Lexus Developing Twin-Turbo Hybrid Powertrain?

Posted by Kevin on April 13th, 2018

There could be multiple new powertrains for the Lexus LS flagship according to an GoAuto interview:

LS chief engineer Toshio Asahi told GoAuto that plug-in hybrid, EV and hydrogen fuel-cell were “all on the table” for potential inclusion in the Lexus flagship in the current generation.

He also revealed that Lexus engineers were working on a more powerful version of the conventional petrol-electric hybrid that is one of two powertrains offered in the new, fifth-generation model in Australia (the other is a twin-turbo petrol V6).

While some pundits were sceptical about the chances of [the full-cell] powertrain making it into production in LS, one Lexus executive at the show told GoAuto that not only was the HFC powertrain expected to go into production but “sooner than you think”.

The fuel-cell powered LS has been a persistent rumor, and would be included as part of the big hydrogen push by Toyota at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.

As for the possibility of a “more powerful” hybrid, this would likely have the twin-turbo V6 at its heart — this was mentioned previously by Ben Oliver at CAR Magazine:

The car’s deputy chief engineer told me there hadn’t been time to hybridise the twin-turbo version of the V6 before this car was launched, but the job was now in hand. More torque lower down would probably solve both the refinement and the engagement issues, and make the LS a much better car.

This TTV6 powertrain would be a strong addition to the Lexus hybrid lineup, as hybrid technology would be the perfect antidote to the power delivery lag associated with turbocharging. This would also be an opportunity to shift towards performance rather than efficiency, giving Lexus hybrids a dynamic new personality more in line with the rest of the brand.

Lexus LS: Fourth Generation
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Comments
krew
spwolf
b. main problem in Europe is price - not performance. So they would not sell more in Europe if they had 100hp more - literally nobody cares. People want lower price and better mpg. They are afraid of high powered vehicles, which is why best selling S class is S350d with 286hp.
LS 500h isn't all that great in that regard either. That 3.5L V6 hybrid that I liked so much in the LC 500h is just a bad fit for the LS.

Unfortunately, something like this might be the best solution:

ssun30
The biggest worry is that, in the not so distant future we will have an inline-4 hybrid LS, when the 2GR-FKS/FXS go out of production. :(
Ian Schmidt
An inline-4 series PHEV LS with a big enough battery that it could run as a pure EV for daily driving would be pretty interesting as an intermediate step. You'd have the quickness advantages of the pure EV drivetrain and potentially a range of over 500 miles if you started with the battery at full charge and the gas tank full.
krew
Ian Schmidt
An inline-4 series PHEV LS with a big enough battery that it could run as a pure EV for daily driving would be pretty interesting as an intermediate step. You'd have the quickness advantages of the pure EV drivetrain and potentially a range of over 500 miles if you started with the battery at full charge and the gas tank full.
My friend has a Prius Prime, and is currently running 392 MPG -- driven over 2,000km and still has half a tank.

That's the kind of tech that blows my mind. Even more than pure EV. If Lexus could do something like that with the LS...:neutral:
S
krew
My friend has a Prius Prime, and is currently running 392 MPG -- driven over 2,000km and still has half a tank.

That's the kind of tech that blows my mind. Even more than pure EV. If Lexus could do something like that with the LS...:neutral:
To do that he has to regularly charge from the grid doesn't he? It's not some "blowing your mind" technology. His daily commute needs to be really short to fit into that tiny EV range.

The problem I find with a PHEV luxury car is that, to propel all that weight you need a really big (and heavy) battery, at which point it's actually lighter to go for an all-electric solution. The 740e and S550e are pretty much compliance vehicles with lousy engineering.

Plug-in Hybrid works best at the size/weight class of the Prime, out of that narrow range it becomes really undesirable.
Ian Schmidt
Sure, but a lot of people's commutes *do* fit into even a relatively small EV range. Mine's less than 5 miles and my work has free-for-employees EV charging stations so something like that would work extremely well for me.

I