconds slower to 60.
But that’s only part of what the car is about – especially this one, being a hybrid. Most of the time, that power can be used simply as needed and it’s just as happy to mozy and sip fuel. We got 26-28 mpg without taking much care, and in mixed driving once in a while using the quickness to enter a roadway and keep pushing drivers off our back.
Better mpg is certainly attainable, and we’ve seen as high as 31.6 on a previous long test drive. Officially the AWD is rated 30 mpg city, 28 highway, 29 combined. The FWD is 32 mpg city, 28 highway, 30 combined.
Unfortunately fuel tank size is smaller at 17.2 gallons next to the RX 350’s 19.2 gallons, so estimated driving range is only 499-516 for the hybrid next to 384-403 for the non-hybrid.
Meanwhile, the drive is ordinarily quiet and road comfort is as much as most people would want. The taller 235/60R18 tires or 235/55R19 tires on two optional alloy wheel packages combined with sufficient suspension travel make soaking bumps no problem.
Handling rough roads with truck-like security in this car in disguise is the RX’s forte. However, a Porsche Macan, it is not.
Although there’s a “Sport” mode, the torquey gas-electric powertrain with CVT in car approaching 5,000 pounds with driver makes using that of less value than an SUV truly positioned as a sporty driver.
Several German utes will blitz through a slalom course with more poise than the RX, but it’s not so soft as to be a safety hazard. It is actually able to hustle with decent, if not exciting or fun, ability – assuming you have decent ability as a driver.
And around town or on the highway – where most people think to use vehicles not preening for an excursion to a track day – the RX is just the prescription the doctor ordered. So there’s how one could stretch definitions and call this sporty: it will sprint to pick up the kids, or groceries, and gallop cross country on vacation. That is its natural habitat, ordinary usage, and that’s where it can best satisfy.
Like every car ever purchased, its pros and cons are something to be gotten used to. It’s otherwise predictable and manageable, and for the target car buyer, its benefits outweigh its drawbacks.
Thumbs Up Or Down?
Those looking for a do-everything vehicle from a brand with reputation for reliability that regularly ranks high in customer satisfaction will take a shining to the RX.
As for that hybrid price premium? We think the extra $6,550 is a bit steep for 9 mpg rated improvement over the RX 350 non-hybrid version, and is not as good a deal as the hybrid Lexus ES sedan’s 16 mpg improvement for $2,880 difference.
Payback for the “hybrid upgrade” will be longer for the RX 450h, but at this level, will that matter? Truth is, folks pay extra for luxury after objectively and subjectively perceiving the sum package for the outlay, and fuel economy is being treated as a luxury item in this case. And the RX 450h AWD versions do also add more value as well as hardware with their sophisticated three-motor powertrain with drive-shaft-free AWD. However even between the FWD RX 450h and RX 350 without the AWD hybrid’s fancy rear drive, Lexus asks the same $6,550 premium. Given how Lexus prices things, the $1,400 extra for AWD looks relatively reasonable, and it’s a no-brainer for those who drive in inclement weather and snow.
And how does it price the RX 450h? Lexus lists the base FWD at $48,545, and the AWD at $49,945 including $925 destination. The AWD model we drove had a bottom line of $59,709 with the heaviest up-charge coming from a $6,115 comprehensive luxury package including the semi-aniline leather and $1,915 voice-commanded navigation package.
Aside from mentioned competitors from Germany, one more could be the smaller, less powerful, Lexus NX hybrid crossover being launched for 2015 in the U.S. which has been a hit in Japan since launching earlier this year. This more-efficient vehicle presents a more edgy and youthful counterpoint – and is all new.
Meanwhile, the RX 450h is smaller than the Mercedes ML and BMW X5, and lacks a third row like the X5, Acura MDX, and even nicely-appointed Toyota Highlander Hybrid. For its redesign, Lexus is reportedly mulling whether a longer three-row RX 450h may be in order, especially with product overlap from the new NX, and otherwise lacking this seven-eight-passenger capacity other automakers now offer.
As it is, the RX 450h is a nice crossover that delivers what a lot of people want. It’s a useful but cozy vehicle and will insulate drivers on the road in comfort for nearly every situation they will ordinarily encounter.
2015 Lexus RX 450 h Review – Video
For 2015 the RX 450h hybrid carries forward as an alternative in Lexus’ best-selling line of vehicles.
