by Lexus canceled the LF-ZC electric sedan, but immediately approved its replacement
At the end of 2023, Lexus unveiled the innovative LF-ZC concept — a tall sedan on a new electric platform, slated to hit the market this year and compete with the BMW i3. However, the timeline was initially pushed back to mid-2027, and last month, the company completely shut down the project, which never progressed beyond the concept stage.
Concept technologies will not be wasted
Canceling the LF-ZC does not mean Lexus is abandoning electric vehicles. As we previously reported, a significant portion of the engineering developments created for the concept will still go into production. This includes a modular structure with gigacasting, which divides the body into separate front, center, and rear sections that are joined into a single unit.
Additionally, the electric and electronic platforms for new driver assistance systems, as well as the concept’s prismatic battery cells, will go into production. We may not have to wait long to see them on the roads.
New vehicle already approved
Toyota’s Vice President and Chief Technology Officer Hiroki Nakajima stated that Lexus has already decided on a “successor vehicle” to take the place of the canceled LF-ZC. This means the replacement was approved before the original project was finally closed.
“We really stopped development,” he told Nikkei CrossTech. “It was a point where we needed to make significant investments, such as setting up molds and equipment for mass production of the LF-ZC. However, many of the new technologies developed during the creation of the LF-ZC, such as Gigacast, a new electric and electronic platform for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), as well as miniaturization and weight reduction, have already been completed. We will develop a successor vehicle that will utilize these new technologies.”
Mr. Nakajima also revealed that Lexus approved the LF-ZC’s “successor” on the same day it canceled the model’s development, agreeing to use the LF-ZC’s technologies for the new model.
What will the new model be like?
It is not yet known what form this new electric vehicle will take. Most likely, it will be an electric crossover or SUV, as this body type has greater commercial potential than a sedan. New BMW iX3 and Mercedes-Benz GLA EQ models have already entered the market, and it is entirely possible that Lexus will want to create a competitor for them.
Thus, Lexus is not abandoning its electric ambitions, but is merely changing its strategy. Instead of a risky sedan, the company will likely focus on the more popular and profitable crossover segment, utilizing all the advanced developments already created for the LF-ZC. This will save time and resources, while simultaneously offering the market a product with a higher chance of success. The decision to approve a successor on the very same day the previous project was canceled indicates that the company acted quickly and decisively, not allowing any delays in the transition to a new electric platform.
