There’s still room for EV versions of the LC and RC.
As we alluded to earlier in the year, Lexus has a big EV problem it needs to solve. At the tail end of 2021, Lexus unveiled its electric ambitions, aiming for one million all-electric sales by 2030.
The problem is a lack of available EVs, as Lexus only introduced its first-ever EV, the RZ, in America recently. A Lexus UX 300e is available elsewhere in the world, which means the brand currently only has two EVs on offer globally.
That portfolio needs to expand drastically and quickly if Lexus wants to catch up. Toyota and Lexus seem to have it covered after unveiling 16 upcoming models, but we couldn’t help but notice the lack of body style diversity.
In a recent interview with Autocar, Lexus’ European boss said that it can’t ignore the growing SUV trend. Having said that, Lexus is not quite prepared to let go of the cars that made it famous.
“We’re clearly working on alternative body types that would allow us to not only offer a wider range of vehicles but also meet the growth ambitions we have for Europe,” said Spiros Fotinos. “We’re not excluding anything. The segments in which we compete and the segments that are the volume-sellers in Europe are the segments we would be looking at primarily.”
As a hint, Fotinos said to look at the selection of cars unveiled last year as a statement of intent.
Lexus
Lexus
Looking at the images closely, we can see a few EV cars that could replace existing models like the LC Coupe and Convertible, IS, and RC. There even appears to be a replacement for the terrible CT 200h.
A digital rendering is one thing. Building a production-ready car is a whole different ball game. Lexus does have access to Toyota’s e-TGNA platform explicitly designed for EVs, but Fotinos stated that its ambitions stretch beyond the underpinnings of the bZ4X.
“For a company and a brand that has the ambitions we do – to be 100% BEV-ready, offering a BEV in every segment we compete in – technically that would be impossible to do with one platform, so obviously we’re looking at other opportunities as well,” said Fotinos.
The question is, who is Lexus looking at teaming up with beyond Toyota?
Lexus
Lexus