Anyone heard anything on LX600? (USA)

[stonepa]

Let weekend we took 2 vehicles to Seward and back to salmon fish. Kids and I went down Friday in the LX and camped until Sunday. Wife had to work so just did a down and back Saturday in the Tesla. The 290 mile Round trip in the LX cost ~$225 in gas. The round trip in the Tesla if I paid rack rate (not counting my solar) for electricity cost ~$6.

When you own one you figure out, charging time doesn’t matter 99% of the time.

Yep. oil and gasoline in the villages is so high that fully electric ATVs and snow machines will be a godsend for driving around town. Atleast for villages not dependent on diesel generators (which are also brutally expensive). Already seen a few electric outboards (25hp form factor).

 

[linuxgod]

You're going to see a significant increase in battery technology and charging rates over the next decade. Solid state batteries in particular will likely double battery energy density within the next decade. They're also much safer than existing Lithium batteries (even LFP/LiFePO4, which are already much safer than LiON).

What You Need to Know About Solid-State Batteries

This next jump in battery-tech could solve a lot of EV problems.

www.autoweek.com

They key with any battery tech is going to be ramping up production, as the EV market is only a tiny fraction of the total new car market right now. And while EVs are a huge battery consumer right now, solar systems with local batteries may ultimately consumer far more battery manufacturing capacity.

The next improvement will need to be for ultra-fast charging. Level 2 chargers are fine at home and a Level 3 is fine at a restaurant, but if you want to "refill" quickly like a tank of gas the CHAdeMO 3.0 standard will push up to 900kW, which would get a standard EV to 80% in about 5 minutes (vs the puny ~50-100kW available via the standard now). Of course it's also possible that the US government mandates that Tesla open their supercharger network to everyone. (Tesla is currently a 250kW charger, but it's not inconceivable that they introduce a "next generation" supercharger (hypercharger?) in the next 5-10 years). But at the point in which chargers can dump 80-100kW into a battery pack in a few minutes and batteries can handle the high C rate, you will be able to charge as fast as a gas fill up.

CHAdeMO - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Last major issue is power delivery and the grid. In the short-term as renewable generation ramps up it will involve grid upgrades and burning less clean fossil fuels - but even still those plants are far more efficient than the <40% efficiency of internal combustion. It's conceivable that a mix of tax incentives, reduced manufacturing costs, and improved technology will lead to more residential solar installations (or just a sustained high cost of NG/LP... which currently ~5x what it was 18 months ago), which if combined with Tesla powerwall-type batteries will allow you to recharge without using the grid at all, ultimately making the power grid a backup system.

I fully expect my grandkids in ~20 years may never operate an internal combustion engine (vehicle, generator, lawn mower, etc), much like how only a tiny fraction of the current generation (in the US, at least) even knows what a manual transmission is, nevermind how to drive one.

 

[04UZJ100]

Already happening. At an exponential rate.

Won’t be a global transition though. Hydrocarbon consumption will move to developing nations. Even the most progressive estimates show consumption growing in the US and globally out to 2040……..

 

[stonepa]

Won’t be a global transition though. Hydrocarbon consumption will move to developing nations. Even the most progressive estimates show consumption growing in the US and globally out to 2040……..

It’s closer than we may think. It has to be.

Lily Pads and Exponential Thinking - Manage By Walking Around

Longtime readers of my personal blog will know I believe storytelling is a fantastic way to introduce new ideas, make announcements more memorable, or to ensure you can break through the noise of traditional communication. As I wrote several years ago, We want consumers to view themselves as...

jonathanbecher.com

 

[Romer]

And back to the LX600 topic

 

[Devils Paw 80]

Just found out that a friend has purchased a '22 Tundra equipped with the same V6 twin turbo found in the LX 600. I look forward to taking a look at the truck and its powerplant. The HP and torque numbers are very impressive, especially given the combined 20 MPG rating.

 

[Joshuak172]

Well, I pulled the trigger, not an F-sport but dealership said (not saying this is truth or not, but that getting the f-spot could be 1-1.5yrs).

I am gonna have to do something to the grill, anyone know if you can swap grills? I heard on some of the sedans from Lexus that it is a direct swap. Maybe I will get used to it, but really prefer black.

Anyway, it is a “luxury” trim with AHC at MSRP.

View attachment 2995435

View attachment 2995436

View attachment 2995437

Well, it’s been a few months. What do you think of the ride quality with AHC? Any other issues?

 

[084runnerltd]

Well, it’s been a few months. What do you think of the ride quality with AHC? Any other issues?

Ride quality is great, no complaints there. The LX replaced a X5M which, to nobody’s surprise, had a rough ride.

It rides surprisedly well, especially considering it’s on 22”s. I did order a set of 18” wheels and will be using those in the winter. Mainly so my wife doesn’t curb the wheels in the snow and it gives me an excuse to put some aggressive tires on “for winter.”

