Battery size: 64kWh
Max charge rate: 150kW
Range: 297 miles
Efficiency rating: A
Real world miles per kWh: 3.8
I was tempted to try Lexus’ offer to request a loan hybrid car, which is delivered to and collected from home. That’s not special to me – it’s available to all customers.
But in the end I looked at the charging points near my destinations and decided to brave it. And it was much easier than I expected, as well as being a lot cheaper than paying for petrol.
For example, I drove the 190 miles to Liverpool for a university open day and charger at home, costing about £7 using Octopus’ cheap overnight tariff. I stopped at some (open to all) Tesla chargers near Stoke for some lunch and charged to 95% at a cost of £14. I chose them at the price of 44p/kWh is half similar rapids on the route.
I then arrived, parked and plugged into a 7kW destination charger while touring the university and drove back without needing a charge. The total cost was about £32. In a diesel it’d have been nearer £50. On another trip to Nottingham I could’ve just about got there and back on a single charge but there was a Sainsbury’s next to the place I was visiting which had a new SmartCharge hub. I wanted to try one out of curiosity, so plugged in while I bought and ate a sandwich. At both the Tesla and Sainsbury’s chargers the Lexus was only pulling around 80kW, but it seemed fast enough at the time.
What is irritating is that the Lexus app only updates after something has changed, like you have parked up or stopped charging. You can’t check to see what your level is while the electrons are still flowing into the car, which means you have to go back and check on the battery level and range.
Talking of charging, the Lexus has been topped up a few times for free, using Octopus’ free energy hours. I take the opportunity to plug in both it and our Leaf!
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