Lexus is the benchmark for luxury cars, and the brand is even used as a substitute for the word “quality,” for example, “…is the Lexus in the laptop computer market.” Now Lexus sees hybrid technology as defining its brand image in coming years. Only Lexus has a hybrid engine in most of its cars (RX SUV, GS sedan, LS sedan), and only Lexus has made “Hybrid Living” its mantra. 

Reliable industry sources say Lexus is selling about 20 times more LS hybrid sedans than it planned. Lexus is proving that hybrid technology need not be price prohibitive with the incredible GS 450 that surpasses its rivals on power, price and parsimony (fuel efficiency). Then there is the LS 600h L, the Lexus flagship with the first V8 hybrid drivetrain, a 430 hp powerhouse that offers V12 performance, V6 economy and virtually every luxury and amenity.

Lexus Hybrid Drive is the fruition of 15 years of intensive research and development. Lexus is now making the fifth generation of its hybrid vehicles. All Lexus hybrids deliver a unique combination of low emissions, exceptionally quiet power and fuel efficiency.

The hybrid drive system replaces the gearbox, alternator and starter motor with a pair of electric motor-generators and a computer to control them. The motor-generator converts electricity to motion or vice-versa. A battery pack stores the electric energy and releases it on demand. The two motor-generators are contained in a single housing bolted to the engine. Special couplings and sensors monitor rotation speed of each shaft and the total torque on the driveshaft for feedback to the control computer. The hybrid drive works by shunting electrical power between the two motor generators and the battery pack to even out load on the gasoline engine. Because a power boost is available for periods of acceleration, the gasoline engine can be sized to match only the average load on the car, rather than the peak load on the car. This saves fuel because smaller engines are more power efficient. During normal operation, the gasoline engine can be operated at its ideal speed and torque level for power, economy or emissions with the battery pack absorbing or supplying power as appropriate to balance the demand placed by the driver. Driving is the controlled operation of a vehicle, which is usually a motor vehicle such as a truck, bus, or car. ...

That’s the technical description, but the real benefits of Lexus Hybrid Drive are found in the driving experience. Unlike most car manufacturers, Lexus doesn’t believe you should sacrifice performance for mileage or ecology. Take the GS 450h, for instance. The advantage of the hybrid powertrain is clear when compared to Lexus’ own conventional GS sedans. The GS 450h hybrid is speedier and more fuel efficient than its non-hybrid V8-powered twin, the GS 460. The hybrid is even more fuel-efficient than the base GS 360, which has a smaller and less powerful engine (a conventional V6).

Therefore, the Lexus GS 450h hybrid will save you money on gas and still outperform the conventional GS sedans. To illustrate, it would have an annual fuel cost of $2,714, which is $406 less than the GS 460 and $125 less than the GS 360, according to the gas mileage calculator on the Environmental Protection Agency’s website. Note: calculations for the annual savings on the cost of gas assume an average price of $4.15 per gallon for premium gasoline and 15,000 miles of driving a year.

Admittedly, the GS 450h costs more than its conventional siblings do, but this hybrid beats competing non-hybrid brands from other manufacturers on both price and power. The GS 450h costs less than its rivals, the BMW 550i and Mercedes-Benz E550.

Both of those cars have conventional V8 engines that are larger and less efficient than the GS 450h’s hybrid powertrain. Compared to the hybrid, those vehicles are actually slower to go zero-to-60 mph by about 0.2 seconds. The GS 450h takes a very un-hybrid-like five seconds to reach 60 mph. Of course, these are full-throttle, flat-out acceleration times that most drivers will never attempt during regular driving, but they are the industry’s widely accepted benchmarks of speed.

Besides the money you could save on a Lexus GS 450h, it would also save you $755 a year on gas compared to the BMW 550i, which gets an estimated 15 mpg city/23 mpg highway, and $955 a year compared to the Mercedes E550, which gets an estimated 15 mpg city/22 mpg highway.

So there you have it, Lexus fans! Lexus Hybrid Living can be quite practical, a fundamental tenet in the Lexus Hybrid Living philosophy.