by Alvin Lim
Photo: Lexus
While many concept vehicles stretch far beyond the realm of current, road-viable technologies (and correspondingly adventurous appetites), Lexus opted instead to reveal concept electric vehicles that they plan to actually release in just three years time.
Enter the LF-ZC, their “next-generation battery electric vehicle” and its ultra-luxury flagship sister, the LF-ZL, both four-door sedans slated for release in 2026 boasting an entirely new EV architecture.
Apart from the ubiquitous talk of artificial intelligence (AI) and smart cockpit systems – we’ll get to that – both Lexus vehicles are purported to deliver far greater ranges than the EVs of today (up to 1000km, according to Reuters), thanks to an exceedingly aerodynamic body with a coefficient drag of just 0.2 – less than Tesla’s Model S – coupled with uprated “prismatic high-performance batteries”.
Photo: Lexus
This will come without compromise to the dynamism of the driving experience, leveraging good ol’ fashioned physics – a low profile, a cabin that tapers to the rear, and aforementioned sleekness – and novel technologies like a self-learning AI butler that’ll suggest optimised personal settings for pre-existing Lexus technologies like all-wheel-drive and an intuitive steering system for each driver once its accumulated enough driving data.
The butler, along with a minimalist infotainment ecosystem focused on maximising driver visibility by way of a futuristic heads-up display, are both powered by a new software platform dubbed Arene OS, which also handles safety systems, reacts to voice commands and can be updated on the fly.
Photo: Lexus
The interior is finished in swathes of bamboo, an eco-friendly signature of Lexus that echoes its commitment to go fully electric by 2035.
The difference between both vehicles is that the LF-LC is meant for drivers, while the LF-ZL tends towards owners who prefer to be driven. Besides enabling easy egress with opposing and sliding doors, Lexus plans to give the ultra-luxury vehicle an advanced version of the Arene OS which can learn and anticipate drivers’ needs.
Photo: Lexus
It also enables an interactive mode called, well, Interactive Reality in Motion, where information is generated and displayed when car owners are detected by on-board sensors to be pointing at places of interest around them.
For now though, these are merely concepts revealed at the Japan Mobility Show 2023. We’ll have to wait until 2026 to see how the Lexus’ LF-ZL and LF-LC shape up in reality.
