The Lexus LF-ZC concept is an announcement of the next generation electric car, which is scheduled for release in 2026

Lexus has unveiled several next-generation electric vehicles and technologies against the backdrop of the Tokyo Motor Show in 2023. The culmination was the display of the LF-ZC concept, an elegant hatch, which, according to Lexus, will go into production in 2026.

It stands for "Lexus Future Zero-emission Catalyst" and has a total length of 187 inches, almost the same size as the current Lexus IS compact sedan. However, the interior space is comparable to larger cars due to the advantages of special packaging on the EV platform.

This platform is a modular design that is also used by Toyota. Electric vehicles based on the platform have bodies formed from megaclusters, and the casting of welded small individual parts is skipped, casting only a few key parts. The new Lexus Ev has 1 and 3 main parts in the front, center and rear of the body. This process, first developed by Tesla, simplifies production and also increases rigidity.

The first battery used in the platform has a prismatic design, which helps to improve the efficiency of the battery compared to a cylindrical design with a good balance of efficiency and power supply. Hiroki Nakajima, Toyota's technical director, gave advice on the goals of next-generation electric vehicles during a presentation on May 4. He said that more efficient batteries are expected to increase the range by half compared to the automaker's current electric vehicles. The RZ crossover, the only Lexus electric vehicle in the US, has a power reserve of only 220 miles.

The aerodynamic design will also contribute to the model range of future Lexus electric vehicles. For the production LF-ZC, the goal is to achieve a drag coefficient of less than 0.2 cd, which will make it one of the most aerodynamically efficient cars on the market. 1 As a result, the Lexus Ev will have a different design from the new models still equipped with a gas engine, the automaker said.

Another feature demonstrated in the LF-ZC concept is Toyota's upcoming operating system, known as Arene. It is expected that the OS, which will not only have its own application, but will also be open to third-party applications, will be released around 2025 and will include a version developed for Lexus electric vehicles, Lexus said, adding that the system will be equipped with artificial intelligence that studies the driver's driving style and regulates performance characteristics such as like acceleration and handling. It was.

Other technologies installed for future electric vehicles include four-wheel drive with wire steering and sophisticated torque vectoring systems.

Lexus also used the Tokyo Motor Show to present the concept of a flagship electric SUV called the LF-ZL, which is likely to be produced in future production models.

Lexus will introduce more electric vehicles based on modern technologies ahead of the next generation of electric vehicles. It is expected that 1 of them will be a 3-row SUV.

Automakers plan to sell zero-emission vehicles, including cars ultimately designed to run on hydrogen, by 2030, to provide 100% of sales in the United States, Europe and China, as well as in other parts of the world by 2035.