- Lexus’ next-generation EVs will reportedly start arriving in 2027
- The EVs were previewed with concepts at the 2023 Tokyo auto show
- Toyota has reportedly also delayed an electric three-row SUV planned to be built in Kentucky
Next-generation Lexus electric vehicles, promising range estimates much higher than today’s offerings, will arrive later than originally planned, NHK reported last week.
The Japanese media outlet reported that the first of the new EVs, originally due in 2026, will now start production in mid-2027.
The reported reason for the longer development time is to enable the introduction of more advanced technologies.
Lexus previewed its next-gen EVs during the 2023 Tokyo auto show, where the automaker presented the LF-ZC compact liftback and LF-ZL full-size SUV concepts. At the debut, Lexus stated that the LF-ZC would launch in 2026.
Lexus LF-ZL concept
The next-gen EVs are set to take advantage of a new modular platform that will also be used by Toyota. EVs based on this platform will feature bodies with parts formed via so-called gigacasting, where the traditional casting of smaller individual parts that are welded together is replaced by casting only a handful of major parts. In the case of the new Lexus EVs, there will be three main parts: one each for the front, center, and rear of the body. Pioneered by Tesla, the process simplifies production and also increases rigidity.
NHK’s report comes less than two months after Japan’s Nikkei reported that a Toyota electric three-row SUV, initially planned for production in Kentucky starting in 2025, will now enter production in 2026. The same report also stated that Toyota had canceled plans to start building new Lexus electric SUVs in the U.S. by 2030 and would instead ship those vehicles from Japan.
Toyota and Lexus may also be delaying the launch of the new EVs due to many buyers choosing hybrids and plug-in hybrids over EVs. Growth in EV demand has slowed this year, while hybrid demand has risen, leading Toyota to explore the possibility of turning all of its gas models into hybrids. Last year, Toyota sold around 11.2 million vehicles globally, a third of which were hybrids, and less than one percent were EVs. The proportion of hybrids is expected to be even higher in 2024.