New Lexus NX 300h gets to grips with electric four-wheel drive

Lexus has announced the upcoming NX 300h, a new vehicle that will come equipped with a state of the art electric four wheel drive system that will allow drivers the best possible grip when it is needed most.

The new Lexus vehicle is available to order now, and will be hitting the roads from early October, bringing a classy crossover look that draws inspiration from a range of popular SUVs. But this car is more than just a sleek design – the technology that it packs is really something to write home about.

Drivers will be thankful for the intelligent four-wheel electric driving system that provides extra grip in those crucial moments on the road, allowing the driver the best grip on the tarmac to improve safety and performance when it’s needed most.

Light and compact, the new all-electric system, called E-Four, manages to add all new functionality to the Lexus NX 300h without the need to add weight, packaging, emissions and fuel consumption penalties that are often associated with the larger and more bulky mechanical four-wheel drive systems on other vehicles.

How does it work?

E-Four works by employing an additional electric motor to drive the rear axle of the car. This allows for better control of the rear end of the car, and gives better traction on the road, particularly on slippery surfaces, where it is needed most of all.

The front axle of the car is driven by the power from the hybrid engine, the electric motor, or a combination of both.

Perhaps the most ingenious aspect of E-Four, however, is the way in which it works differently depending on the conditions of the road. The system varies the amount of torque delivered to the rear wheels in order to compensate for road conditions or driving style.

This technology allows the car to secure just the right level of stability when pulling away or accelerating in low-grip conditions, and because the system is fully automatic, it means the driver does not have to worry about switching on four-wheel drive when it is needed.

The fact that the system is only engaged when necessary also means that the NX 300h is fuel efficient. The system helps the car achieve combined cycle fuel economy of 54.3mpg with 121g/km CO2 emissions.

When the system detects a loss of traction to the front wheels, it reduces the electricity supply to the traction motor in the transaxle and increases the supply to the rear axle motor. In addition, the rear axle acts as a generator for the car’s regenerative brakes, increasing the amount of kinetic energy that can be harvested and stored for use.

Exciting news for British drivers is that the wonderful new E-Four system will be installed as standard on all models except the entry level S model, which is front-wheel drive only.