1704445783
At the annual Kenshiki (Japanese Insights) forum in Brussels, Lexus presented its strategy for a new generation of all-electric vehicles. It contains both technical principles and implementation plans for new technologies that will change the future of cars. When discussing the details of the strategy, company representatives explained in detail their plan to become the only brand selling electric cars worldwide by 2035. It is expected that in Europe this target can be achieved even earlier – in the 2030s, market conditions permitting.
Since the brand’s founding in 1989, Lexus has pioneered many technologies. The company has a lot to be proud of: it has repeatedly challenged the established rules of the luxury car market and continually increased the value of its products.
When it comes to electrification, we will push the boundaries again. We will develop a new modular vehicle structure and a new generation of batteries to not only improve our electric cars but also offer a new driving pleasure. A new software revolution is brewing. “This will enable us to create personalized cars of the highest level and provide every driver with full personalized luxury,” Pascal Ruch, Head of Lexus Europe and Vice President of Lexus Global Value Chain, promised at the event.
Notes on the future vision
The recently unveiled Lexus LF-ZC and LF-ZL concept vehicles demonstrate how the company aims to maximize the potential of electrification and innovative technologies to enable new mobility experiences.
The LF-ZC (Lexus Future Zero-emission Catalyst) model was shown for the first time in Europe at the Kenshiki Forum. It represents the upcoming next-generation Lexus sedan, which the company will begin production in 2026.
The LF-ZL (Lexus Future Zero-emission Luxury) in turn demonstrates the vision of an electric SUV flagship. This model enables extremely individual driving. Interaction with the car reaches a new level as the electric car itself can make suggestions about the driver’s driving style and habits.
Bamboo is used as the main material in the car interior. It reflects Japanese traditions and at the same time shows a sustainable approach to nature, because the industrial use of this fast-growing plant allows us to conserve resources.
A fully digitalized intelligent driver workstation provides quick access to controls in an immersive environment. The steering linkage, which replaces the conventional steering wheel, plays a key role: it enables the use of Lexus’ exclusive One Motion Grip digital steering technology.
Concept models have digital rearview and side mirrors. An extra-wide video screen is installed on the passenger side for convenient access to entertainment and mobility apps.
Arena operating system
Lexus’ new Arena operating system will open up even more entertainment and connectivity options. A voice recognition system with artificial intelligence will respond quickly to commands and flexibly make personalized suggestions – like a personal assistant. This system even remembers the driver’s daily habits and preferred apps and features, so all of this can be activated automatically and without prompting.
Lexus will take advantage of the specific characteristics of electric cars, such as quick acceleration and smooth control of drive power. All this is guaranteed by the DIRECT4 technology on all drive wheels.
The system is already used in the Lexus RZ electric car and the high-performance hybrid Lexus RX 500 and constantly balances the torque on the front and rear axles, taking into account the load on each individual wheel. Such an algorithm ensures optimal grip under all driving conditions. This means the car accelerates more evenly, handles corners more efficiently and remains more stable on the road.
The new “Arene” operating system enables even more precise adjustment of vehicle behavior when the driver selects different driving modes. The operator can further expand the range of sensations by changing the sounds and vibrations produced by the machine.
Modular construction
To develop the next generation of electric cars, the Japanese company will use a modular structure that divides the car into three parts: front, middle and rear. This structuring is ensured by a specific system of simultaneous production of large structures (gigacasting). This gives more freedom when designing the vehicle shape.
By reducing the number of parts – the vehicle structure at the front and rear currently consists of around 175 individual elements – production times are significantly shortened and the development of different machine types is accelerated. Front and back modules can be made in less than two minutes.
The modular design will also be superior through higher rigidity and lower weight, which in turn will improve the dynamic performance of electric vehicles. Such a decision will help reduce potential repair costs so that minor traffic accidents do not become expensive repairs for owners.
A multi-technology approach
In the near future, through 2026, Lexus will continue to take a multi-technology approach to electrification. This means that at the same time models are being developed with different power systems such as UX, NX and RX SUVs, as well as electric cars using the current global Lexus platform, say RZ, and electric cars created on the new generation platform, for example became . A model is developed based on the LF-ZC prototype.
There will be news in each of these three categories over the next few years, including new electric vehicles that will further expand the current Lexus offering.
In the new models we will see improvements in various energy systems and continued progress in building better batteries. The Japanese manufacturer will be the first to introduce new battery technologies, including a significantly more advanced new lithium-ion battery. It can be charged from 10 to 80 percent. The capacity is about 20 minutes and the driving distance on one charge is about 800 km (according to the WLTP cycle).
In spring 2024, the RZ model range will be supplemented by a new front-wheel drive version. Later, the One Motion Grip technology of the handlebar joint will be introduced for the first time. In the future, the Japanese plan to introduce a system that will make it possible to reproduce the principle of using a manual transmission in electric cars. It would be another piece of the fun driving puzzle.
grew in Europe
in 2023 the company expects to reach about 74,000 in Europe. the extent of new car sales. That would be around 50 percent. more than a year before.
This growth was made possible by a strong range of vehicles. Almost everything has been renovated in the last two years. Three completely new model generations were introduced in the important SUV segments NX, RX and RZ. The news included traditional hybrids as well as plug-in hybrids and electric cars.
The growth momentum is expected to continue in 2024 and the company will be able to achieve six-figure sales in Europe in the future.
#Lexus #announced #strategy #clear #pure #electric #car #manufacturer