Lexus Cancels Plans for Its Flagship Electric Sedan, the LF-ZC: Report
Another marque just pulled the plug on a luxury EV.
Lexus just reportedly canceled plans for a production version of the LF-ZC, a model that was meant to be the brand’s flagship electric sedan, according to Autonews.com. It’s just the latest marque to scrap an EV in the wake of global waning demand for electrified models.
Lexus announced the concept version of the LF-ZC (which stands for Lexus Future Zero-emission Catalyst) back in 2023. The model was planned to house a next-gen voice recognition system thanks to A.I. tech, which could provide route and mode recommendations based on the driver’s daily driving patterns. Other details on the low-slung concept include its bamboo-clad interior, chose for its CO2 absorption abilities and appearance in centuries of Japanese design. Lexus isn’t halting all its electric endeavors, though, as the brand will use tech from the LF-ZC on upcoming new models, according to Motor1.com.
Lamborghini killed the all-electric Lanzador earlier this year.
Lamborghini
Lamborghini, too, recently pivoted its all-electric plans: It shelved its first EV supercar earlier this year. The Lanzador, a high-riding grand tourer originally set for a 2028 debut, would have churned out 1,340 HP via its two electric motors. (A hybrid iteration of the model may be on the horizon, though.) Plans for a Urus EV were also discarded, marking another change in the Raging Bull’s $1.8 billion electrification plan known as “Direzione Cor Tauri,” with a goal of offering its first EV by 2030.
“Investing heavily in full-EV development when the market and customer base are not ready would be an expensive hobby, and financially irresponsible towards shareholders, customers, our employees, and their families,” Stephan Winkelmann, Lambo’s CEO, said in a Times interview amid the cancelation.
Many other automakers, such as Aston Martin, have also switched up their electrification plans, with the British marque postponing its first EV back in 2025. The brand says the model will now arrive by 2030, focusing on plug-in hybrids in the interim, such as the Valhalla.
Moving forward with its all-electric agenda, however, is Ferrari. The marque unveiled its first EV, the Luce, last month, a 1,035 HP four-door that’s priced at $640,000. The reveal sent the auto world aflame in part due to its look, created by former Apple design chief Jonny Ive, which critics say doesn’t fit the Prancing Horse design ethos.
Amid the backlash, Lamborghini’s Winkelmann said shelving his company’s own EV was the “right way to go.” Now, the marque has decided to move away from a fully electrified model and instead produce plug-in hybrid models—ever the popular move among luxury carmakers these days.
