So, the Lexus RX hybrid: is it going to be popular with fleet managers? Yep. With lease companies? Yep. With the lucky exec-level company drivers it gets issued to? Yep.
In short, I think everyone's going to love it. But will they be justified in their love? Will the sexy, ethical RX be the answer to rising fuel costs and increasing popular hostility to 4x4 wankermobiles?
Probably not. "ln line with our policy of working hard for business and hard for the the environment," the shareholder brochure copy will say, "we have stocked the luxury end of our fleet with hybrid Lexus RX models."
The problem is that while the hulking bastards may be slightly cleaner and greener than tradition ICE fourbys, they don't run on old dishwater. They're more efficient round town, sure, and they're good for the marketing materials. But they ain't going to dramatically reduce fleet fuel bills. You don't get 268hp and 0-60 in just under seven seconds on a wish and a quick juice up from your phone charger. There's still a 3.3 litre V6 in there, and it has to be fed.
The people who will be happy are the drivers (who, if they live in the UK, are going to start getting tax breaks from driving leased hybrids, even if they're monsters like the RX) and the car leasing firms, who are probably even now down the garden centre buying in extra wheelbarrows to transport all the extra gelt bankwards.
In short, I think everyone's going to love it. But will they be justified in their love? Will the sexy, ethical RX be the answer to rising fuel costs and increasing popular hostility to 4x4 wankermobiles?
Probably not. "ln line with our policy of working hard for business and hard for the the environment," the shareholder brochure copy will say, "we have stocked the luxury end of our fleet with hybrid Lexus RX models."
The problem is that while the hulking bastards may be slightly cleaner and greener than tradition ICE fourbys, they don't run on old dishwater. They're more efficient round town, sure, and they're good for the marketing materials. But they ain't going to dramatically reduce fleet fuel bills. You don't get 268hp and 0-60 in just under seven seconds on a wish and a quick juice up from your phone charger. There's still a 3.3 litre V6 in there, and it has to be fed.
The people who will be happy are the drivers (who, if they live in the UK, are going to start getting tax breaks from driving leased hybrids, even if they're monsters like the RX) and the car leasing firms, who are probably even now down the garden centre buying in extra wheelbarrows to transport all the extra gelt bankwards.
posted by bill hilton at 1:04 PM
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