ganzoom

On 4/28/2023 at 9:35 PM, DavidCM said:

According to tonight's"Have I Got News For You", some older multistorey carparks may be in danger of collapse because of the weight of electric cars.

Another great selling feature of milk floats.

How's the hydrogen fuel station roll out going you kindly shared with everyone in the other post. Is this more nonsense 'news' you have found?

On 4/26/2023 at 12:36 PM, DavidCM said:

I would have no idea.If you want to know,try googling it.

I doubt if I will ever need one in my lifetime, although it would seem like a better alternative than driving a Tesla badged milk float.

So the answer is zero 🙂

On 4/4/2023 at 6:37 PM, DavidCM said:

Reading the latest issue of Motor Sport magazine,I noticed that a company called Element 2 is planning to open 30 hydrogen stations in the UK this year.Apparantley that will double the current number.

The company is aiming at the haulage industry but cold be seen as another shot at the "milk float " / battery car industry.

30 stations in 12 months, that's 2.5 stations per month opening.

Coming up to end of April now, how many new hydrogen fuels stations are there?

12 minutes ago, ColinBarber said:

Tesla X and S are also niche. The 3 and Y are more competing against Toyota as they aren’t luxury vehicles. 

A 3/Y cost the same as a ES, UX, NX, which makes up a large part of Lexus sales world wide.

On 4/16/2023 at 11:45 AM, 08ISF said:

I don't think Lexus will ever break into the UK mainstream and I also think it would be a mistake to try. Lexus cars are expensive  and would not be attractive to company car buyers because of:

High lease costs.

High BIK figures.

The motoring press are a bit sniffy about Lexus and generally down rate them.

There is a perception among the population in general that the German makes are the epitome of quality (we know different!).

Company car buyers don't care about reliability. If it breaks they just get a loan car.

Their marketing is woeful . "Experience amazing" The cars are not "amazing" they are a very good  product whose  qualities will grow on their owners with time, not necessarily on a half hour test drive.

They don't offer the range of models  necessary to appeal  to a wide audience.

Lexus appeal to the few who care about quality, reliability and good service and are prepared to pay for it. If Lexus try to go mainstream those qualities will have to be diluted or sacrificed.  Look at the example of John Lewis , they were perceived as being a little dearer, but you got good service , no arguments with warranties etc and their stuff was generally good. But they went chasing the mainstream and look where it got them.

I have never bought new, I have always bought 1 -4 year olds  at a saving on new, secure in the knowledge that I could get a cast iron warranty for one year and then extend that on a 2 yearly rotation for about  £1000 until I was ready to change at about 7-8 years. This has worked since 2009 but has now been scuppered by the Relax warranty and despite assurances from Lexus I am not sure about how easy it will be to claim on it.

Unfortunately I think Lexus are being driven down the mainstream route by their management, the Relax warranty is a case in point, trying to get lots more people into the workshops where they can be reminded how expensive that is and then find that their "warranty" doesn't actually cover what they think it does. Cue exodus.

I think Lexus would be better staying as "reassuringly expensive"

Just my opinion.

 

 

Without volume though it almost impossible to develop new cars. Even Porsche who are easily far more exclusive than Lexus based on price is been forced to chase volume.

The only manfactures that can survive on low volumes along require bankrolling from a bigger group or government. 

Lexus ofcourse is already bankrolled by Toyota, without Toyota Lexus wouldn't exist anyways. The important question for Lexus is what senior management in Toyota thinks about the situation.

I suspect Toyota are fine keeping Lexus going regardless of cost, as compared to Infiniti or Acura, Lexus is the only Japanese 'premium brand that has broken through the US market. Infiniti gave up in Europe, and Acura never got started.

Lexus are completing with BMW, Tesla, and Merc in the US so very much a mainstream brand versus a niche brand. 

@Spacewagon52 The question of the post was why Lexus just cannot increase volume in the UK. Tesla now sells more cars than Lexus even in the US.

Reliability doesn't sell to the mass market any more. Lexus needs something else to differentiate the brand.

On 1/8/2023 at 9:28 PM, Spacewagon52 said:

How did the people, taking part in this thread, first come to Lexus?

Did any of you buy one as a company car choice?

How many of you bought new for your FIRST Lexus?

We choose the IS300H over a 330d, diesel XF because the hybrid drive train in the IS300H was different and work well.

