The Technology Context – B101

The Lexus RX Hybrid SUV

The world we live in today is predicted to drastically change in the future, but does hybrid technology really help save the planet? I have chosen to discuss the sustainable technologies of the Lexus RX sports utility vehicle and the impact this SUV will have on the planet.

I will begin by giving you some background information about the company and the SUV. The Lexus RX is a luxury hybrid SUV which was assembled in 2005; it became the world’s second mass-produced hybrid SUV. Lexus have a history of producing some of the worlds most expensive, luxury and uneconomic cars around. Over the course of the past decade the media have been making companies and people aware of the impact of global warming on earth. Many car companies are starting to take action; this is why we have recently been introduced with the hybrid range of vehicles by Lexus and a numerous other car companies.



Lexus claim that they take great care to minimise the impact on the environment, this is why the Lexus Hybrid RX has a lightweight body and are lean in their use of raw materials. Computer modelling and engineering ensures that the Lexus hybrid RX SUV doesn't just drive just as well as a standard non-hybrid car but also that the overall quality of the SUV is not compromised. This enables the Lexus hybrid RX to run cleaner and conserve natural resources and leave less scrap metal at the eventual end of its life. Lexus ensures that they recover the hybrid batteries so they can be handled better and recycled.

Hybrid technology is pretty new in the motoring world, but is hybrid technology really as good as the car companies claim it is? I will first briefly explain how hybrid power works.

The main job of the hybrid SUV is to store power during breaking which would of otherwise have been wasted. It does this by drawing its power from both the electric and petrol motors. At a slow speed the petrol engine isn’t used at all, instead the electric engine takes over and keeps the car going at an extremely slow speed of up to 30mph.

There are many benefits to the Lexus hybrid RX SUV mechanically with increased horsepower from the electric-drive motor which makes the car go from 0 to 60 in 5.2 seconds, which can be more powerful than traditional cars and SUVs of this calibre. Its not just about power the Lexus hybrid RX has been designed to provide a long benefit of lower smog-forming emissions, this is because the SUV uses super ultra-low sulphur fuel. Because of the electric-drive motors this SUV has better fuel economy and is a much quieter drive.

Lexus claim that their hybrid cars are ideal for a business man for long distant travel, but if you are driving long distances on 70mph motorways are you really conserving energy and saving the planet? I have to disagree with Lexus; they stated that the electric motors only kick in at slow speeds. But if you think about it, long distance travel of up to speeds of 70mph isn’t really slow speeds. Therefore you are still driving on the petrol engines. Now after looking into how many miles per gallon this car can do I got the figure of around 38 miles per gallon (approx). Which is pretty ‘terrible’ as this car is supposed to be doing good for the planet. However with all of this criticism behind this car does produce less smog than a lot of other SUVs out there. The vice president Irv Miller of Lexus claims that this car can drive from Los Angeles to New York nine times and still produce less smog-forming emissions than painting a room in your house.



Now onto the other small parts which make up the SUV, the SUV has LED tail lights which don’t just look fantastic they are also more crisp, bright and efficient. They are so efficient that they can drastically reduce your fuel bill by one per cent. Which may not sound a lot but think about how much you can save each year on fuel.

The halogen bulbs which were standard on the previous gas guzzling Lexus RX have been replaced by xenon gas bulbs which last much longer, they are also much brighter and use considerably less energy.

My plan of inquiry will be to review the Lexus hybrid RX in respect of the other hybrid cars that are on the market and make a decision on what car manufacture is making the most progress with developing the hybrid technology. I will do this by studying these areas including fuel consumption, cost, C02 production as well as other aspects of the vehicles in more detail.

In conclusion I think that at this moment in time that hybrid technology on the Lexus hybrid RX needs a lot more research before they release any more cars and SUVs onto the market. I feel that unless you are driving around the streets of London at 10mph in busy traffic then this car is no better for the environment than any other SUV out there. And the fact the government are willing to lower taxation on this vehicle less than what someone who owns a smart car I find disgraceful. This SUV has blatantly been rushed out so that Lexus can cash in on all of this global warming hype. After all, SUVs don’t exactly have the best reputation for being economic.