From Rolls Royce to Lexus EV

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Why would a retired Rolls-Royce executive buy an electric Lexus? My curiosity led me to ask George this question in our recent morning interview. Rolls-Royce is owned by BMW. Why not an electric BMW? He told me that BMW’s electric offerings were so large when he was ready to buy (earlier this year). He would have considered the iX1, but it came out six months too late.

His main criteria for buying a new car were reliability, after-sales support, and a strong dealer network. The J.D. Power US Dependability Study ranked Lexus first for the fewest problems per 100 vehicles. That’s what convinced him to choose Lexus. Another reason to buy a Lexus is the insurance option offered. Lexus offers four years of new versus old insurance. Although that insurance is 40% more expensive than his previous car. George clearly thinks it’s worth it.

George’s career has been amazing, and he shared some highlights with me, including one of his first jobs at Rolls-Royce when he was tasked with delivering a car to a dealership in London. One of the questions asked was about the location of the six-disc audio CD player. He couldn’t answer. His boss suggested he improve his product knowledge before delivering another car. For those planning to buy a Rolls-Royce Phantom who still use CDs, the six-disc CD player is in the glove box. However, his career progressed from there, as he retired from Rolls-Royce as Regional Aftersales Manager for Asia Pacific. In this role, he visited most countries in Asia, including China, and witnessed the transformation of its economy, as evidenced by the growth of Rolls-Royce dealerships from 1 to now in the double digits.

After retiring from Rolls-Royce, George and his family moved from Singapore to Australia. Over the past eight years, his family had only owned two cars, the last of which were a Mercedes-Benz C200 Convertible and a Mercedes-Benz CLA250 Shooting Brake. He is used to quality and luxury. So when he decided to downsize from two cars to one, he went on a hunt for the perfect car, even putting down a deposit on a Mercedes EQA. However, Mercedes-Benz Australia saw fit to sell the car to someone else, who was the end of their relationship with Mercedes-Benz.

He bought his Lexus UX300e on February 14th – how romantic. He told me it was the right size for him, his wife and the family dog. George told me he loved technology and that the Lexus had “the right level of technology.”

“The Lexus isn’t the cheapest car on the road, at $93,000 AUD, but we got what we paid for,” including some great after-sales support.

George describes the Lexus salesman as “the Rolls Royce of car salesmen.” He knew it. The salesman knew the car well and sold it well. And what about the perks? George was most impressed by the personal service provided with Lexus. When he travels, the car is picked up at the airport, securely stored, shipped, and washed. When he returns, he is met by a “Lexus case girl” who takes him to his car. At his destination, he is given a loaner Lexus for up to 8 days of free driving.

The price of the car also included the installation of a charging box on the wall. George and his wife live in a gated community. I asked him if he would have any problems installing the charging box on the wall. He said it was fairly simple. He just had to provide details about the electrician, including his qualifications and insurance coverage. It probably helped that there were at least 5 or 6 other members of the community who already owned electric vehicles.

The car is receiving software updates during regular services at the Lexus dealership in Maroochydore. After the latest update, George told me the car is now “quieter and smoother”. He told me he has to be careful in car parks where people can’t hear the car. The issue they were having with the infotainment system has been resolved and the system has been upgraded.

I asked about reactions to the car. The most common was that most people didn’t realize Lexus made an electric car. George told me the amusing story of a snake catcher they called. The snake was in front of the car – probably in love with the Lexus. Australia is famous for its snakes – many of which are actually harmless. However, it is a bit creepy to have one in your home. The snake trainer, Snake Man Dan, was unable to catch the slithery reptile but was fascinated by the car. According to George, “He spent more time looking under the bonnet than I did.” Just for fun, here’s a photo of Tess’s close encounter with a snake.

One issue George faces is the fact that his Lexus UX300e comes equipped with a CHAdeMO charger. We discussed the adapters, but he feels they are expensive and also feels that Lexus Australia needs to step in and support its customers. He is comfortable with the fact that he can charge at home and there are CHAdeMO chargers all over Brisbane. Many of the early public chargers had a CHAdeMO plug. One of the requirements of the government’s joint funding was that there be equal numbers of CHAdeMO and CCS2 chargers at each location. This decision was made when the majority of electric cars on Australian roads were Nissan Leafs. That is no longer the case.

“We rarely go out into the country,” he explains. In any case, Queensland’s electric superhighway supports CHAdeMO. “The Lexus UX300e’s total battery capacity is around 72.8kWh. The usable capacity is 64kWh (estimate). A range of around 210 miles is possible on a fully charged battery,” George tells me. “I charge to 90% (pre-selected option) and the car says I can then travel 350km with the air conditioning on and that’s pretty accurate.”

His wife had always objected to other cars, trucks, or vans on the road emitting pollutants. Now that they were driving an electric car, her level of criticism had risen, and justifiably so.

“I love the car, and it’s only fitting that we get it on February 14,” George says when asked about his overall feelings about the Lexus. Asked about his future automotive needs, he says, “I won’t go back to an internal combustion engine car, electric is the future.”