Article Summary:

Article Content:

Performance Hybrids are the new buzz these days and Lexus has put a step forth with its latest Hybrid from the RX series. The new Lexus RX reflects the constant efforts gone in to achieve perfection and efficiency. This SUV returns with class leading CO2 emissions of a meager 148g/km which is comparable to typical 1600 family sedans.

The Lexus RX Hybrid SUV isn’t just about low emissions but the entire process right from the manufacturing outset is very eco-friendly. The plant (Kokura plant) where this SUV is manufactured is an ideal green facility something which the other manufactures should draw inspiration from. From welding robots to maintaining absolute silence at the facility, this is a plant where perfection is strived through discipline.

Check out the press release after the jump

The relentless pursuit of quality and environmental consciousness - 30 September 2009

When it comes to quality and care for the environment, Lexus is a leader in providing the only range of PERFORMANCEHYBRID vehicles in South Africa. It’s also a well known fact that Lexus has dominated quality and customer satisfaction awards for nearly 15 years. The freshly launched RX shows a clear intention to continue that domination, in particular with the RX450h, the world’s only petrol-electric hybrid SUV.

The new Lexus RX has raised the bar even further when it comes to quality and cleanliness, and extensive care has been taken to ensure both these attributes reflect the premium brand’s relentless pursuit of perfection. In PERFORMANCEHYBRID guise, the new Lexus SUV really does its bit for the environment, returning class-leading CO2 emissions of just 148g/km, similar to typical 1600 family sedans. But Lexus’ consideration for the environment extends beyond the operation of its hybrid SUV to the impact its manufacturing process has, as well as its ultimate disposal at the end of its usable life. Indeed, clean manufacturing not only leads to limited environmental impact, but its attention to detail shows through in quality terms as well.

Lexus’ Kokura plant in Japan is the only dedicated hybrid factory in the world. Its operational philosophy ensures cleanliness and quality throughout thanks to the use of many advanced production technologies that guarantee not only superlative product quality, but consistent levels of accuracy in every single component.

Extensive effort has been spent to ensure the plant is as clean as possible, further enhancing the quality of the final product. Technicians, for example, are made to wear pocketless, static-free clothing in order to reduce the transfer of dust in the plant. Various areas are even kept under different air pressures to ensure that the flow of air, and therefore whatever dust may be left over, is in the opposite direction to the production line to reduce contamination.

‘Niagara’ is one of the key features of the Kokura plant. In an attempt to reduce dust contamination as much as possible, the stamping dyes are cleaned twice a week – Niagara is the dust screen that surrounds the maintenance area to catch any dust particles, so named because of the constant water flow that runs down the screen.

‘Clean’ and ‘silent’ are two of the most important words in the Kokura plant: cleanliness is of the utmost importance in terms of increasing the quality of the product, while silence also improves quality due to the fact that technicians are able to concentrate fully on their work at all times. This increases productivity and guarantees that the workmanship is of the highest degree.

Some of the technological innovations that maximise quality and production in the Kokura plant are the slim welding robots. The fact that they can fit in between units increases production dramatically. These slim robots have more than doubled the welding capacity in the factory. Furthermore, precision digital measuring equipment is used to double check each and every aspect of the final product, right down to the panel gaps and the door closing speed.

Despite all this technology, Lexus has not forgotten the human touch that makes a difference to every product. Lexus employs takumi, or master craftsmen, in the Kokura plant to personally examine every vehicle thoroughly and ensure that it is up to standard. Every detail is checked at each stage of production and a final gate check is performed, both by machine and takumi, before the vehicle can leave the production floor.

The takumi are trained and tested every day to make sure that their skill levels are at a consistently high level, thereby guaranteeing that the quality of every Lexus that leaves the Kokura floor is also of a consistently high level. For example, when the doors are tested, the takumi must close them at exactly 1.2 m/s (equivalent to a very gentle push, and just enough to ensure that the door can close under such light pressure), which is laser monitored.

The level of quality assurance in the Kokura plant is phenomenal. Leak testing, for example, is done in a simulated 200mm of rainfall. To put that into perspective, a severe typhoon will generate approximately 150mm.

However, after all of this and even after the vehicle has served its purpose, it still has to be disposed of. To this end, Lexus has also ensured the cleanest possible processes.

Many of the materials used in Lexus production are recycled or recyclable. Even the hybrid battery pack, the focus of much environmental attention, is 95% recycled in an almost emissions-free process.

Once decommissioned, the outer casing of the hybrid battery pack is removed and reused in the steel-making process. Electrical components are sent to specialist recovery companies and the actual power cells are recycled using an induction-based vacuum thermal system. This is similar to the traditional system, but is highly evolved to use less energy and be almost emissions free.

In the vacuum, the cells are heated to 800°C, when organic materials will break down into water and oil, the mixture of which is then sent to water treatment companies for processing. The cells are then exposed to hydrogen, which turns the oxides into metals until only the nickel alloy is left. This highly concentrated nickel can then be reused in the production of new batteries.

Lexus’ philosophy of environmental consciousness is carried throughout all its products, not only their PERFORMANCEHYBRID models. Not only are Lexus’ hybrids amongst the cleanest in the world, but their production and disposal processes are too. Every measure is taken to have the minimum environmental impact possible.

Lexus is known for creating luxury experiences, not just luxury cars. This greater philosophy extends to consciousness of its products long before and after their usable life. That’s exactly why the brand describes their PERFORMANCEHYBRID models as offering “performance with conscience”.

Car Window