Overall, it is a great vehicle to be in. I have some minor complaints but none of which are dealbreakers….

1). CarPlay runs into issues connecting to my phone (I am secondary driver) even when my wife is not in the car. The screen brings up a connection error, I click “ignore” however, the system repeatedly tries to reconnect and continues to bring up the error, rendering the system useless.

Currently solution is to plug in my phone or don’t use the infotainment.

2). Ambient lighting is good…until you engage drive and the lights dim out to nothing.

I have read that some people like that it dims out as it doesn’t distract them, however, allowing the driver to choose the brightness of the lighting makes the most sense, imo. In its current state, the ambient lighting is only useful while in park.

I would think this could be solved with an OTA update, but I am not holding my breath.

3). Brake peddle and gas peddle are squishy-I am used to the Toyota/Lexus squishy brake pedal, but now it seems it has been applied to the gas. Changing into a sport mode helps, but it still feels funny to me. (I asked my wife if she noticed it….she looked at me like I had 6 eyes…so I am guessing she doesn’t notice).

4). No Start/Stop Memory-Seems like most manufacturers have gone this route, I am sure there will be an aftermarket solution for those that are really bothered by it.

Not wanted to end on a list of negatives, I feel the need to share some positives.

1). Great Ride-feels great on 22”s, I can only imagine the ride gets better with any of the other wheel options.

2). Great Cabin Experience-
Comfortable seats, sound insulation, etc…are all very good. I don’t have the f-sport seats, so I can’t comment on those, but the non-fsport seats are typical Lexus: soft, supple, wide, designed for comfort, not for racing.

I have a g-wagon and I always teased my wife about how great the double pane glass is to have….now I noticed the LX has double paned windows as well.

3). Capability-I have played on some mild trails and to the surprise of nobody, the LX did great. It was a good feeling having the ability with AHC to jack up the low hanging grille. I had no issues and the new crawl control is dead quiet.

It will be some time before I really test my LX, but I am confident that I am the weakest link, not the LX.

Unless someone is planning to rip out the AHC right away, I would order one with it, I think it is only an extra 1k, but gives you 9” of additionally movement. I am pleased with the system.

4). It flies under the radar…completely. Some people may love this, others want to show off their 6-figure purchase. On roads covered with suv and crossovers, the LX blends in with the others.

What I have done to mine:

1). Added BurgerTuning JB4 piggyback tune.
Simple 50hp gain, different maps for 93 octane or other mods. I didn’t buy the LX to race, but I am happy with the extra Hp that it brings for a few hundred dollars.

I am not affiliated with them, but have run their JB4 for almost 20yrs on multiple BMWs, Toyota Supra, and Mercedes. I have never had any issues.

2). Xpel entire front end, hood, fenders, tinted windows

3). Ceramic coated inside and outside

4). Installing appearance package grille this weekend (I will make diy for others)

5). 18” rims ordered, still shopping for the rubber for them. Either: K02, Duratrac, or Falcon AT3W (Leaning towards the AT3W….but I have some time)

6). Waiting on aftermarket armor/rock rails to replace the factory plastic


In summary, if you are on the fence, you should buy it.

 

[Oakleyguy]

1). Added BurgerTuning JB4 piggyback tune.
Simple 50hp gain, different maps for 93 octane or other mods. I didn’t buy the LX to race, but I am happy with the extra Hp that it brings for a few hundred dollars.

I am not affiliated with them, but have run their JB4 for almost 20yrs on multiple BMWs, Toyota Supra, and Mercedes. I have never had any issues.

2). Xpel entire front end, hood, fenders, tinted windows

3). Ceramic coated inside and outside

4). Installing appearance package grille this weekend (I will make diy for others)

5). 18” rims ordered, still shopping for the rubber for them. Either: K02, Duratrac, or Falcon AT3W (Leaning towards the AT3W….but I have some time)

6). Waiting on aftermarket armor/rock rails to replace the factory plastic


In summary, if you are on the fence, you should buy it.

Love that they made a JB4 kit for the LX! Had one my M4 and Supra without complaint.

Did you order OEM parts for the appearance package grill?

 

[084runnerltd]

Love that they made a JB4 kit for the LX! Had one my M4 and Supra without complaint.

Did you order OEM parts for the appearance package grill?

Yes, so far just ordered the grille and 18”s.

Currently working on trying to order these fog
Light trim pieces in the “appearance package” (black) but having trouble finding a part number.

I am planning to install the grille the weekend and have a feeling that I am going to have to remove the front bumper anyway, so makes sense to swap out the fog light trim too.

I don’t plan on replacing all of the parts from the appearance package, as some of the costs are ridiculous. (1k for black door handles, 3k for black mirrors). Likely just going to do the grille, fog light trim and chrome around the windows….but we will see….

 

[084runnerltd]

Done