Lexus has achieved a milestone in Australia by becoming the first luxury manufacturer to deliver 50,000 electrified vehicles locally, including hybrid electric vehicles (HEV) and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV).
The Lexus electrification story for Australia began in 2006 with the arrival of the GS 450h luxury sedan and the RX 400h, the latter recognised as the world’s first luxury hybrid SUV.
It has now delivered 51,013 HEVs, 820 PHEVs and 658 battery electric vehicles (BEV) to Australian customers.
Electrified vehicles represented a record 60.4% of Lexus sales in Australia last year, growing to a new high of 75% at the halfway point of 2024.
This reinforces Lexus as the leader in the premium and luxury segments for the highest mix of electrified sales among brands, offering a full lineup of hybrid, all-electric and internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles.
Lexus Chief Executive John Pappas said the latest milestones represent crucial steps towards the company’s local goal of having a fleet of purely electrified HEV, PHEV, and BEV vehicles in 2030.
The ultimate global vision is for Lexus to sell BEVs exclusively by 2035.
Australia’s best-selling luxury hybrids are SUVs: the Lexus NX Line with 14,192 sales and the RX Line with 13,042 customer deliveries. In 2024, the leaders are the NX range (2004), the RX line-up (806) and the recently launched LBX (670).
In every model that continues to offer the choice of hybrid or petrol-only variants, most customers are selecting a hybrid—90% for the ES sedan and more than 75% for the RX SUV.
The ES, LBX, LC, LS, LM, NX, RX and UX Lines offer HEV technology. PHEV is also available with the NX 450h+, while the first two Lexus BEVs are the UX 300e and the RZ 450e. All up, Lexus offers 32 electrified grades across 11 models.
Customer acceptance of Lexus electrified vehicles has accelerated rapidly over time, with Lexus continuing to invest heavily in electrified technologies while educating consumers about the benefits.
It took Lexus more than seven years to sell the brand’s first 10,000 hybrid-electric vehicles, while the most recent 10,000 hybrids were driven out of dealerships in less than 18 months.
Lexus electrified milestones:
2006
Lexus introduces its first hybrids to Australia, the GS 450h luxury sedan and the RX 400h luxury SUV.
2007
Lexus reimagines the executive luxury sedan with the local introduction of the flagship LS 600hL – the world’s first V8-powered hybrid. Lexus delivers its 1,000th hybrid luxury vehicle in Australia.
2009
Lexus Australia extends the hybrid battery warranty to 8 years/160,000km.
2011
The CT 200h, the world’s first compact luxury hybrid vehicle, arrives in Australia.
2013
A new-generation IS sells locally, offering a hybrid powertrain for the first time with a system output of 164kW and fuel consumption of 4.9 litres/100km. The first ES 300h arrives. Lexus delivers its 10,000th hybrid luxury vehicle to local customers.
2014
The NX line debuts in Australia, featuring the NX 300h.
2015
The NX 300h became the most popular electrified Lexus in the range, averaging more than 1000 deliveries four years in a row.
2016
Lexus delivers its one-millionth hybrid globally.
2017
Lexus Australia is marking the sale of its 20,000th hybrid luxury vehicle, less than four years after the first 10,000 were sold. The new Lexus LC 500h becomes the first luxury Lexus to usher in electrified performance with open-top motoring.
2018
Lexus points to the future, unveiling the LF-1 Limitless Concept crossover at the North American International Auto Show. This car is designed for hybrid, plug-in hybrid, full battery, ICE, and fuel-cell mobility. The compact UX SUV arrives late in the year, featuring the hybrid UX 250h.
2019
The edgy LF-30 Concept was revealed at the Tokyo Motor Show. It is the first Lexus BEV with AWD powered by electric motors on all four wheels.
2020
Lexus celebrates 30 years in Australia, with one-third of all Lexus sales this year being hybrid. The local cumulative total passed 30,000 hybrid-electric vehicles.
2021
Lexus launches its first BEV in Australia, the UX 300e. The global brand’s electrified vehicle sales pass the two-million mark.
2022
Lexus introduced its first PHEV locally, the NX 450h+, with up to 87km of driving range and zero tailpipe CO2 emissions.3
2023
The fifth-generation RX debuts the most advanced hybrid powertrain available to Lexus customers, the 273kW RX 500h F Sport Performance.
The 230kW RZ 450e, purpose-built as a BEV, becomes the local company’s second fully electric vehicle. Mid-year, Lexus delivers its 40,000th hybrid-electric vehicle in Australia.
Lexus showcased two next-generation BEV concepts at the Japan Mobility Show: the LF-ZC (Lexus Future Zero-emission Catalyst) and the LF-ZL (Lexus Future Zero-emission Luxury) flagship. A production version of the LF-ZC is targeted for 2026. Lexus brings the Electrified Sport to Australia for LANDMARK by Lexus at the Melbourne Cup Carnival.
Near the end of the year, Lexus redefined the chauffeur-driven experience, launching the LM 350h and LM 500h. Lexus Australia achieved a full-year record electrified share at 60.4% of its total sales.
2024
Lexus redefines compact luxury with the arrival of the LBX, featuring a three-cylinder hybrid unit that consumes just 3.8 litres/100 km. Electrified vehicles now account for over 75% of local volume (YTD June) as Lexus marks its hybrid and electrified sales milestones.
