On December 14th, 2021, Toyota Motor Corporation announced its new strategy for achieving carbon neutrality through battery electric vehicles. Part of its plan is to transition its Cadillac-rivaling luxury brand, Lexus, toward a lineup consisting exclusively of battery electric vehicles by 2030.
Akio Toyoda, global president of Toyota, said the automaker intends to invest $70 billion globally in electrified vehicles over the next few years. Approximately half of that will be invested in battery electric vehicles, namely hybrid electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered electric vehicles, and fully-electric vehicles.
“Lexus buyers will have access to a wide range of vehicles dedicated to battery electrics that offer safety, security and of course, Lexus styling,” Toyota said in a statement.
Toyota says it will introduce 30 new Toyota- and Lexus-branded electric models globally over the coming years spanning all vehicle segments, including sedans, SUVs, K-Cars, and commercial vehicles, among other segments. Its target for annual electric vehicle sales is 3.5 million units by 2030.
By announcing plans to transition to a fully-electric vehicle lineup, Lexus joins several other luxury automakers in moving away from internal combustion engines, including Volvo, Genesis, and of course, Cadillac. In fact, Lexus’ goal is similar to that of Cadillac, which was the first luxury automaker to announce plans to have a fully-electric lineup by the end of the decade.
Cadillac’s first fully-electric vehicle is the 2023 Cadillac Lyriq. The Lyriq rides on the all-new BEV3 platform and features a 100.4 kWh lithium-ion Ultium battery pack and a single Ultium Drive motor mounted on the rear axle. The electric driveline is rated at 340 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque.
Additionally, Cadillac has plans to release a fully-electric Escalade, likely under the name Escalade IQ or Escalade IQL, which the luxury marque recently applied to trademark.
As it currently stands, Lexus outsells Cadillac more than twofold. For the first nine months of the 2021 calendar year, Lexus recorded 238,806 deliveries in the United States, an increase of 31 percent on a year-over-year basis.
Sales Results - Q3 2021 - USA - Lexus
| MODEL | Q3 2021 / Q3 2020 | Q3 2021 | Q3 2020 | YTD 2021 / YTD 2020 | YTD 2021 | YTD 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ES | -9.07% | 11,261 | 12,385 | +14.33% | 34,053 | 29,784 |
| GS | -99.41% | 5 | 843 | -96.53% | 75 | 2,164 |
| GX | +20.63% | 8,453 | 7,008 | +28.43% | 23,859 | 18,577 |
| IS | +104.73% | 6,767 | 3,305 | +131.17% | 20,160 | 8,721 |
| LC | +159.61% | 797 | 307 | +219.25% | 2,372 | 743 |
| LS | +28.40% | 1,061 | 826 | +45.07% | 3,312 | 2,283 |
| LX | -49.37% | 519 | 1,025 | -2.36% | 2,808 | 2,876 |
| NX | +36.58% | 18,478 | 13,529 | +40.68% | 50,544 | 35,929 |
| RC | -5.36% | 1,018 | 1,076 | +3.07% | 2,720 | 2,639 |
| RX | -1.56% | 27,981 | 28,425 | +27.73% | 84,625 | 66,251 |
| UX | -3.01% | 4,753 | 4,901 | +17.83% | 14,277 | 12,117 |
| LEXUS TOTAL | +10.14% | 81,094 | 73,630 | +31.15% | 238,806 | 182,087 |
By comparison, Cadillac sales increased 11 percent to 95,925 deliveries during the same timeframe.
Sales Results - Q3 2021 - USA - Cadillac
| MODEL | Q3 2021 / Q3 2020 | Q3 2021 | Q3 2020 | YTD 2021 / YTD 2020 | YTD 2021 | YTD 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CT4 | -39.65% | 927 | 1,536 | +170.16% | 5,857 | 2,168 |
| CT5 | -79.73% | 811 | 4,001 | -20.26% | 7,636 | 9,576 |
| ESCALADE | +37.68% | 6,248 | 4,538 | +27.70% | 19,274 | 15,093 |
| ESCALADE ESV | * | 3,877 | * | * | 11,567 | 0 |
| XT4 | -91.06% | 567 | 6,345 | -44.90% | 8,533 | 15,485 |
| XT5 | -41.84% | 5,506 | 9,467 | +2.39% | 24,852 | 24,273 |
| XT6 | -26.69% | 4,581 | 6,249 | +14.68% | 17,722 | 15,454 |
| CADILLAC TOTAL | -31.69% | 22,519 | 32,965 | +10.79% | 95,925 | 86,586 |
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