A few years later I was given a RX450h for a day, at the time we had just put in the order for our current Tesla Model X. The RX is beautifully built but the drivetain cannot touch any EV drivetrain for smoothness or efficiency.

Right now if we were to replace either car Lexus woudlnt even get mentioned, for the simple fact they offer pretty much ZERO EVs which are competitive on price, performance, efficiency or features.

The only thing Lexus can offer different is better reliability, which counts for little when new cars all come with 3/4 year warranties now.

Lexus need something else apart from reliability to stand out, Hyundai/Kia are doing a very good job of going upmarket on the back of producing new EVs that people want to buy. Tesla are taking sales aways from the German brands but that's really created a health competition. BMW and Mec are coming out with some really good competitive EVs now, so Tesla is driving down the price route which is really pushing sales figures up.

Lexus is very quickly becoming an irrelevance in the new car market without something to differentiate themselves from the increasingly competitive EV market.

8 hours ago, Mr Vlad said:

I love my petrol powered 2.5l V6 and the sound it makes at all rev ranges. Oh that sound. Even after conversion to hydrogen I'll still have that sound. Yippeeee. 

So you have convered it to run on hydrogen!! Good work, how many miles per kg of hydrogen are you getting? And what are the running costs like? Please do let us know so we can all decide if hydrogen is the route to go down :).

18 hours ago, Las Palmas said:

What Malcolm and I write to each other are none of your business. No matter if we are joking or whatever. You are sold to EV and think that destroying the earth to look for more of the precious materials to your beloved rather short lived batteries after which they are close to impossible to reuse for other things than landfill are the way to go, so your thoughts are none of my interests.

So just to be clear, you are 'recommending' a product you have or haven't bought.....I'm presuming you HAVE bought a H2 fuel car, because in most other areas of life its odd to 'recommend' something you have no real life experience with?

So have you bought a H2 Fuel car or not?

On 4/13/2023 at 10:00 PM, Las Palmas said:

Why do you think I recommend you to update to H2 fuel? The car will last forever when maintained well!

Hold on you are 'recommending' people to buy a H2 fuel car!! Does that mean you have finally bought one your self? Please share your experiences of owing one. Our current EV is now coming up to 7 years old with 71K covered, will be 9 years and 90K total EV ownership soon, so I'm more than open to try something new, as EVs are pretty much 'done' for me interms of new tech appeal :).

13 hours ago, wharfhouse said:

The start of a hydrogen fuel cell alternative is starting to take shape with this roll out in the UK of hydrogen fuel stations no more than 100 miles apart - focused on commercial vehicles first but open to cars too. https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/new-cars/hydrogen-back-menu-uk-fuel-infrastructure-takes-shape

So does mean some of the pro hydrogen fans on this forum are finally going to man-up and take action versus keep on talking hot air :).

Our Model X is still great but I have no regrets about cancelling the Model 3 order years back and keeping the IS instead.

Just purely based on finances the IS is going to give the Civic it replaced a run for its money interms on 'value'. The Civic was only £16k new and we put nearly 90k on it before selling it for £5k at 6 years old, so around £150/month depreciation. We claimed back 90% of the fuel costs at 45p/mile for business travel so it actually came close to turning a 'profit' overall.

We paid £31k for the IS brand new, so at 8 years old that's around £166/month depreciation, add the good mpg, very little servicing costs, £10/year VED that isn't going be effected by the 2025 VED changes and it's quickly turning into one of the cheapest cars we've owned ever. Given its a 'excutive' saloon and fully of gadgets, that's pretty amazing.

Cannot see us selling it for a while to come.

Took our IS300H down for its year MOT. Another pass with zero issues. 8 years old now, still on original factory fitted brakes and 12V Battery.

I must have been feeling generous as its 2 years in a roll I've booked it in for an oil change at the same time...will skip it next year as current millage is under 4000k PA.

Still returning 40mpg real world mileage, £10/year VED. A very very cheap, but also comfortable car to own. 

15 hours ago, 08ISF said:

Either way we need to decide soon what the plan is.

Surely the decision is made already? And its driven by what people actually do versus just talk about?

You can buy a hydrogen powered car tomrrow as you can an EV. There are hydrogen fuel stations in the UK as there are EV rapid chargers. 

How many EV owners are on this forum versus hydrogen car forums?

If you were central government who will you give 'support' to, people who just talk about don't actually buy or do anything, or people who actually carry out action?

