Lexus has used the Japan Mobility Show (JMS) - formerly the Tokyo Motor Show - as an opportunity to show off the future look and technology of its next generation electric vehicles (EVs), in the shapes of the LF-ZC and LF-ZL concept cars.
These two demonstrate an exterior aesthetic known as 'Provocative Simplicity', which is not only sharp-edged and eye-catching to behold, but aerodynamically optimised as well; Lexus is targeting a staggering coefficient of drag figure of less than 0.2 for the ZC, which is much lower than most modern production cars that tend to sit in the 0.2-0.3 bracket.
LF-ZC points to 2026 production model
Lexus' JMS theme was centred around 'pushing the boundaries of the electrified experience' and while the LF-ZL luxury SUV was more of a loose 'future of Lexus SUVs' project, the LF-ZC apparently points towards a production model that's scheduled for release in 2026.
With its low-slung bonnet and sleek silhouette, the Lexus LF-ZC certainly has the stage presence required of a concept car. The designers' aim here was to balance exceptional aerodynamic performance with a wide stance, while various functional elements - such as air intakes and outlets - have been integrated smoothly into the car's overall design.
Measuring 4.75 metres long and slightly less than 1.4 metres tall, the ZC was shown shortly after Lexus' parent company, Toyota, announced it had cracked solid-state battery tech for EVs. And as Lexus is likely to be the early beneficiary of the new power-cell systems, then the ZC's aerodynamic form, its relatively low weight and the next-gen prismatic battery technology should all add up, the company claims, to an EV with twice the range of current electric cars on sale today.
The carmaker is also working on a new modular structure to all its next-gen EVs, made possible through a process called 'gigacasting' making the cars structurally tough and yet also capable of being freer in form from model to model.
Digital instruments... and a bamboo dashboard?
The Lexus LF-ZL, meanwhile, is a longer-term hypothetical luxury electric SUV that would work in a future where 'mobility, people and society can be seamlessly integrated'. What the manufacturer means by this is that the vehicle's Arene OS interface software can not only control in-car functions, but it can also tailor and adapt the whole EV better to the individual tastes of its users, taking its lead from the driver's habits and offering up personalised suggestions to increase interaction between machine and driver.
Perhaps more pertinently, both the ZL and the ZC uses Lexus' next-gen fully digital instrumentation in the cabin.
Lexus wants to be a manufacturer selling only EVs across Europe by 2030, with the rest of its global markets following by 2035. To that end, it has a key focus on sustainability, as evidenced by the Bamboo CMF concept that was shown alongside the ZC and ZL cars at JMS. As you've probably guessed, bamboo is the signature material throughout the CMF concept, and it was chosen because it grows fast, it has high rates of CO2 absorption and it has been used in the Japanese culture for construction and crafts for centuries.