Lexus RZ Official Reveal Breakdown
Lexus just revealed its first battery-electric vehicle (BEV). The Lexus RZ is Toyota’s luxury division’s answer to the Toyota bZ4X electric SUV. The next chapter in Lexus innovation has officially begun!
The Lexus RZ 450e is the first electric Lexus SUV
Toyota is releasing the bZ4X electric SUV soon. Apparently, its luxury division is also getting into the electric SUV action. Lexus models are typically more powerful and more refined than Toyota vehicles. They are also priced higher.
In the Lexus RZ reveal video Lexus Chief Branding Officer and President of Lexus International Koji Sato gives viewers new information about the company’s first BEV. “Electrification means maximizing vehicle potential through electrified technology,” Sato said as the video panned to a Lexus Sports Battery EV concept.
In short, this means that automakers like Toyota have figured out how to create EVs with engaging driving dynamics. The result of these findings will be BEVs that use electric motors to create enough horses to keep drivers excited. Lexus vehicles will showcase this power even more than Toyota as the luxury division. So, right off the bat, Lexus is teasing the horses and torque of its upcoming BEVs.
Sato goes on to explain that Lexus is trying to transform into a brand centered around electric vehicles in the near future. The RZ will lead Lexus toward that future as the brand’s cornerstone, just as the bZ4X will lead Toyota. Many automakers are choosing electric SUVs as their first mass-produced EVs because the SUV segment is much more popular than the car segment in some countries.
How much range will the 2023 Lexus RZ 450e have?
The 2023 Lexus RZ 450e is more powerful than both the Toyota bZ4X and Subaru Solterra. It makes close to 308 horsepower. Lexus estimates that the RZ 450e will have 250 miles of driving range on a full battery. This range is similar to the bZ4X and Solterra. It also aligns with the current unspoken industry standard of about 200-250 miles.
Though little is known about the RZ 450e, it will likely be a more powerful and more stylish take on the bZ4X. Even the bZ4X’s Limited trim has a minimalistic, uncluttered interior, so it’ll be interesting to see how Lexus’ electric SUV differs (if it differs at all).
What’s next for Lexus?
Lexus is aiming to electrify its entire lineup globally by 2035. This may seem ambitious, but the demand for electric vehicles has increased internationally, so it’s natural for automakers to lean toward the most popular market.
Toyota has set carbon neutrality as a goal for decades, and it is much closer to achieving that goal than ever before. The Lexus 450e is slated to release in late 2022.
