Yeah, my dealer was telling me April 2005. But that there will be a drive event featuring the 400h in July of this year (Bay Area).

It's a little confusing, cause if you go to the Lexus corporate site, they still say the 400h is coming in 2004 in big bold letters.

 

The official word is that the RX400H is delayed until April 2005 until further notice. They did not say what the reason for the delay is. There is a preview of the car next month during July. IMO: Lexus is just making sure there are no "bugs" in this car. They are perfectionists and like to "underpromise" and "overdeliver". I don't think that there is any kind of big problem or anything. But this is just my opinion.

 

I took my car in for service and the district manager was visiting our dealer. I asked him about the delivery on the RX400h. He said originally it was planned late Fall this year however it is now pushed back to next May. He said the reason is Toyota is having a hell of a problem meeting demands on the Prius (some dealers have backlogs of 9 to 12 months) and since many of the hybrid components on the 400h are the same as the Prius, getting enough hybrid parts to produce the 400h is a major concern. They decided to push the date back by 5 to 6 months to give the factory a chance to catch up on the Prius production as well as time to build up enough inventory to build the 400h. They anticipate a huge demand on the 400h and most dealers have long waiting list. Our dealer has 27 names on their list. The manager suggests attending the Lexus show coming up the next couple of months thruout the country to get the latest scoop on the 400h since it will be on display there.

 

I don't think the Prius and the RX400h share any major parts. They are also made in different plants.

My guess is that the issue may be "packaging." Unlike the Prius which receives a small gas engine, the RX400h will have the same 3.3L V6 as in the RX330. There'll be very little room under the hood with the hybrid gears. Toyota engineers may be able to assemble the RX400h by hands, but mass-producing it efficiently might be the issue. Again this is just my guess.

Meanwile, I bet the RX400h is hurting the sale numbers of the V8 M-class and X5.

 

I just read this and talks about the 400h

Toyota Profit Up 29 Percent; Boosting Prius Output

Toyota says that the April-June quarter saw its profits jump by 29 percent. The income of about $2.6 billion came about as car sales that rose 10 percent from the year-before figure. Though the home market was soft, Toyota's North American sales rose 11 percent even with the exchange rate not in its favor. Toyota expects to sell 7.2 million vehicles in the current fiscal year, which ends next March 31. Separately, at a press conference in its hometown of Nagoya, Japan, Toyota said it would boost monthly Prius hybrid production from 10,000 to 15,000 units a month in order to meet demand from world markets, particularly the United Stated, where the original plan called for 36,000 units a year. The extra production will begin in January. The expansion of Prius production means Toyota will delay the on-sale date of its Lexus RX 400h hybrid by two months. The RX hybrid now is expected to go on sale in the U.S. in February of 2005.


http://www.thecarconnection.com/inde...3&article=7384

 

Just gives me more time to save for it.

 

In today's Wall Street Journal, it says Toyota finally announced officially that the RX400h launch will be delayed from this Sept to next Feb or March. It says the delay is "to allow engineers more time to evaluate the vehicle and to build up inventory to deal with expected strong demand". "To avoid repeating the problems encountered with the Prius, the Japanese auto maker says it is going to try to build up inventory of the Lexus RX400h before its launch." Toyota spokesman in CA said "we'd rather have enough inventories out there than having people wait".

"Toyota's US sales unit said it expects to sell 24,000 RX400h a year. Given Prius popularity, it believes it can sell more. The Toyota spokeman said the delay should be a welcome relief for the engineers who have been pushed to keep the end-of-the-year deadline. Toyota engineers have been developing another gas-electric vehicle, a hybrid version of the Toyota Highlander SUV, in addition to putting finishing touches on the Lexus hybrid."

 

The USA Today had an article as well about the RX400h a week ago or so. (page 2 of the money section).


Gave 3 reasons for delay:

1. The preorders are way ahead of expectations. Over 8,000 already and they were only planning on shipping 24,000 the first year. The delay will give them more time to build inventory so that its not like the prius.

2. Give the engineers more time to work out any bugs that have developed.

3. Allows them to call it a 2006 model since it comes out after Dec. If it was launched in Dec it would be a 2005.

 

As long as they release it as a 2006 model I will go ahead with my plan. I am first in line getting one from my dealer, and I don't won't it if it's released in April as a 2005. I would just as soon wait until Fall at that point to get the later year.

Good news to hear they plan to release it as an '06.

RickC

 

I just thought of another good reason for the delay in this introduction. Both Bush and Kerry are proposing $4000 and $5000 tax credit for people who buy hybrid vehicles as compared to the current $1500. If the tax credit would indeed increase, it would definitely tickle the interest of many potential buyers. I know I will jump in if that happens. Just my thought.

 

Good point but I think the majority of this thread has been that there will be an excessive demand anyway so I don't think Lexus would be delaying it just to further the demand ...unless their production will be bumped up significantly more than the additional 4 months (Nov-->Feb) could normally produce.

 

Whoa, it's a writeoff, not a credit, because you can offset against your tax liablity. Currently, you can write off a hybrid to lower your taxable income.

 

I'm no tax accountant, but doesn't a credit also offset your tax liability and lower your taxable income?

 

Yes, a tax credit reduces your tax liability dollar for dollar. As oppose to a deduction which only reduces your overal tax liability by a percentage amount.

 

Cool, thanks for the clarification.

RickC