Like low-calorie cake, the highly contented RX 450h in all-wheel- or front-wheel-drive lets drivers oxymoronically indulge without the gas-guzzling guilt assuming they can justify its $6,650 premium to get an extra 9 mpg over RX 350 compatriots.
The two-row suburbanite cushmobile gets the fuel mileage of a four-cylinder sedan while providing more room, the power of a V8, and it outsells the also fully contented three-row Toyota Highlander Hybrid by nearly three-to-one.
The RX hybrid actually originated the luxury crossover hybrid sub segment a decade ago. It saw a facelift for 2013 and revisions since, and is close to getting a thorough redesign but still stands strong.
Competitors have risen to challenge it, but for now combined mpg of 29 for AWD and 30 mpg for FWD remains best in class, and is among the best the EPA rates for all SUVs sold, and with legendary reliability and customer service baked in.
This year the RX 450h gets a few updates including standard seven-inch display audio, new wheels and paint, optional HID and LED headlamps, and updated navigation system.
Lexus Hybrid Drive
The primary distinguishing feature between the RX 450h and RX 350 is of course, under the hood. There you’ll find concealed under expanses of plastic beauty covers what is essentially Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive full parallel/series hybrid system albeit re-named because this is a Lexus.
The system has four modes of operation from low-speed pure EV to Normal to Eco and Sport and the RX 450h can operate in electric-only or gas-engine-only modes as well as a combination of both.
This may be the only time most RX owners look overly long at what’s under the hood. It uses Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive (HSD), but it’s called Lexus Hybrid Drive (LHD) – not Lexus Synergy Drive. The latter choice has unfortunate initials, so that would never work.
It’s also a more powerful system than found in a 200-horsepower four-cylinder Camry Hybrid or Lexus ES hybrid. Specifically, an Atkinson cycle 3.5-liter V6 is merged up front with a 116-kilowatt electric motor generator adds to 295 system horsepower with robust but unspecified total torque. Out back for the “all weather drive” model is an additional 50-kw motor that helps in slippery conditions and adds to the acceleration.
Incidentally, Tesla just made public relations hay with its all-wheel-drive P85D version of the Model S which uses front and rear motors. The Tesla EV is special in other ways, but the principle of its AWD system is not original, as Lexus has had something like it for years, as has the Toyota Highlander Hybrid.
Unique is there’s no mechanical driveshaft between front and rear and nothing for the RX driver to do to engage rear wheel drive. On one hand, that makes the RX ill-suited for off-roading, not that matters for whom this car is catering. On the positive side, those same targeted drivers will be happy it just works when the need is sensed.
Power is otherwise routed for the RX’s front-wheel drive portion by a planetary-type continuously variable transmission (CVT). A 288-volt nickel metal hydride (Ni-MH) battery pack under the second-row seats stores power from brake regeneration and a third motor generator.
Pod On Wheels
Americans tend to love their SUVs and crossovers and this one with the big “L” on the updated spindle grille is just so much more rich than a humble Honda CR-V, or other work-a-day five-person people hauler.
The exterior design of the RX is otherwise less than ostentatious, and it blends well enough into suburban landscapes like camouflage garments do in the woods. Most people are not bothered by it. Others have said it’s a bit feminine, or neutered, or best suited for soccer moms and grandparents.
It is unique with its ovalized lines pretending to be a truck, but it is really more like a Camry or ES with the dimensions enlarged. Cargo area is the same as the RX 350 at 40 cubic feet and 80.3 with seatbacks folded.
Packed With Features
Driver and occupant accommodations are quite plush, and the RX comes standard with a laundry list of infotainment, creature comforts, and with plenty of space for people.
In the standard car are touches like bird’s eye maple and dual automatic climate control as well as heated front seats. Also included is a Display Audio with Rear Backup Camera, a 12-speaker sound system or optional 15-speaker Mark Levinson Surround Sound system with 330 watts and 0.1 percent total harmonic distortion.
Options include dual rear seven-inch LCD screens for passengers, and the RS includes Safety Connect which is subscription based, optional navigation, end Enform with Safety Connect to communicate with 24/7/365 response centers. Subscription-based features come free the first year.
Also packed in is Apple’s Siri Eyes Free Mode technology to connect with compatible devices and phones.
The Drive
Why is the RX line Lexus’ best seller? Because it’s the quintessential have-it-all car, with good power, economy, ride, and decent handling, if not super sharp – something has to give.
As for that power, 0-60 for the quicker AWD has been clocked on a good day as low as 6.7 seconds, and the quarter mile has gone by in 14.9 seconds. That’s pretty sporty, and should put to silence other publications that have said this vehicle is suited for the AARP set.
