Lexus scrapped its next EV sedan, then greenlit its replacement the same day

Lexus has officially killed the LF-ZC, its planned electric sedan concept, but the Japanese brand gave the green light to a direct successor on the very same day.

The move preserves years of engineering work, including the gigacast modular platform that splits the body into bolt-together front, center, and rear sections.

The LF-ZC was unveiled in late 2023 as a high-riding electric sedan riding on a new platform, with a launch originally slated for this year.

The timeline slipped to mid-2027 before Lexus scrapped the program last month, ending a project that never progressed beyond the concept stage.

Despite the cancellation, much of the LF-ZC’s engineering survives and will reach production, including the gigacast structure, a new electrical and electronic platform for advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS), and prismatic battery cells.

Toyota’s vice president and chief technology officer Hiroki Nakajima confirmed to Nikkei CrossTech that Lexus has already selected a successor vehicle to fill the void left by the canceled LF-ZC.

The decision to approve the replacement was made on the same day the LF-ZC’s development was halted.

Nakajima stated that while significant investments—such as molds and mass-production equipment for the LF-ZC—were no longer viable, the new technologies developed during its creation remain viable. “We did indeed discontinue development,” he said.

“It was at a point where we needed to make significant investments, such as arranging molds and mass production equipment for the LF-ZC.

However, many new technologies cultivated during the development of the LF-ZC, such as Gigacast, a new electrical and electronic platform for ADAS, and miniaturization and weight reduction, have already been completed.

We will develop a successor vehicle that utilizes these new technologies.” The form of the new EV remains undecided, but industry observers suggest it will likely take the shape of an electric crossover or SUV, given the segment’s stronger sales momentum compared to sedans.

The move comes as competitors like the new BMW iX3 and Mercedes-Benz GLA EQ enter the market, positioning Lexus to potentially compete in the same space.