Lexus is set to debut an industry-first method of radiant infrared cabin heating in its upcoming RZ battery-electric vehicle, which the company says is far more efficient than current heating technologies.
Rather than heating the air with a traditional convection approach, Lexus is going to install two infrared-emitting panels sitting at knee-level in the RZ’s cabin that warm the skin of the driver and front passenger directly.
This is the same approach that you’ll find in an infrared sauna, for example, which doesn’t warm the air itself, rather, the infrared energy hits our skin which causes our surface temperatures to warm up. Lexus describes the system as feeling like a warm blanket is placed around the legs.
Lexus says that one of the main advantages of this approach is the energy efficiency. The company mentions an energy usage reduction of about 8 per cent, while the speed in which the infrared panels can heat anyone sitting beneath the panel is much quicker.
Rather than throw out the traditional HVAC system, Lexus’s infrared panels are there to supplement the traditional heating and air-conditioning systems, and is integrated into the climate control settings. And, for safety, the system can detect physical contact with the panels. Lexus says: “Driver or front-seat passenger can avoid overheating with physical contact to the panel, which automatically reduces temperature to around 43 degrees Celsius to prevent discomfort.”
The Lexus RZ 450e has been confirmed for Australia, which produces 230kW from a pair of electric motors and offers range figures of 470km thanks to a 71.4kWh battery pack. It’s based on Toyota’s e-TNGA platform and measures 4805mm long, 1895mm wide, 1635mm tall and offers a wheelbase spanning 2850mm, which is 60mm longer than the standard RX’s wheelbase.
The company says its ‘radiant heating’ system will be a part of the company’s Climate Concierge pack for the RZ, which is set to arrive here in Australia in the middle of the year.
