Published

Lexus to Preview Electric City Car in Tokyo

Toyota Motor Corp.’s Lexus luxury car unit will take the wraps off an all-electric city car at the Tokyo auto show in October.
#hybrid

Share

Toyota Motor Corp.’s Lexus unit will take the wraps off an all-electric city car at the Tokyo auto show in October.

The small car’s design will resemble that of an upcoming production EV, engineering chief Koji Sato tells Autocar. The new Lexus concept follows the luxury brand’s 2015 LF-SA (pictured), a two-seater that was touted for its sporty design.

Lexus EVs will blend futuristic styling with some of the brand’s current design cues, design boss Koichi Suga adds. He says initial EVs will sport a modified version of the luxury brand’s signature spindle grille.

Lexus also aims to incorporate next-generation technologies such as solid-state batteries and in-wheel electric motors into future EVs. A next-generation infotainment system also could be previewed in the Tokyo concept, according to Autocar.

Toyota previously has said it plans to offer plug-in hybrid or full-electric versions of all its models (including Lexus’ lineup of luxury cars and crossovers) by 2025. Lexus has offered hybrid-electric models for years, but the marque has yet to introduce an EV.

RELATED CONTENT

  • 2019 Honda Insight

    One of the things that rarely gets the amount of attention that it should in a typical “car review” is the fact that for a considerable amount of time drivers are not “getting on the throttle” because for a considerable number of drivers, they’re “dwelling on the binders,” a.k.a., sitting with their foot depressed on the brakes, perhaps lifting every now and then in order to nudge forward in traffic.

  • Engineering the 2019 Jeep Cherokee

    The Jeep Cherokee, which was launched in its current manifestation as a model year 2014 vehicle, and which has just undergone a major refresh for MY 2019, is nothing if not a solid success.

  • Mahindra Automotive in America

    Rick Haas has an impressive automotive resume, having held positions at Ford and Tesla and currently as the president and CEO of Mahindra Automotive North America.

Gardner Business Media - Strategic Business Solutions