It is said that parallel hybrid technology is backward, but Lexus’ new RX500h is ＂playing with flowers＂

In early June, Lexus officially released the new generation of RX, which attracted much attention. The most attractive thing about the new generation of RX is that it is equipped with three new hybrid systems – the combination of these three hybrid systems is quite interesting – not only Toyota family hybrid hybrid, but also plug-in hybrid, and the most unexpected thing is that the high-end RX500h is actually equipped with a parallel hybrid system.

At present, most automobile companies regard parallel hybrid as an entry-level hybrid technology, and why does Lexus, which has rich technical accumulation in the hybrid field, use such a "popular hybrid system"?

The architecture of the parallel hybrid system is not a rare technology in the hybrid camp – at the beginning of this century, Honda officially released the IMA hybrid as a parallel hybrid system. But compared with the THS hybrid of the hybrid architecture of the Toyota Prius at the same time, the parallel IMA has a big gap in economy compared with Toyota because it lacks a power path. Therefore, Honda later developed the i-MMD hybrid system.

As the name suggests, the parallel hybrid means that the engine and the motor are independent of each other, and the power output is "one for each table", which corresponds to the transmission system separately. Because the engine and the motor are independent of each other, the whole structure is simpler than the hybrid, and it is easier to complete the upgrade operation on the traditional power model – it only needs to integrate an electric motor in the gearbox to complete the design of the whole architecture.

In the past few years, the parallel hybrid architecture has been widely used by European car companies and local brands. During this period, we were keen to define this structure in terms of the division from P0 to P4. Representative models include Volkswagen’s GTE, BMW’s eDrive, etc. Until now, this parallel hybrid system is still the main focus of European plug-in hybrid models.

Due to its relatively simple structure, the economy of a parallel hybrid system is not particularly good, and it cannot efficiently utilize the remaining power of the engine.

At the same time, when the battery pack is short of power, the performance of the parallel hybrid system will decline significantly – especially those European plug-in hybrid models that are mainly plug-in hybrids and use the electric motor to drive the vehicle alone to achieve pure electric cruising range.

Lexus RX brings new flowers to the old tree of parallel hybrids. Although there are certain shortcomings compared with hybrid hybrids in terms of structural access and economy, parallel hybrids have an advantage that hybrid hybrids cannot match – power performance.

Because the transmission of the traditional power system is retained, the parallel hybrid system can take advantage of the multi-speed ratio advantage of the transmission to amplify the output characteristics of the motor constant power and constant torque multiple times, resulting in a more direct power response. Hybrid hybrid systems focus on energy efficiency, while parallel hybrid systems focus more on performance.

The new generation of RX450h + and RX350h are plug-in versions and gasoline-electric hybrid versions respectively. The main product feature is lower energy consumption, but Lexus still launched the RX500h, obviously to amplify the "performance-first" characteristics of the parallel hybrid and become a unique "product selling point". In a sense, the RX500h is a subconscious "showmanship" of Lexus.

The Lexus RX 500h is both a top-of-the-line model and a high-performance version of the new generation, as can be seen from its name – the RX 500h F Sport Performance – not only the F Sport package, but also a full set of sports adjustments.

The RX 500h is equipped with a parallel hybrid system composed of a 2.4T turbocharged engine, a 6-speed automatic transmission, two electric motors, and a DIRECT4 OurHours four-wheel drive system.

The front motor and the engine form a system with a combined output of 371 horsepower, and the rear axle is equipped with a drive motor rated at 80 kilowatts. The front motor is located between the internal combustion engine and the gearbox, which is the P2 architecture we have often talked about before. On both sides of the motor, clutches are arranged to allow the transmission of the entire power system to have greater flexibility.

Unlike the parallel hybrid models we have often seen before, the Lexus RX 500h does not feature a plug-in hybrid configuration.

In other words, the electric energy source of the motor is derived from the kinetic energy recovery of the vehicle itself and the charging of the battery by the engine under the remaining power. In this mode, the motor does not play the main role of driving the vehicle, and the power output of the whole system is dominated by the 2.4T turbocharged engine and the 6-speed automatic transmission.

In most cases, the battery pack of this parallel hybrid system will not lose power. The role of the battery pack in this process is the same as that of ordinary hybrid models. It only collects and utilizes the remaining power of the engine and the kinetic energy of the vehicle to bring continuous power output to the motor. The battery will not be too large, and the charging and discharging speed will be very fast. It is completely sufficient for the needs of emphasizing the performance of the vehicle.

The DIRECT4 dynamic four-wheel drive system is the highlight of the RX 500h.

The DIRECT4 dynamic four-wheel drive system is Lexus’ exclusive drive technology, which was recently introduced on the Lexus RZ 450e. It is a set of intelligent algorithms that flexibly and accurately adjust the output of the front and rear axle drive motor based entirely on the output characteristics of the motor.

With the DIRECT4 dynamic four-wheel drive system, the vehicle can achieve real-time seamless adjustment of the driving force between the front and rear axles in any situation. Through real-time seamless adjustment of the front and rear axles, it brings more accurate dynamic control responses than any mechanical system.

It is no exaggeration to say that this DIRECT4 dynamic four-wheel drive system allows the RX 500h to simultaneously have all the dynamic characteristics of front-drive vehicles, rear-drive vehicles, and OurHours four-wheel drive vehicles, and in each feature requirement, it will be more than one level stronger than any fuel-powered vehicle.

As a high-performance version of the model, the Lexus RX 500h also features high-performance front brake calipers and a rear axle dynamic steering system, allowing the rear axle to obtain accurate driving force while also determining the optimum rear wheel steering angle, enhancing stability and comfort at high speed cornering.

The stable Lexus is reinventing the car with electrification.

We have said more than once that with the advent of the electrification era, the driving quality and dynamic response of cars can reach a height that fuel vehicles cannot match. The key to the comprehensive replacement of fuel vehicles by new energy power models should also be this comprehensive upgrade at the consumption level, so as to achieve market-oriented changes.

The Lexus RX 500h is a parallel hybrid to achieve a comprehensive improvement in performance. It can be seen that Lexus has been playing well on the electrification development route. It can use a clear and independent product demand to efficiently match the corresponding technical route, rather than following the trend like other companies.

While BMW is less and less enthusiastic about handling, Lexus is more and more fond of "shaping control", which is indeed a very interesting thing.

Note: The picture originated from the Internet