The Lexus marketers are banking on dumb money.

The short version:

Toyota, the maker of Lexus, continues its “self-charging hybrid” marketing campaign with the release of another video.
The video touts the Lexus US as being a hybrid that you never have to plug-in while showing the vehicle drive around a huge battery painted on the ground.
On the company’s website, Lexus says they transformed the industry “more than a decade ago”, with the first self-charging electric motor, and have “been increasing its lead ever since.”

Are you kidding me Toyota?!? I picture the marketing team slapping each other on the back and air-fiving while the rest of the thinking world just shakes their heads. I think of the poor salespeople who have to deliver this line over and over again whilst in the back of their minds wanting to crawl under a rock. And I think of the (hopefully) small percentage of potential buyers who don’t see this for the line of spin that it is. Wow.

Let’s be clear; the self-charging electric motor IS JUST A HYBRID!! It’s the same hybrid that has been around for years. This is Toyota’s/Lexus’ attempt to con people into buying the company line the BEVs aren’t the future. Come on guys, that’s a pretty greasy spin. Thankfully most people aren’t getting sucked in, but I still feel the need to do PSAs.