Lexus at the forefront of technology: camera mirrors for the ES 300h

Technology is advancing and with it the automotive world, two sectors that are closely linked and depend on each other. Now, Lexus has wanted to go one step further to close the gap with its main rivals, both domestic and European, who have been launching significant innovations onto the market. One of them is digital mirrors, an innovation we can already see in action on vehicles such as the Honda e and the Audi e-tron, models that have now faced a tough technological competitor from Lexus.

And indeed, the Japanese brand has just announced that one of its flagship models, the ES 300h, is debuting this revolutionary vision system. As you know, manufacturers are betting on cameras instead of conventional mirrors, which helps not only to improve the car’s aerodynamics but also to offer a glimpse of the technology that tomorrow’s cars will have.

In addition to replacing the now almost obsolete mirrors, the engineers at the Japanese firm have sought to improve the interior of the ES 300h with two new screens. These are positioned at the ends of the dashboard, right at the height of the cameras themselves and where the conventional rear-view mirrors would be. In this way, the new system is designed not to be distracting for the driver, who will need to turn their head less to see what is happening around their vehicle.

These are two 5-inch, high-resolution screens intended not only to showcase Lexus’s clear technological progress, but also to serve as an improved safety measure. Whenever the driver activates the indicators or engages reverse, the screens will display an enlarged view designed to eliminate blind spots, something that is not possible with a conventional mirror.

This function comes into play when we are parking or changing lanes, but the Lexus ES 300h will also allow its users to activate it at will. Another important and significant feature is the cameras’ ability to raise their temperature thanks to heaters, which prevent fogging or ice from forming on them.

At the same time, these new vision cameras feature a brightness sensor that prevents other vehicles’ lights from dazzling the driver through the captured image. In this way, Lexus joins an innovation that we will very soon see reflected not only across the rest of its model range, but also in many competing vehicles.