For many, Lexus seems like a long established brand, however it was only in September 1989 that Toyota launched their luxury brand, hoping to compete with other major luxury car makers around the world.
It was the LS 400 that first rolled off the press, "LS" meaning "Luxury Sedan". It was soon followed by the ES 250 "Executive Sedan".
Lexus however became synonymous with hybrid engines and their pioneering hybrid SUVs and cars, with much of the development funnelling back into the Prius range of the regular Toyota brand. More recently they have began the move to fully battery-powered vehicles, with the UX300e. Currently their only battery-only powered vehicle, the UX300e is a good start that opens up the doors for Lexus.
It is going to be interesting times ahead. Whilst Tesla has made most of the early running when it comes to EVs, it appears that the gap they created in front of the main pack is diminishing quickly.
