With new international boss Takashi Watanabe on the helm, Lexus is lastly venturing into the fashionable age of totally electrical automobiles. To select up the tempo, Watanabe stated Lexus will “humbly take a look at and study from” Tesla’s accomplishments.

Watanabe took over as president of Lexus in April after former model boss Koji Sato succeeded longtime Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda.

The brand new chief says totally electrical automobiles will open up new potentialities for Lexus to develop the model.

“In 2026, we are going to introduce the next-generation battery EV that re-innovates the automobile modular construction, considerably alters our manufacturing strategies and fully re-imagines the software program platform,” Watanabe acknowledged (through Automotive Information), including, “We’ve additionally prioritized automobile design to embody the essence of Lexus.”

Lexus goals to promote 1 million EVs yearly by 2030 as it really works towards an all-electric lineup by 2035. In accordance with the model’s boss, the luxurious automaker will spearhead Toyota’s next-gen EV offensive.

Regardless of the passion, Toyota and Lexus mixed offered a complete of 24,466 electrical automobiles final 12 months. In comparison with general gross sales of over 9.5 million, EVs accounted for a mere 0.26% of the share.

With somewhat over 7,400 EV gross sales by means of the primary seven months of 2023, they nonetheless characterize lower than 1% of mixed Toyota and Lexus gross sales. Within the US, Lexus has offered solely 2,068 items of its first EV mannequin, the RZ electrical SUV.

Lexus to “look and study” from Tesla’s EV success

To select up the tempo and shut the widening hole with EV leaders like Tesla and BYD, Lexus’s mum or dad firm, Toyota, not too long ago revealed a number of rising applied sciences and manufacturing strategies.

At a technical briefing in June, Toyota highlighted a number of new improvements it deliberate to introduce, together with superior EV batteries, design enhancements to reinforce effectivity, and manufacturing upgrades to streamline output.

Toyota is vowing its next-gen EV batteries, due out in 2026, will present practically 500 miles of (over 800 km) vary with a 20% price discount in comparison with the bZ4X.

Extra not too long ago, the Japanese automaker confirmed off its next-gen EV manufacturing line throughout a plant tour with Giga casting know-how, a course of Tesla launched in 2020.

Lexus will piggyback off the brand new know-how and processes to raised compete as electrical automobile gross sales are solely anticipated to proceed rising.

“We have to make it simpler to construct and simplify as a lot as doable,” Watanabe stated. He added that it’s “essential to humbly take a look at and study from” Tesla’s success.

Regardless of utilizing Toyota’s tech, Lexus nonetheless must differentiate itself. “We should be extra distinctive — we have to outline that,” the model boss defined that Lexus might want to transcend the product, together with a software program working system.

Lexus will introduce an idea of its next-gen EV on the Japan Mobility Present, anticipated to roll out in 2026.

Electrek’s Take

As with Toyota, introducing this know-how is best late than by no means. Business leaders like Tesla have been enhancing effectivity in all areas.

By the point Toyota and Lexus’s next-gen EVs roll out in 2026, Tesla will already be on to the subsequent step.

Superior batteries, design enhancements, and manufacturing upgrades will assist Toyota (and Lexus) compete, however delaying it should solely put it additional behind the pack.