Lexus RZ 450e Will Become the Brand's First All-Electric SUV

author: Vineeth Joel Patel   

Toyota recently showcased roughly 12 all-electric concepts cars as it looks to increase the number of EVs it sells by the time 2030 rolls around. This was surprising, as Toyota has been quiet on the all-electric front, choosing to bet on hybrids and plug-in hybrids instead. But, we now know that electric cars will play a large role at Toyota and Lexus. With the Toyota bZ4X set to go on sale in 2022, Lexus is in need of its own electric vehicle, which will arrive in the form of the RZ 450e.

Lexus Introducing New EV

Toyota may have been slow to adopt the all-electric revolution idea, but it's quickly catching up to the rest of the pack. Lexus will be going all-electric by 2035, so things with the luxury brand will be changing at an alarming rate soon. Leading Lexus' all-electric push will be the RZ 450e electric SUV that the automaker recently showcased.  

Lexus didn't provide a lot of information on the RZ 450e, but the electric SUV looks similar to the LF-Z concept car that came out earlier this year. Some lines have been cleaned up and Lexus has done a little work to make the RZ 450e look close to being production-ready. You can also see a hint of the Toyota bZ4X in Lexus' vehicle.

As far as performance goes, Lexus hasn't said much. We expect the SUV to come with Lexus' new electric motor that is called Direct4. The RZ 450e should have two of these electric motors for all-wheel drive.

Lexus Has More To Come

For power, the bZ4X produces 215 horsepower in its most powerful configuration. That's a little low for what we expect to see from a Lexus, as luxury brands tend to offer more powerful engines with their vehicles. It's a similar thing when it comes to range, as the bZ4X will be able to travel up to 250 miles on a single charge.

The RZ 450e will reportedly use a steer-by-wire system that means the steering wheel and front wheels aren't mechanically connected to one another. It's a system that we first saw on the Infiniti Q50 a few years ago.

We're sure we'll get more information on the RZ 450e next year before it officially goes on sale. When Lexus does put the RZ 450e on sale, it will compete against the Tesla Model Y, BMW iX, Audi e-tron, Volkswagen ID.4, and Ford Mustang Mach-E.

Vineeth Joel Patel

Joel Patel has been covering all aspects of the automotive industry for four years as an editor and freelance writer for various websites. When it comes to cars, he enjoys covering the merger between technology and cars. In his spare time, Joel likes to watch baseball, work on his car, and try new foods