Lexus brings three new environmentally-friendly cars to Korea

From left: Lexus' NX 350h, NX 450h+ and UX 300e are parked in front of the Lotte World Mall in Jamsil, southern Seoul, on Wednesday. [YONHAP]

Lexus Korea introduced three new hybrid and pure electric vehicles (EVs) to the Korean market on Wednesday.

The three cars include the UX 300e, the automaker's first pure EV, the NX 450h+, its first plug-in hybrid, and the hybrid NX 350h.

The UX 300e is a descendant of the UX compact sports utility vehicle series. It can generate up to 240 horsepower, and has a 54.35 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery. The vehicle takes 80 minutes to fully charge and goes 233 kilometers (145 miles) on a single charge.

"We know that Korean consumers pay careful attention to the driving range of electric vehicles," said Nobuyuki Takemura, CEO and president of Lexus Korea. "However, we found that a lot of our customers use the UX models as a second car, and thought that the car will be good use to people who drive within the city."

The UX 300e starts at 54.9 million won ($42,500).

Two cars were introduced as New Generation NXs. They are fully revamped from the NX series and available with various powertrains, including hybrid and plug-in hybrid. A plug-in hybrid combines a gasoline or diesel engine with an electric motor and a large battery that can be recharged by plugging into an electrical outlet or electric vehicle charging station. A normal hybrid recharges its electric battery by using the car's gasoline engine.

The NX 450h+ generates up to 307 horsepower and is equipped with an 18.1 kilowatt-hour lithium ion battery, allowing it to go 56 kilometers solely powered on battery. It takes 2 hours and 37 minutes to fully charge the car. The NX 350h is a hybrid model that can generate up to 242 horsepower.

The NX 450h+ starts at 71 million won and the NX 350h starts at 65 million won.

In 2021, 98 percent of Lexus Korea cars sold were hybrids, and the company aims to offer more environmentally-friendly vehicles starting with its new plug-in hybrid and pure electric model. It plans to eventually become an electric-only brand in 2035.

BY LEE TAE-HEE [lee.taehee2@joongang.co.kr]