Even at a more-realistic 7-plus-second 0-60, the RX 450h is a virtual lightening bolt next to an utterly sensible choice like Toyota Prius v which may be 3-seconds slower to 60.
But that’s only part of what the car is about – especially this one, being a hybrid. Most of the time, that power can be used simply as needed and it’s just as happy to mozy and sip fuel. We got 26-28 mpg without taking much care, and in mixed driving once in a while using the quickness to enter a roadway and keep pushing drivers off our back.
Better mpg is certainly attainable, and we’ve seen as high as 31.6 on a previous long test drive. Officially the AWD is rated 30 mpg city, 28 highway, 29 combined. The FWD is 32 mpg city, 28 highway, 30 combined.
Unfortunately fuel tank size is smaller at 17.2 gallons next to the RX 350’s 19.2 gallons, so estimated driving range is only 499-516 for the hybrid next to 384-403 for the non-hybrid.
Meanwhile, the drive is ordinarily quiet and road comfort is as much as most people would want. The taller 235/60R18 tires or 235/55R19 tires on two optional alloy wheel packages combined with sufficient suspension travel make soaking bumps no problem.
Handling rough roads with truck-like security in this car in disguise is the RX’s forte. However, a Porsche Macan, it is not.
Although there’s a “Sport” mode, the torquey gas-electric powertrain with CVT in car approaching 5,000 pounds with driver makes using that of less value than an SUV truly positioned as a sporty driver.
Several German utes will blitz through a slalom course with more poise than the RX, but it’s not so soft as to be a safety hazard. It is actually able to hustle with decent, if not exciting or fun, ability – assuming you have decent ability as a driver.
And around town or on the highway – where most people think to use vehicles not preening for an excursion to a track day – the RX is just the prescription the doctor ordered. So there’s how one could stretch definitions and call this sporty: it will sprint to pick up the kids, or groceries, and gallop cross country on vacation. That is its natural habitat, ordinary usage, and that’s where it can best satisfy.
Like every car ever purchased, its pros and cons are something to be gotten used to. It’s otherwise predictable and manageable, and for the target car buyer, its benefits outweigh its drawbacks.
Thumbs Up Or Down?
Those looking for a do-everything vehicle from a brand with reputation for reliability that regularly ranks high in customer satisfaction will take a shining to the RX.
As for that hybrid price premium? We think the extra $6,550 is a bit steep for 9 mpg rated improvement over the RX 350 non-hybrid version, and is not as good a deal as the hybrid Lexus ES sedan’s 16 mpg improvement for $2,880 difference.
Payback for the “hybrid upgrade” will be longer for the RX 450h, but at this level, will that matter? Truth is, folks pay extra for luxury after objectively and subjectively perceiving the sum package for the outlay, and fuel economy is being treated as a luxury item in this case. And the RX 450h AWD versions do also add more value as well as hardware with their sophisticated three-motor powertrain with drive-shaft-free AWD. However even between the FWD RX 450h and RX 350 without the AWD hybrid’s fancy rear drive, Lexus asks the same $6,550 premium. Given how Lexus prices things, the $1,400 extra for AWD looks relatively reasonable, and it’s a no-brainer for those who drive in inclement weather and snow.
And how does it price the RX 450h? Lexus lists the base FWD at $48,545, and the AWD at $49,945 including $925 destination. The AWD model we drove had a bottom line of $59,709 with the heaviest up-charge coming from a $6,115 comprehensive luxury package including the semi-aniline leather and $1,915 voice-commanded navigation package.
Aside from mentioned competitors from Germany, one more could be the smaller, less powerful, Lexus NX hybrid crossover being launched for 2015 in the U.S. which has been a hit in Japan since launching earlier this year. This more-efficient vehicle presents a more edgy and youthful counterpoint – and is all new.
Meanwhile, the RX 450h is smaller than the Mercedes ML and BMW X5, and lacks a third row like the X5, Acura MDX, and even nicely-appointed Toyota Highlander Hybrid. For its redesign, Lexus is reportedly mulling whether a longer three-row RX 450h may be in order, especially with product overlap from the new NX, and otherwise lacking this seven-eight-passenger capacity other automakers now offer.
As it is, the RX 450h is a nice crossover that delivers what a lot of people want. It’s a useful but cozy vehicle and will insulate drivers on the road in comfort for nearly every situation they will ordinarily encounter.
