On the sidelines of the Goodwood Festival of Speed, Lexus CEO Yoshihiro Sawa said that “full electric vehicles” (EVs) are not yet ready for primetime because they presently require a long charging time and face battery degradation/replacement issues.

With Lexus not having launched any all-electric vehicle till now, Sawa said that the automaker is not lagging behind its competitors -- like BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz and other premium brands -- in terms of electrification efforts; rather it is focused on improving its approach to alternative powertrains.

Lexus, like its parent company Toyota, has not yet made an aggressive attempt towards the electrification of its line-up. Though a new crossover concept with an all-electric powertrain was unveiled by Lexus recently, the automaker’s first all-electric vehicle is scheduled for launch in the year 2020.

About Lexus’ planned move towards electrification, Sawa said in his comments on the sidelines of the Goodwood event that the automaker’s philosophy is “to provide freedom of movement” and, hence, it is focused on developing technology on all fronts.

Asserting that Lexus is aware of the fact that “electric is very necessary,” Sawa said: “But we can also see that full EV will not suit everyone. You can’t make an electric Land Cruiser work, for instance – and there are people in remote parts of the world whose lives depend on that car.”