Lexus RZ revealed

[wivenhoe]

I had to renew my home charger a few months back (my Rolec failed after 7 years !). The installer told me that from 1st July all chargers had to be “smart” - I thought he meant controllable by an App and a timer - he said yes to those, but the important element was that the supplier could ‘throttle back’ charge rates to even the load on the grid. He said it meant that a full EV driver with a car needing say 10 hours on a home charger could discover that only over night only half a charge has been delivered. He said that was the main reason they brought in the new regulation. 

[wivenhoe]

5 hours ago, Phil xxkr said:

It's clear Bob, we're all moving to a time of use model TOU, this is to nudge us into changing our behaviour until then Octopus Go /Intelligent is well worth a look at. Should you or anyone else to switch then use this referral link to get £50 off both your bill and mine 👍

 

Many thanks. I’ll look a little nearer when my current fixed price comes to an end. 

[Boxbrownie]

30 minutes ago, First_Lexus said:

 

I can say with certainty that all of them switched entirely because of cost…and the fact they were due to change and wanted to ‘future proof’ their vehicle for travel into cities/large towns.

 

Entirely?

So not just for cost then?   Another two major factors there.

 

Were they business owners?

[Kevin Williams]

57 minutes ago, LexusOwner1994 said:

I love the range of vehicles that you have owned! My personal dream car is a LC 500!!

I used to own a SC 430 too and it was a great car (wafting about in it).

 

Tom, firstly I hope you haven’t got rubbish piled up where you live… All be it I am in Cornwall. I have bought several cars from Edinburgh… Without mentioning their name… 3 Mercs, 5 BMW’s and my LC 500 Convertible came down from Edinburgh… I think the best car I have ever had was my LS400 in 2001. When driving on roads with a concrete surface. You didn’t know you were on concrete…!

Unfortunately my wife cant come out with me in any car I have. I have a VW Caddy WAV for taking her out. I currently have an Evoque P300e. I would have the plug in Lexus but its bigger than I need. An RZ and a SC430 will be good…!

[First_Lexus]

31 minutes ago, Boxbrownie said:

Entirely?

So not just for cost then?   Another two major factors there.

 

Were they business owners?

No, all private owners - the business owner is the one who will switch in Q1 next year.

To be clear, their reason for change was cost. Other factors were secondary.

I certainly wouldn’t describe any of them - having changed - as ‘evangelists’ for EVs. Perhaps that’s the difference?

[Phil xxkr]

12 hours ago, wivenhoe said:

Many thanks. I’ll look a little nearer when my current fixed price comes to an end. 

As Martin Lewis often says, don't always wait to end any contract, car insurance etc as it may be cost effective to terminate early 🤔

[wivenhoe]

1 hour ago, Phil xxkr said:

As Martin Lewis often says, don't always wait to end any contract, car insurance etc as it may be cost effective to terminate early 🤔

As my fixed rate until Dec is only 18p and the current cap is about 28p and becoming 52p on 1st Oct I doubt I can get anything more cost effective. EON aren’t offering any fixed tariffs for next year as they say it is (hopefully) possible that you could fix now at a much higher rate than the cap will be. 

[Boxbrownie]

14 hours ago, First_Lexus said:

No, all private owners - the business owner is the one who will switch in Q1 next year.

To be clear, their reason for change was cost. Other factors were secondary.

I certainly wouldn’t describe any of them - having changed - as ‘evangelists’ for EVs. Perhaps that’s the difference?

Odd, most owners in the EV forums seem to have changed due purely on cost have been business owners, most private owners have bought because they either felt they wanted to “help the planet” or they like the EV driving experience once tried.

I don’t understand this EV evangelist thing, as owning an EV is completely dependent on circumstances and personal choice.

Being an EV disparager seems to be forever on trend amongst the “petrolheads”.

[Moleman]

8 minutes ago, Boxbrownie said:

I don’t understand this EV evangelist thing, as owning an EV is completely dependent on circumstances and personal choice.

Being an EV disparager seems to be forever on trend amongst the “petrolheads”.

It appears in the world today, you must be clearly for or against something, it must be black or white, no other view is allowed (and for some a view different to theirs is certainly not allowed).

I try to keep an open mind and see where the evidence goes (although evidence can be twisted to match the point of view), I try to accept that all points of view have place in the debate. They may be wrong (IMHO) but they exist and we should accept that others have right to hold a different view.

