2026 Lexus ES350e EV First Test: A Commuting All-Star Luxury Sedan

Say hello to the automotive version of “don’t judge a book by its cover.” The lineup for the first-ever electric Lexus ES luxury sedan begins with this ES350e model, which glides forward with only 221 horsepower. That sounds pathetic for a nearly 5,000-pound luxury sedan that weighs 633 pounds more than the ES hybrid, but our testing tells a different story.

After living with the 2026 Lexus ES350e, the car’s balance of luxury and value impressed us precisely because we avoided doing one thing. Keep this electric Lexus in its lane, and it’s definitely the better option over the ES350h hybrid. The EV’s 0–60-mph time was something of a surprise, too.

See All 29 Photos29

Your Choice of Electrified Luxury

No gas-only model is left in the ES lineup. Now your choice starts at around $50,000 for a gas-electric hybrid or full-electric power. There’s a 244-hp ES350h hybrid with FWD or AWD, a 221-hp ES350e FWD EV, and a 338-hp ES500e AWD EV.

After testing the ES350h hybrid and ES350e EV, it’s clear the new 2026 Lexus ES acts like an ES whether there are cylinders or electrons under the hood. Comfort, value, and room to stretch out remain hallmarks of this long-running nameplate, while sportiness is not.

Still, there was a minor surprise at the track.

Hybrid vs. EV: The Quicker ES Is …

When we test cars, we experiment with different methods to get the best 0–60-mph time. Some cars might respond quicker in a sport mode or with a different traction control setting. In the 2026 ES350e, simply mash the throttle and go. Despite weighing hundreds of pounds more than the ES350h AWD hybrid we recently tested, the ES350e EV manages a 0–60 time of 7.1 seconds.

See All 29 Photos29

That’s 0.1 second quicker than the more powerful ES350h but a full two seconds slower than the last BMW i5 eDrive40 we tested. To us, part of luxury here is knowing you could pass that car dawdling in front of you even if you probably won’t.

Point for the BMW, right? Yes and no. The Lexus costs a small bathroom reno less than the i5, and the upcoming BMW i3 that might be closer in price won’t be as spacious as the Lexus. Acceleration in the ES350e EV is smooth, quiet, and perfectly adequate. If you want more than that, then you might go for a BMW or the ES500e AWD.

Driving Experience Pros and Cons

The 2026 ES350e stopped 3 feet shorter than the hybrid from 60 to 0 mph. The EV’s 123-foot performance isn’t exceptional, but the brakes feel more natural in the real world than the hybrid’s. After having trouble making smooth stops in the hybrid, that’s a huge reason we’d pick the electric model.

In the ES350e, four different levels of regenerative braking can be selected via the steering-wheel paddles, but not one of them can bring the car to a full stop, and the car doesn’t remember your choice between startup cycles. The lack of a one-pedal driving mode still irks us a little. It’s not that we believe everyone must experience EVs the way some MotorTrend editors prefer, but we think drivers should have the luxury of choice.

See All 29 Photos29

In the ES EV, this means regen braking can make commuting easier by reducing the number of times you have to apply the brakes, but you’ll still have to apply the brakes to come to a complete stop.

Otherwise, the ES350e EV offers respectable performance that’s more isolating than exciting.

Ride quality is good, and the ES feels more balanced on the track than the hybrid. On the road, the ES never feels like a smaller, nimbler car. We appreciate that, like every Lincoln, the ES never pretends to be sporty.

How to Road-Trip an ES EV

When we talk about keeping the 2026 ES350e EV in its lane, we’re talking avoiding family road trips. The first step in road-tripping an ES EV is to park the Lexus in the garage and get out. Then take another car—gas or EV—because the ES is simply not good at this, and it only has 13.3 cubic feet of trunk space.

Take its MotorTrend Road-Trip Range, a test that simulates how many miles an EV can go cruising at 70 mph from a full charge down to a 5 percent charge level. The ES350e only managed 233 miles, well below its EPA-rated 292-mile range and lower than the 268 miles of road-trip range we got in a 2024 i5, a BMW whose range and efficiency have since improved.

Our ES EV rolled on enormous multi-spoke 21-inch wheels; the range jumps to 307 miles if you stick with the 19s that are dwarfed by the new ES’ bulky bodywork. We’d splurge on the 21s as they look way better.

See All 29 Photos29

The ES’ other problem is that it fast charges slowly. With EV fast charging, just because you stop at a 350-kW charger doesn’t mean you’re going to charge that quickly. You also need a car that can handle those speeds, and the ES tops out at 150 kW.

Put another way, the 2026 ES350e adds 120 miles after 15 minutes of fast charging to the 2024 i5’s 135 miles and the 2026 Audi A6 E-Tron's 198–224 miles depending on trim. A car that charges faster saves you time on a road trip. And that’s why, when we’re traveling more than 200 or so miles, we’d pick a different family car if one is available.

Keep in mind that this all becomes irrelevant for day-to-day commuting. If you have a home charging setup, the ES’ 11-kW charge speed means you start the morning with a full charge when you plug in the night before.

Getting Excited for a Door

Lexus and Toyota have sometimes had some of the most boring interiors in the business, including door panels. It’s a very frou-frou detail, but the 2026 ES350e Luxury makes that a thing of the past. Bamboo trim appears extensively on the doors with an interesting linear pattern.

Lexus has featured bamboo trim in select cars before, but never like this. The detailing is fun to look at, and at night, an available mood lighting mode illuminates the panels with pulsating waves of colored light. Trust us, it’s way better to experience at night than to read about.

See All 29 Photos29

What we’d skip is the ES350e’s Executive package. Unless you’re an airport chauffeur looking for a new ride, we’d save $3,635 and reluctantly say goodbye to the power liftgate bundled in the package.

Other items in that package include power-reclining rear seats with a power ottoman on the passenger side, massagers that left us underwhelmed, as well as heated and ventilated outboard seats. There’s a control panel, but it lacks the ability to adjust the radio or display how much longer until the destination is reached. It’s a cool concept to offer in this segment, and we lounged while waiting an hour for someone, but we wouldn’t miss it too much.

An ES First, Electric Car Second

Driving and testing the new ES350e, this Lexus shows itself as a better ES than electric car. It’s quieter than the similarly priced hybrid, smoother to drive, and more convenient if you have a home charger installed.

The hybrid pulls ahead for those who lack home charging or insist on having the ability to spontaneously drive to Vegas at a moment’s notice without any charging delays along the way, as you’d have with the EV.

Practical luxury is what the ES stands for, and we’d order an ES350e Luxury for its bamboo trim and smoothness. Few cars offer more luxury and convenience at $60,000 than the ES350e—just be patient if you take it on the open road.