A Complete Guide To The Lexus UX300e

Lexus transformed the automotive industry in 2005 with the introduction of the RX 400h which was the first luxury hybrid car. Now, in 2021 Lexus plans to transform the industry once again with the introduction of the Lexus UX300e, Lexus’ first all-electric model.

The UX300e is based on the Lexus UX, a compact premium SUV. The electric version features an electric motor producing 150kW of power which allows acceleration from 0-62mph in 7.5 seconds. Whilst also having a range of up to 196 miles which is enough to drive from Derby to Brighton. 

The exterior and interior are showcases of traditional Lexus craftmanship with premium materials and advanced technology 

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Drivetrain	150kW Electric Motor 54.3kWh Battery
Road Tax	£0
Torque	300 Nm
Acceleration (0-62)	7.5 seconds
Kerb Weight	1,860 kg
Range	196 miles
Charging Time	20-80% 40 minutes

The UX is a unique looking car with sharp lines, triple LED headlights, LED rear light strip, chrome roof bars and large alloy wheel designs. The UX subtly stands out from the crowd and offers an alternative to the go to the German brands. The unusual looks support the standout technology that the UX is offered with. 

The UX is available in range of trims and colour options allowing you to customise the UX300e to your tastes such as refined, sporty or standout.

The luxurious interior of the UX300e is distinctive and full of little touches, contrasting and original materials such as an optional dashboard covering that resembles textured Japanese washi paper. 

The central screen is 7 inches as standard and 10.3 as an option, it supports a range of features such as navigation, media, vehicle information and allows for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The system is controlled by a touchpad similar to that found on a laptop which allows for precise movement. 

The top of the range trim adds a range of extras such as a large heads up display, Mark Levinson Sound System and Wireless Charging. The trim level I would choose is the F Sport which adds a range of styling upgrades and more supportive seats, although even the entry model has six way manual adjustment to find the perfect driving position. It is worth noting though that you are always sat low in the UX and the high window line gives a sporty feel but less of a typical SUV view out.

The first thing you notice getting into the UX300e is the comfort as you sit down, the premium materials that surround you and the overall feel of quality. The UX300e like any Lexus feels well design and built to last inside. 

To start the UX300e you simply press the blue start/stop button, select drive, and move off in silence. The car drives like any other Lexus product with progressive controls which are easy to judge even if you are new to the car. This is a real achievement for the brand as it makes the transition to electric cars feel even more natural. 

The Lexus UX300e does use regenerative braking like other electric cars but the system is not intrusive and you are not really aware when it is happening, so the car feels like any other combustion engine car. 

A real benefit of the car being electric is the instant torque available which gives you confidence to overtake and pull out of junctions knowing all the power is there right away and there are no gear changes to slow down progress. 

Lexus keeps it simple with three driving modes: Normal, Eco and Sport. Normal gives the optimal balance between driving experience and efficiency, Eco preserves the battery life by reducing power and climate control, whilst Sport gives a more dynamic feel. 

The control for the driving modes are located just above the instrument cluster within easy reach. 

The UX300e comes packed with equipment as standard.

Standard equipment includes:

• 17" Diamond Cut Alloy Wheels
• BI-LED Headlights with Auto High Beam
• 8-Way Electrically Adjustable Front Seats
• Lexus Safety System +
• 7" Media Screen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Reversing Camera with Front and Rear Parking Sensors

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With added touches.

Standard equipment in addition includes:

• Wireless Smartphone Charger
• Smart Keyless Entry
• Heated and Ventilated Front Seats
• Heated Rear Seats
• Heated Steering Wheel
• Privacy Glass
• Lower Touchscreen

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The ultimate Lexus UX300e.  

Standard equipment in addition includes:

• 18" Diamond Cut Alloy Wheels
• 13 Speaker Mark Levinson Premium Surround Sound System
• 10.3"Central Screen with Lexus Navigation
• Sunroof
• 360 Panoramic View Cameras
• Head-Up Display
• Blind Spot Monitor

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No you don’t, in fact the quickest charging happens between 20 and 80%, so frequent top ups within this range can be more convenient and preserve battery health. 
Fully charging the battery will however give you the maximum range for longer journeys. The battery is designed to last the lifetime of the car even with frequent charges outside of the 20-80% range.

To charge the UX300e you simply open the charging port which is located where the fuel cap is located on the regular UX. There is a charging port on both sides of the car at the rear. On the right supports Type 2 charging and the left rapid charging. 

Then either use the charging cable supplied with the car or the charging cable attached to the charging station and insert the cable into the car. Follow the instructions on the charging station such as payment instructions and confirmation, then check the car is charging. 

Lock the car and leave it to charge. When returning simply unlock the car and use the unlock button next to the charging port to remove the cable. If the cable belongs to the car return to the boot.

The fastest charging takes place between 20-80% battery capacity, outside of these charging is slower to protect the battery. Other factors also affect the charging rate such as – temperature (colder temperatures slow charging rate), the charging rate and the size of the battery. The UX300e  supports rapid charging up to 50kW. 

Officially though between 0% to 100% these are the times: 
• At home with a 3-pin plug, 24 hours to charge, giving 7 miles per hour charged. 
• Home wallbox, 15 hours, 12 miles per hour charged. 
• 7kW Public charger, 8 hours, 21 miles per hour charged. 
• 22kW Public charger, 8 hours, 21 miles per hour charged. 

From 20%-80%:
• 50kW Public charger, 40 minutes, 81 miles per 30 minutes charged.
• 150kW Public charger, 40 minutes, 81 miles per 30 minutes charged.

