As part of last week’s LX reveal, Lexus announced the “Recreational Off-Highway Vehicle,” or ROV — it’s essentially an UTV that runs on hydrogen. Here’s the clip from the press conference:
Gear Patrol has a smart take on the ROV and its hydrogen power source:
An ATV makes perfect sense as a showcase for hydrogen combustion. One of the technology’s most significant drawbacks for current production use is that it can’t produce as much power as gasoline combustion engines with the same size engine footprint. So a low-speed wood path cruiser could get away with far less power than a recreational on-highway vehicle.
The announcement was a strange one, the ROV is a concept that’s interesting but unlikely as a production model. It does fit within the framework of the brand’s ultra-capable body-on-frame SUVs, and does suggest an interest in off-roading. Even so, there’s about a 0% chance of a Lexus UTV showing up at your local dealership.