[Boxbrownie]

2 minutes ago, Moleman said:

It appears in the world today, you must be clearly for or against something, it must be black or white, no other view is allowed (and for some a view different to theirs is certainly not allowed).

I try to keep an open mind and see where the evidence goes (although evidence can be twisted to match the point of view), I try to accept that all points of view have place in the debate. They may be wrong (IMHO) but they exist and we should accept that others have right to hold a different view.

Exactly true.

My open mind is I don’t mind what **** you like just don’t **** on my drive 🤣

[wivenhoe]

I have had 4 new PHEV’s since 2015 - initially for tax saving but with the current one personally owned. In my case they suit my mostly local driving and also the acceleration is much better compared to a similar size petrol car. My very heavy RR Velar does 0 to 60 in just over 5s and over 6k miles has returned nearly 90mpg. It dives to about 30 mpg after the 30 mile EV range has been used. I think they are a great compromise as you have all the advantage of EV (including environmental) for local driving but no range anxiety issues on long journeys. 

I am looking to make my next car an EV mainly due to expected higher residuals in future years as well as great acceleration when needed. Ironically, at a time EV’s are bringing faster driving, local councils are introducing 20 mph limits and I wouldn’t be surprised if 50 mph limits were introduced on motorways. Still, that will add to the range of EV’s. 
 

I am looking to buy an RZ as the best car I have had (and kept the longest) was a 2008 GS450h which went like the clappers and at 3 years old looked inside and out brand new. I am hoping the RZ lives up to that. 

[rayaans]

There are too many uncertainties at this stage regarding delivery timescales and they do change by the month

Almost all manufacturers are struggling with this - VAG group have a lead time of almost 18 months on some cars so I don't doubt that Lexus is being fairly straightforward with their September 2023 delivery dates. 

The RZ doesnt seem massively expensive to me in comparison to every other manufacturer. New car prices have gone a bit mental and it now costs over £30k to get into a decent VW Golf, and over £45k to get into a new C-Class. I understand there are a lot of comparisons against Skoda etc but thats like comparing a Renault to a Bentley. There are a lot of people on this forum who seem to focus on entirely numbers rather than anything else like build quality for example.

 

[Barry14UK]

Range and range anxiety seem to be why some people express concern about having BEVs, although this may become less so as more charging stations become available.  In winter the range does drop very considerably, a reason why some have reverted to petrol.

I am aware that Battery technology is improving and may well mean current BEVs suffer heavy depreciation against the newer and lighter solid state Battery equipped cars that will be available in due course.

[Shahpor]

As some who is awaiting delivery of a new EV (Kia Niro) I can tell you that it was mostly about cost and driving experience rather than environmental factors.  As my commute to work is now 3 miles, an EV is ideally suited and works well.  The residuals look good and, despite the ever increasing cost of energy, it makes a good counter balance compared to my Stinger with regard to running costs.

[ganzoom]

9 hours ago, Barry14UK said:

I am aware that battery technology is improving and may well mean current BEVs suffer heavy depreciation against the newer and lighter solid state battery equipped cars that will be available in due course.

When do we think these mythical solid state batteries will appear?

Meanwhile our EV which is coming up to 6 year soon, with a cumulative 67k miles has depreciated by 23%. 

The most 'advanced' car made by Tesla currently uses essentially the same Battery technology and format as first Model S that rolled off the production in 2012, so 10 years ago.

This will be my 7th winter owning an EV, the amount of £££££ I've saved in fuel, servicing, VED costs with EVs  compared to my old combustion car is coming up to £40k. Not to forget because I was an early adopter I got additional 'perks' like x3 'free' home chargers installed at 3 different properties, 'free for life' fuel at Tesla Superchargers, and a 'free' home Battery installed worth £10k.

Overall switching to EVs early has been one of the best financial decisions I've ever made when it comes to cars.

Right now our EV essentially costs me 4p/mile including fuel, tires, and yearly MOT, I actually worked out the EV is CHEAPER to run per mile than my eBike!!!

[Moleman]

9 hours ago, ganzoom said:

Not to forget because I was an early adopter I got additional 'perks' like x3 'free' home chargers installed at 3 different properties, 'free for life' fuel at Tesla Superchargers, and a 'free' home battery installed worth £10k.

That was an incredible deal and explains why for you it makes such good sense.

Not so clear for those thinking of buying today.

[Boxbrownie]

2 hours ago, Moleman said:

That was an incredible deal and explains why for you it makes such good sense.

Not so clear for those thinking of buying today.

