How far does the 2024 Lexus RZ450 go on a fully charge battery? It was an irresistible challenge to discover but when the battery drained, showing just one kilometre’s worth of power with three k to go, I semi-panicked. This tale of motoring madness began 283 kilometres away in Tacoma, Washington. Days before this electric shock I arrived at journey’s end with 10 klicks to spare.
I plugged into a domestic power point over night and it sipped enough energy to offer another 50k of pollution free driving. Ahem, the gauge informed me it would take another 72 hours to burst that battery. Fifty was enough for a Big Shop at the Gig Harbor Costco and even a detour via Safeway back to my accommodation.
EV drivers in Washington get a free recharge for two hours at Safeway. During a half-hour shop, another 40-plus conscience free road work was added. For my return, an hour on Electrify America ultra-high speed chargers and 200 kms-plus of quiet, smooth travel was promised for under 10 bucks.
What could go wrong? In theory, if your route is flat, the weather perfect, you shun AC or heating and you forgo tunes you can get 215km out of the Executive trim’s battery. For the record, I never got beyond 200km of promised range. The lesser two trims – if there’s such a thing in a Lexus – offer another 30km plus on a full charge.
I enjoyed a smooth and responsive drive along the I-5. Didn’t need any heat but I wasn’t driving for three hours without my fave road songs at high volu.