At home to work out how much it will cost to charge your car, check the battery’s capacity and your electricity rate. For the UX300e this is 54.3kWh and for myself 11p per kwh. 0.11x 54.3 = £5.97 for a range of up to 196 miles. This means that each mile costs 3p. Whilst individual situation will influence the cost. This is still a large cost saving compared to a regular petrol car such as an NX which costs approx. 10p per mile. 

It is more likely that UX300e users will take advantage of rapid charging. At a public charger the costs can vary. Some are free for customers such as Pod-Points at Tesco. Whereas others can cost money, using apps such as Pod-Point and Zap-Map you can see nearby chargers, if they are available and how much they cost. Quite a common cost for public chargers was 30p per kWh or a flat rate connection fee often around £1 then free after. The rapid chargers I found at service stations also cost around 30p per kWh which whilst costing more than at home is much quicker to charge and still costs less than running a combustion engine car.

The UX300e can be charged with a Type 2 at home, work or at a public charging point. There is also a CCS connector for rapid charging. 

It may not be possible to have a home charger installed at home due to reasons such as not having off-road parking, renting or having parking not close enough to your home. 

In these situations it is still possible to run an electric car. In fact with cars that support rapid charging it may be more beneficial to use a rapid charger once a week to keep the battery topped whilst not inconveniencing the driver. It is most convenient to charge an electric car where it is parked (which is almost 95% of the time for a car), using chargepoints at these locations. For most people this is at home but other frequent destinations may also have chargepoints such as work, shopping centres and leisure centres. Then less frequent longer journeys can benefit from on-route rapid chargers found at service stations. 

Workplace charging and charging as part of a commute such as at a train station car park, in more normal times in particular serves as a good opportunity for people who cannot charge at home. As people often spend over 8 hours at work which is plenty of time to charge the car and most people’s commutes are less than 30 miles. I know that with my commute of 8 miles, I could commute everyday of the week in the UX300e and only have the charge the car once every two weeks.

The UX300e uses regenerative braking to recover energy which would usually be wasted when braking. However, the system in the UX300e is unobtrusive as Lexus are experts in this technology having evolved their systems over a period of almost 20 years. This allows for smooth driving which is not always easy in a car with unpredictable regenerative braking.

Lexus promises the ‘Omotenashi’ ownership experience which means unequalled service, to five complete satisfaction. 

The UX300e comes with an eight year or 100,000 mile warranty for the electric battery and a three year or 60,000 mile warranty for the motor, inverter and convertor as well as the car’s other components. 

Servicing is less than a comparable combustion engine car due to the fewer moving parts in an electric car. Inchcape supplies service plans so that you can spread the cost of servicing over fixed monthly payments. 

The UX300e has an official electric range of up to 196 miles. I found it was easily capable of returning over 170 miles range without adapting my driving style and having the climate control set to how it would be in a petrol car. Therefore, with more careful driving and using the Eco mode I would expect over 190 miles to be achievable. 
Plus the UX300e supports rapid charging so 20-80% battery charge can be achieved in 40 minutes. 

The UX300e benefits from a range of low tax, grants and exemptions. The car benefits from £0 road tax, London Congestion Charge exemption (although a £10 admin fee is still required each year) and free entry into Ultra Low Emission Zones. 

Company car drivers benefit as well as the BIK value is 1% for 2021/22 at a value of £438. 2% for 2022/23 and 2023/24. Whereas, a Lexus NX would have a BIK value of 37%, so the UX300e offers big savings. 

It is eligible for the OZEV (Office for Zero Emission Vehicles) Plug-in Car Grant which provides a £2500 contribution to the list price of the car and a OZEV EVHS Grant (Electric Vehicle Homecharge Scheme) grant which contributes £350 towards the cost of installing a wall box. This can be further backed with an EST (Energy Saving Trust) Domestic Charge Point Grant if you live in Scotland. 

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The UX 300e is equipped with the latest Lexus Safety System +, which includes:

•Dynamic Radar Cruise Control
•Pre-Collision System
•Lane Tracing Assist
•Adaptive High-beam System*
•Road Sign Assist

These headlights are an evolution of the Lexus signature arrowhead with LED technology they not only look good but also illuminate as much as the road as possible without putting other road users at risk. Multi weather lights help overcome the impact of poor driving conditions. 

The digital driver’s display with a central 7 inch TFT LCD screen adds a further modern touch to the interior of the UX300e which shows a range of information to the driver such as speed, range, deceleration indicator and temperature. Upon start up the display features an animation to welcome the driver. 

At the rear of the car is an LED bar which expands across the whole width of the car. This is designed not only for aesthetics but also to increase aerodynamic efficiency. There are fins integrated into the light bar which reduce air pressure changes by up to 16% which helps increase rear stability to improve safety and driving dynamics.  

Whilst not being the largest car in its class it does offer seating for up to five adults in luxury. Inside the cabin there are plenty of storage options, a central cubby space, glovebox, cupholders and doorbins. There are a multitude of places to charge phones such as the optional wireless charging pads and USB sockets.
 
Bootspace in the UX300e is larger than the hybrid UX, offering 367 litres and 486 litres as a loaded to the roof figure. 

The UX300e is a well rounded and solid first all-electric effort from Lexus which should see it continue to lead developments in a new electric chapter in the automotive industry.

The electric drivetrain suits the Lexus DNA found in the UX300e, giving refinement and comfort. The UX300e is designed to feel like any other Lexus product and that makes the step to electric seem less daunting and less of a compromise. 

Whilst 196 mile range should be enough for almost all journeys and the rapid charging function makes it easier to do longer drives. 
 
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