What changes when a Lexus goes fully electric, and how does the brand preserve the driving experience its customers expect?
In an interview with MENA TECH, Jacques Brent, Managing Director of Toyota and Lexus in the UAE, discusses the brand’s approach to electric vehicles, the work involved in preparing them for the local market, and how electrification fits into its wider offering for private and commercial customers.
Brent explains how electric power can build on the quietness and refinement associated with Lexus. He highlights reduced cabin noise and improvements to acoustic insulation, alongside the sense of stability and confidence behind the wheel that the brand aims to maintain as its powertrains evolve.
Preparing the vehicle for the UAE also meant working with Toyota Motor Corporation and its engineers to address local requirements. Brent outlines considerations around charging time, air-conditioning performance, quality and durability, explaining how these informed the work needed to make the vehicle suitable for the market.
The conversation also explores the commercial side of electrification. Brent discusses the hybrid ES, its adoption within limousine fleets and its total cost of ownership, before addressing the growing role of electric vehicles in commercial applications. He explains how serving these customers can give more people an opportunity to experience Lexus.
Looking ahead, Brent describes plans to expand the electric lineup where customer demand supports it, while continuing to offer a choice of petrol, hybrid and battery-electric powertrains. His outlook places customer choice at the centre of the next stage of Lexus’s development in the UAE, with the driving experience remaining a defining part of the brand’s approach.
