Lexus showcases new LF-ZC concept, due for production in 2026

Lexus has unveiled its newest electric vehicle concept set to go into production in 2026. The LF-ZC is a bit of a mouthful to say, but the brand promises it will live up to its name in full: the Lexus Future Zero-Emission Catalyst. Sounds like a lot of responsibility.

The LF-ZC will shoulder Lexus’ attempts to ‘push boundaries of the electrified experience’ with some serious battery innovation and equally serious software definition. It's a sleek thing, built on tech from the brand’s RZ development.

That means there’ll be all-wheel-drive from the jump-off. But it doesn’t take the shape of an SUV. There’s a low slung bonnet, tapering to a boot – the front occupants sit low, too.

By using what Lexus calls ‘next-gen prismatic high-performance batteries’, the LF-ZC is expected to have double the range. The prismatic element of the battery configuration should enable Lexus to create a more compact powertrain. That in turn helps improve the aero. While Lexus doesn't give us many more details about the batteries, we suspect it might borrow some know-how from the Toyota team, which made a breakthrough in solid-state chemistry earlier this year.

The brand also mentions its operating system ‘Arene’ which Lexus tells us combines steer-by-wire, remote updates and ‘Butler’, its name for a fancy voice control suite with artificial intelligence tech. Lexus reckons: “With just one vehicle, it will be possible to replicate various car operations, driving characteristics, sounds, and vibrations tailored to individual preferences.” Anything to give the LF-ZC the broadest appeal.

The cockpit is going entirely digital from the looks of things, with control pads within arm’s reach of occupants and the windshield having the information projected onto it like a head-up display. Lexus is keen to stress how much sustainable bamboo is used in the whole thing, giving the LF-ZC additional green smarts.

The brand - which wants to be all-electric by 2035 - also showcased the LF-ZL, a concept it says ‘will offer a glimpse into its future’.

At five metres long and two metres wide, Lexus wants this all-electric flagship concept car to be ‘hospitably mindful’ or ‘mindfully hospitable’ if you want to translate the ‘omotenashi’ theme under which the LF-ZL has been designed.

The ‘L’ in this case stands for Luxury, so think: fancy lounge experience – one which is apparently ‘guilt-free’. We love us some guilt-free lounging, so bring it on.