Lexus appears to have filed four new trademarks with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPA), a Lexus EV Forum member first reported. The trademarked names include LF-ZC, LF-ZL, LF-ZV and LF-ZA. Parent company Toyota filed the trademarks on October 12, 2023, and the application is under EUIPA examination.
Anyone familiar with Lexus nomenclature would know that the letters L, F, and Z are commonly used on its cars. Lexus has used LF (Lexus Future) to denote concept cars, from the iconic LF-A roadster concept which debuted at the 2005 Detroit Auto Show to the latest suite of electric concepts the brand has teased on multiple occasions.
Going by historical naming conventions, and the recent use of Z to denote electric vehicles by Toyota (Toyota bZ4x and Lexus RZ 450e), all of the aforementioned trademarks are presumably future EV concepts.
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That’s the farthest we can speculate, but more details are coming. Last week, Lexus teased an entire concept model line-up, which will be unwrapped at the Japan Mobility Show 2023 on October 25.
The teaser revealed an EV with a razor-sharp front end, boomerang-shaped headlamps, a creased hood, and slim digital wing mirrors (as pictured above). Lexus also teased its fastback-style rear end.
That said, Toyota has announced a three-row electric SUV that will be manufactured at its Georgetown Assembly Plant in Kentucky from 2025. There's a possibility of a Lexus equivalent as the brand has also trademarked the TZ450e and TZ550e alphanumeric monikers.
The Japanese automaker might not be a front-runner in the EV race. But considering its engineering prowess and decorated sales history worldwide, we can’t rule them out just yet. Toyota is focused on reinventing EV production processes and is incorporating several new techniques, including the Tesla-inspired giga casting.
As the Japanese auto giant spearheads this effort – with as many as 10 new EVs slated for launch by 2026 – Lexus is also a big part of its plans.
"In 2026, we will introduce the next-generation battery EV that re-innovates the vehicle modular structure, significantly alters our production methods and completely re-imagines the software platform," Lexus International president Takashi Watanabe said at a technology showcase in Japan last month.
In terms of battery and driving range, Toyota shared its battery technology roadmap recently, revealing plans of incorporating a lithium-ion performance battery with 497 miles range on its next-generation EVs, with less than 20 minutes of charging time for 10 to 80 percent state of charge (SoC).