It is if they are buying for the car itself rather than cost saving, even then the costs are still cheaper even with the increased rates if your a higher mileage driver (12K+ a year approx) and join a dual rate scheme.

 

It always seems to be the cost saving that doubters bring up when talking about EVs, life is not about cost and the bottom line to everyone, it might be for those who run their own company and just cannot get the financial bottom line out of their life I guess.

 

It just wrankles a bit when it’s always the cost that is the first argument. But your correct it isn’t so clear for a lot of people today and it needs careful consideration, like any large purchase really.

[Spacewagon52]

There has been arguments on both sides of the debate about the environmental impact EVs have. When deciding to purchase a car (new or secondhand) people have a figure in mind. 

What you spend that money on affects the future cost of ownership. EVs are mechanically less complicated, cheaper to service and cheaper to run. That might make one an obvious choice but to others there are other factors to consider. 

The big stumbling block is price (at present).  availability and the body design are also limiting factors.

The writing is on the wall and EVs, I believe, will be the future but I am not sure everyone will be able to afford one.

[Phil xxkr]

54 minutes ago, Spacewagon52 said:

There has been arguments on both sides of the debate about the environmental impact EVs have. When deciding to purchase a car (new or secondhand) people have a figure in mind. 

What you spend that money on affects the future cost of ownership. EVs are mechanically less complicated, cheaper to service and cheaper to run. That might make one an obvious choice but to others there are other factors to consider. 

The big stumbling block is price (at present).  availability and the body design are also limiting factors.

The writing is on the wall and EVs, I believe, will be the future but I am not sure everyone will be able to afford one.

I am not sure if EV owners in California agree with you today 🤠, they are being told not to charge up during peak periods as they are risking rolling blackouts 🤔

[Boxbrownie]

1 minute ago, Phil xxkr said:

I am not sure if EV owners in California agree with you today 🤠, they are being told not to charge up during peak periods as they are risking rolling blackouts 🤔

California is probably the ONLY U.S. state which might listen to the warning, but even then I doubt they will comply…..yeeehaa

[wivenhoe]

That’s why all new home chargers must have the capability of tallowing he supplier to throttle back or even terminating charging in the UK !

[Barry14UK]

13 hours ago, ganzoom said:

When do we think these mythical solid state batteries will appear?

 

 

Toyota announced it will put solid-state batteries in hybrid cars on dealership lots by 2025.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/05/18/solid-state-batteries-electric-vehicles-race/

Toyota have a solid state powered test car up and running.

[ganzoom]

4 hours ago, Barry14UK said:

Toyota announced it will put solid-state batteries in hybrid cars on dealership lots by 2025.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/05/18/solid-state-batteries-electric-vehicles-race/

If you believe that than good for you:).

Just some context, the current lithium ion cells became 'mass market' in the late 1990s when Sony introduced them for consumer electronics. It took Tesla and Panasonic 18 months to setup the latest Giga factory to mass produce current cell technology.

As far as I'm aware there isn't a single commercial solid sate Battery available for purchase, let alone a factory to mass produce them.

If Toyota can develop, mature, and bring solid state batteries to mass market EVs within 3 years they deserve all the success.

[ganzoom]

8 hours ago, Moleman said:

That was an incredible deal and explains why for you it makes such good sense.

Not so clear for those thinking of buying today.

The same 'worries' about EVs are the same now as they were in 2015. You can live your life forever waiting for the future or just get on with it, and see what happens.

We are talking about cars here, not life or death stuff. I once changed 3 cars in 6 months, what is there to loss when it comes to trying EVs now? If you don't like them just get rid, residual values are so high at present you will probably make a profit selling up!!

[Kevin Williams]

On 8/29/2022 at 3:31 PM, John Adams said:

When I placed my order in May, I was told delivery would be in the first quarter of 2023. When I spoke to my dealer last week, he told me production was delayed until November this year with first customer cars to be delivered by June 23.  There is no way anyone will get one this year if productions only starts in November

John, I had a message left today to ring Cameron from the same dealer we have both placed our orders for our new RZ’s. Cameron’s message was he needs to know the colour and interior colour. So my order could be fully processed to Lexus. I tried ringing him back and spoke to one of his colleagues. I asked did I need to provide my colours etc. If the car wont be delivered until whenever next year. And I asked again, when might it be delivered, and didn’t get an answer. You seem to be getting more info from the Exeter dealer... Can I ask have you provided your colours etc…? I might be better to cancel my order with Exeter and place it with the Lexus dealer that supplied my new LC500 Convertible...!