LEXUS Australia chief executive Jack Hobbs said the brand’s decades of experience in the sale and service of petrol-electric hybrid vehicles places it at a distinct advantage when compared with rivals new to electrified technologies.

Speaking with GoAutoNews Premium at the launch of the updated RZ range in Melbourne this week, Mr Hobbs said synergies between petrol-electric hybrid, plug-in electric hybrid, and battery-electric vehicles were proving advantageous to both showroom and service centre staff, and in turn to Lexus customers.

“Our dealership staff is well and truly on board (with new energy technologies),” he said.

Lexus Australia chief executive Jack Hobbs

“We focus intently on the training and development side of our business to ensure staff are up to speed with the technology – but we have also learned a great deal from regular hybrid technology across the years, which has assisted greatly in the PHEV and BEV transition.”

Lexus introduced its first hybrid vehicle into the Australian market in May of 2006. Since that time, electrified vehicles have moved to account for more than four out of every five new models sold.

By the end of this calendar year (2026), Lexus sales in Australia were forecast to include a majority of hybrid-electric vehicles (60 per cent), followed by plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles (22 per cent), internal-combustion engine vehicles (13 per cent), and battery-electric vehicles (5 per cent).

Those figures, said Mr Hobbs, highlight the importance of understanding the service requirements of electrified vehicles across Lexus’ 31-strong dealer network. 

He said the decades of experience Lexus service staff possess in the field is something that cannot be acquired overnight.

“It’s very fair to say that our technicians are ahead of the curve in that respect. With hybrid certification already in hand, it has put us in a very enviable position,” he told GoAuto Premium.

“We have over 20 years of experience in the electrification space, (so) our technicians and dealership staff have been on this journey for a lot longer than many other brands.

“If you consider the scope of what a technician now has to work with, it is actually quite a broad field. 

“That is why our training, development, and experience is so crucial. It is also, I believe, why our retention rates are pretty good.”

In an industry struggling to attract and retain adequately qualified technical staff, it’s that last point Mr Hobbs said is something he will continue to work on.

“We are always working to try and keep our dealer staff in our dealerships, and to make sure that it’s a good place to work,” he said.

“With more electrified vehicles arriving, it is front of mind for us that we have the right staff available to ensure our customers can have their vehicles serviced correctly, and at a time that is convenient to them.

“It forms part of the ownership experience – to make sure that we back-up our product with servicing and attention to detail from our dealership staff.

“It has always been a focus for Lexus to do that, and we will continue that focus and make sure it remains our point of difference.”