Lexus TX review, Toyota EV sports car, hydrogen hubs, block heaters and mpg: Today’s Car News

The lone star of the Lexus TX lineup is the plug-in. Toyota teases an electric sports car. Engine block heaters might be overrated. And the Biden administration lays out the start of a very expensive hydrogen network. This and more, here at EV kind of cars. 

The 2024 Lexus TX 550h+ plug-in hybrid is the best version of this new Lexus three-row SUV lineup, we found last week in a review, after driving all the versions. With up to 33 electric miles and nearly 30 mpg as a hybrid, it offers usable passenger and cargo space rivaling that of thirstier body-on-frame SUVs plus a composed ride and refined, responsive driving experience. Let’s just hope Toyota builds more of these rather than the mercurial 500h F Sport hybrid version. 

With concept versions of a Toyota electric sports car and crossover EV teased Monday, Toyota laid out the shape of future EVs potentially coming later in the decade—and emphasized a simplified interface for them—but it hasn’t yet clarified how quickly it’s ramping up a commitment to EVs. 

The White House on Friday announced details for the $8 billion hydrogen hub program, including $7 billion for establishing seven regional hubs that together will make nearly one-third of the annual hydrogen goal set by the Biden administration. While it could help clean up trucking, previous cost reductions have been optimistic, and the Energy Department is leaning on a goal of cutting the cost of “clean hydrogen” 80% to $1 per kilogram by the end of the decade. 

And do engine block heaters boost mpg? While it might indeed extend the life of your engine, results from a recent study by researchers in Finland suggest that the efficiency gains are a wash—before even considering the energy you put into preheating.

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