- lexus has shared more information about a new battery-powered ev drivetrain called direct 4.
- with 201-hp front and rear electric motors, this powertrain is currently installed in a prototype for a future lexus electric suv.
- lexus evs may launch in europe before coming to america, but toyota has confirmed ev models for the u.s. market as well.
toyota is finally jumping into the ev fray, and lexus has now shared more information about its future electric drivetrain. called direct4, this system uses front- and rear-mounted electric motors and is currently installed in a prototype for a new battery-powered lexus crossover.
lexus says that the front and rear motors each produce 201 horsepower and 221 pound-feet of torque, but hasn't shared total output for the powertrain. the prototype appears to be a compact or mid-size crossover, possibly a new addition to the lineup. we're not sure if the bodywork seen here is representative of what the eventual production model will look like, but lexus also provided a teaser photo showing a design concept for this upcoming ev crossover.
this new lexus direct4 system indicates that the first of toyota's new ev models may wear a lexus badge. but we don't yet know which evs will reach the u.s. market first. toyota confirmed that an electric crossover will reach the european market and that ev models will come to america in the "short term."
a version of the direct4 system will also have applications in future lexus hybrids, as demonstrated on a lexus es prototype. in this case, it features a 174-horsepower gasoline engine, a 107-hp electric motor powering the front wheels and another 107-hp electric motor powering the rear wheels.
so far, lexus's ev rollout has been limited to certain regions, as it sells an electric version of the ux small crossover in china and europe called the ux300e. but now that toyota has confirmed plans for ev models in the u.s. market in the near future, we expect to hear more about future lexus and toyota evs with this direct4 system in the coming months.