The new LF-ZC concept car gives us a sneak peek at a high-end electric hatchback or coupé that will hit the market in 2026. It will come with all-wheel drive and steering-by-wire as standard. Future Prismatic power packs have a long range. The RZ, Lexus’s first electric car, could be more impressive. But with the LF-ZC concept car that was just shown at the Tokyo Motor Show, the Japanese company is offering a much brighter electric future. The company that makes these cars says they will start making them and be for sale in 2026. The LF-ZC, which Lexus Chief Branding Officer Simon Humphries called “a fusion of physical and digital technology,” is a beautifully designed concept car that will be built on an entirely new electric construction. A concept of the LF-ZL SUV has also been shown. This is the company’s more significant and fancier sister car, and it will be built on the same base. Easy planning The style of the LF-ZC is based on a new idea that Lexus calls “provocative simplicity.” From the front, it looks like a Lexus. The headlights have a fresh take on the brand’s extended checkmark design, and the bumper has triangular black parts that look like the openings in the LFA supercar. The grille and doors have both concave and convex shapes that make them look much fancier from the side. The top of the car gently slopes backward, giving it a low, coupe-like shape. The Lexus LF-ZC is 187.0 inches long, 1.6 inches longer than the Lexus IS car that came before it. However, Lexus has not released any performance or claims. By EV standards, its 54.8-inch height is shallow. If the goal drag coefficient of 0.20 is reached, it is also surprisingly smooth. Coming from inside The inside of the idea seems even further from what will be made unless Lexus wants to do what Tesla did and drop the standard steering wheel in favor of a shorter yoke. Lexus says the controls have been moved to two touch-sensitive digital pads, one on the left for choosing the driving mode and one on the right for fun. This set of controls might not be apparent in the pictures. The LF-ZC and larger LF-ZL will use a next-generation prismatic battery pack that Lexus says will let them “achieve approximately twice the range of conventional EVs, alleviating range anxiety concerns.” We’d expect an EPA rating of more than 500 miles to support that claim. E-sports and AI-based systems Also, they will have the brand-new Arene OS, which gives them much freedom and even lets the real and virtual worlds join. The statement from Lexus that “customers will be able to engage in e-sports using steer-by-wire technology inside the vehicle” seems very unlikely to be true. Arene will also release a new AI-powered virtual helper called Butler. It will help owners change the settings on their cars by learning on its own. It will also be possible for the LF-ZC to show information on its windshield. With a length of 208.7 inches and a substantial 131.9-inch wheelbase, the LF-ZL is longer than the ZC. The public photos have both traditional front doors and swinging back doors. In other words, it’s at the top of the line. Lexus has promised to only use electric cars by 2035, so the company is already well ahead of the competition. The company has bought the rights to use four European names: LF-ZC, LF-ZL, LF-ZV, and LF-ZA. This could mean that the story still needs to be finished. It makes us happy to share more with you.