11 hours ago, Las Palmas said:

What is going to happen when suddenly very many battery-powered cars will need new power because the batteries no longer have any reasonable range? Will countries in our part of the world continue supporting China with money for batteries as that is where most come from?

I'm coming up to 100K covered in EVs, I've yet to come across the situation you describe. 

Can you share us the real life long term reliability of hydrogen fuel cell cars? 

11 hours ago, Shahpor said:

What I was getting at is, if it was as simple as you say it is, then why hasn't it happened already?

The saddest thing is, there ARE hydrogen cars you can buy, there ARE hydrogen fuel stations in the UK, yet those here to claim they 'believe' in hydrogen fuel for passenger cars refuse to back up with talk with action. It's like listening to MPs talk about XYZ, a load of hot air with no action. 

55 minutes ago, Las Palmas said:

Talking about a possible perfect power source

I live in the real world. There are hydrogen fuel cells cars you can buy today, there are hydrogen fuel stations in the UK, yet why is no one here buying them if hydrogen is so amazing as a fuel. Its a simple question to answer?

I'm all for innovation and pushing past barriers, but I also live in the real world. When someone (on here maybe) can demonstrate to me the real life practicalities of a hydrogen fuel cell car I will happily be the 2nd follower.

So please point me in the direction of that person.

On 1/28/2023 at 5:34 PM, Mr Vlad said:

No brainer in my book. Just wish I had the funds. Ho hum.

There is a Mirai forsale on AT for £30k, that's cheaper than what our IS300H cost. Why don't you buy it and show us how amazing hydrogen fuel cell cars are?

Everyone can talk about stuff, it's action that counts. Prove me wrong about hydrogen as a fuel, show us how great these cars are to use in the real world and I might even consider replacing our IS with one.

12 hours ago, Shada said:

Stick that engine into a gen 4 is saloon and open a few fueling stations near me and il place an order tomorrow 😀

When do you think that will be? I'm approaching 100k covered in EVs soon, even with me mainly charging at home, 30% of charging was done on the road due to the number of road trips we do.

This summer we are off to Itay and Switzerland. The ferry is booked, accommodation sorted. Next summer it'll be Portugal. 

When do you think the hydrogen powered car that is yet to be made, you are yet to buy will be able to do this. 12 months time? 12 years? Never? 🙂

12 minutes ago, Las Palmas said:

Tubeless, Quadboss sealant (does not dry out even here when it is hot - latex based sealants last only a month or less here). Never needed to walk home.

Never needed to walk home, but changing tubes by the road is pretty common. In summer its fine, today when it was near zero, with cold fingers not quite as much 'fun'. Still much much more fun than tackling in the same road in a car :).

The commuter bike has no such issues, but its built up to handle pretty much anything, the Marathon 38mm tires are 980g EACH, so nearly 2KG in tire weight alone, thank goodness for the electric motor 😄.

5 hours ago, Las Palmas said:

Some of the places are very rocky with lava sharp as glass. 

Presumably you run tubeless? Need to think about that on that road bike.   

Some amazing roads in the UK that is simply best enjoyed on pedal bikes 😀

This will make some people here happy 🙂

https://youtu.be/x7m83g3usuA

2 hours ago, Redefined said:

Not exactly sure how any of these abusive ads are even funny. Maybe you also thought that all Clarksons jokes dehumanising muslims were also very funny. Really can't believe some of the comments and whatnot on this thread. Always thought better/smarter from Toyota/Lexus owners. Sorry if my remarks are felt as uncalled for.

The sad reality is angery and hate of all kinds hides well behind the internet. Luckily the reality is in real life most humans are still nice and kind to each other. 

I cycle all the time on UK roads, I can count on one hand the number of times in the last 12 months a car driver has acted in 'aggression' towards me, infact just twice. But clearly me on pedal bike vs a metal box driven by a lunantic is pretty uncool even if its one incident.

Even the 'worst' poster on here in real life I suspect/hope act very differently to their internet egos. As to why people want to be aggressively on the internet?? That's the question Mi5 and the like I suspect keep on trying to work out.

11 minutes ago, Malc1 said:

Excellent  ....  you could introduce Front Line Ukranian forces to it's use for a " real life adrenaline rush "

chasing around Russian forces, wheelies and all, is bound to confuse them and lower their guard

Malc

...and thats why some people do it. We have very different levels of risk acceptance and control. That's why life is full of variety which is a good thing, but cars though, are just dull compared to anything with only 2 wheels :)