Lexus ES Goes Electric: Inside the New ES 500e

The hybrid icon drops the engine

Since its 1989 debut, the Lexus ES has built its reputation on one thing: being quiet and smooth. Now, after eight years, the eighth-generation redesign adds something the nameplate has never had — a fully electric version. At the Korean press drive, Lexus ran the battery-electric ES 500e alongside the updated hybrid, meaning two powertrains now compete under the same badge.

In Korea, pricing starts at 71.6 million won (roughly $50,000). The hybrid ES has long been the default "safe choice" imported sedan in that market, so the EV's price positioning is the first thing shoppers will weigh.

It got bigger — especially taller

The most-discussed change across Korean first drives is the silhouette. Height is now 1,560 mm for the EV and 1,555 mm for the hybrid — up 110 mm and 115 mm respectively over the previous generation. A jump of more than 10 cm is unusual for a sedan, and the reason is structural: the floor-mounted battery pack has to go somewhere, and preserving cabin headroom meant raising the roof.

That's the classic compromise of building an EV on architecture that must also accommodate a combustion-hybrid drivetrain, rather than a dedicated EV-only platform. The result reads closer to a crossover than a low-slung traditional sedan — a change that will divide opinion among loyal ES buyers.

How it drives

Reviewers converged on one point: Lexus tuned out the jerkiness that often accompanies EV acceleration and regenerative braking. The instant torque response is there, but the calibration prioritizes the smooth, uninterrupted motion the ES has traded on for decades. Even on 21-inch wheels, testers reported that rough pavement didn't shatter ride comfort.

One drive logged efficiency of about 7.1 km/kWh (roughly 2.8 mi/kWh). Treat that as a route-specific observed figure rather than an official rating or a reliable daily average.

Why it matters

Lexus has been one of the more cautious brands on electrification, leaning on hybrids while rivals rushed to battery-only lineups. Putting a pure EV into its flagship volume sedan signals that the hybrid-first strategy is being revised right at the core of the range. At the same time, selling EV and hybrid versions under one name is a pragmatic hedge: let the customer, not the product plan, decide the pace of the transition.

The competitive backdrop reinforces the point. Around the same time, BMW opened preorders for its facelifted 7 Series after four years, while Jeep and Maserati leaned on scarcity with limited runs of 30 and 5 units respectively. Korea's import market is moving along two tracks at once — broader electrified lineups and limited-edition exclusivity — and the ES sits squarely on the first.

What changes for buyers

For anyone shopping an ES, the practical change is that there's now a powertrain decision to make before picking a trim.

The logic is fairly clear. If charging is convenient and range anxiety isn't a factor, the EV pushes the ES's defining quietness about as far as it can go. If long highway trips are routine or charging access is patchy, the more refined eighth-gen hybrid remains the sensible pick. And given the 110 mm height increase, anyone who bought into the ES for its low sedan proportions should see the car in person before committing.