Lexus: Moving towards a sustainable future

Automakers can positively contribute to the preservation of the environment through a two-pronged approach, comprising the introduction or the further improvement of their proprietary hybrid technologies, as well as by implementing business practices that help reduce waste and increase recycling.

Lexus’ commitment to recovering, recycling and re-using has permeated the entire company. To reduce waste to a minimum, Lexus recycles everything – in offices, factories and sales facilities – reducing carbon dioxide levels beyond the company’s achievements on the road.

Lexus considers the recycling factor throughout the entire lifecycle of a car – from production through to the end-of-life stage. To make more effective use of limited resources, the results are fed back into the vehicle development and design stages to create ever-more recycling-optimised vehicles.

Next to the Motomachi factory in Japan is Lexus’ Environment Center, an energy recovery plant. The centre burns combustible waste to generate electricity and steam, while also functioning as the Motomachi factory’s energy source. Managing combustion more effectively has drastically reduced the emissions of harmful substances in exhaust gases.

Lexus is further reducing CO2 emissions by making wider use of plant-derived plastics in its products to replace petroleum-derived plastics. For example, Lexus’ hybrid luxury compact CT 200h features the world’s first sugarcane-based plastic in the trunk luggage lining.

Moving on from the saving and recycling highlights, Lexus is a leader in the development of innovative technologies designed to champion and promote environment-friendly powertrains that offer uncompromising performance and enhance the overall driving experience.

Lexus hybrid vehicles are equipped with a new technology which features an electric vehicle-drive mode that enables vehicles to run purely on electric power at lower speeds, with zero emissions and outstanding performance. It outputs zero CO2 emissions, and even in concert with the gasoline engine, delivers a clean-running operation to complete the dynamic, fuel efficient, clean, and quiet Lexus hybrid drive experience.

This technology does not need recharging like pure electrical vehicles as the kinetic energy from braking is converted into electricity to use later by the battery; hence, it requires no new infrastructure.

In the United Arab Emirates, Al-Futtaim Motors – Lexus’ direction is in line with the government’s strategic environmental agenda encouraging green initiatives and sustainable plans. In line with that the company has transformed its brochures into digital only, saving the print of over 40,000 brochures a year. It has also priced the recently launched all-new Lexus RX 450h exactly the same as its petrol equivalent, making the car even more attractive to the environmentally conscious customers who do not like to compromise on performance or style.

Al-Futtaim Motors – Lexus offers the widest hybrid model selection in the luxury segment in the UAE including Lexus CT 200h, GS 450h, LS 600h, and RX 450h which achieves over 30 per cent increase in fuel economy in comparison to the RX 350.

Hybrid is not new or novel at Lexus, it’s a core technology – and core technologies drive the brand to develop a wider selection of Lexus hybrid models to suit the needs of all customers.

Chris Buxton is the managing director of Lexus at Al-Futtaim Motors