Lexus F models set to return as electric vehicles in future

Globally, the Lexus fluctuate has correct one ‘F’ car left – and that car, the two-door RC F with its 5.0-litre V8 engine, is now not supplied in Australia.

But the high-efficiency F price can be reignited in fully-electric guise as Lexus doubles down on its impartial to promote completely battery EVs from 2035.

“Making a car which is fun to force is terribly vital [when developing a battery EV],” Lexus Global president Takashi Watanabe told Chasing Vehicles and Australian media this week.

“As we assign a various fluctuate of electrified products, and because the penetration of such devices will increase, there should always be more somewhat a few desires and demands for Lexus electrified devices.

“When that occurs, if section of that kind is [customer demand for] F, then yes, we would possibly perchance well per chance indubitably stare into doing an F-electrified,” he said.

Lexus EV sedan coming – can also it consist of an IS F reboot?

Watanabe printed to Chasing Vehicles and Australian media that Lexus will prove little print of an EV sedan model in October 2023.

That electric sedan will assign exhaust of a original-skills Toyota EV platform that helps a efficiency battery pack. A sporty model of this four-door can also feasibly renew the IS F badge.

Love Toyota, Lexus will adopt original manufacturing ways which would possibly perchance well per chance be designed to chop car-building instances whereas increasing energy and quality – whereas chasing down Tesla’s effectivity advantages.

A favorable aim for a fleet model of the incoming Lexus EV sedan can be the Tesla Model 3 Performance, which dominates world gross sales of fleet saloons.

Emissions regulations are seeing off V8s and combustion F devices

Tightening emissions regulations in each place in the world enjoy seen Lexus start as much as desert its traditionally substantial engines – and with their dying, high-efficiency F devices enjoy departed too.

The first-ever Lexus model, the LS400 of 1989, had a V8 engine, and an eight-cylinder has been a trademark of prime-end Lexus devices orientated toward luxurious and efficiency alike.

That you just would possibly perchance per chance quiet accept the emblem’s nicely-regarded 5.0-litre non-turbo V8 locally in the LC500 coupe and LC500 convertible.

But that car isn’t an F car – a letter inform aside for the top-efficiency and word-racy Lexus devices, alongside side the IS F sedan (2007-2014), GS F sedan (2015-2020), and the RC F coupe that is clinging to existence in some markets.

Vision to interchange the LFA supercar with an EV

This form of checklist wouldn’t be total with out declaring the Lexus LFA, a 4.8-litre V10-powered supercar – a halo model of which correct 500 had been produced between 2010 and 2012

In unhurried 2021, Lexus unveiled its imaginative and prescient to interchange devices admire the RC F and LFA in fully-electric originate.

Pictured right here, the Electrified Sport Belief became labelled on the time by the emblem as symbolising “the plan forward for Lexus”.

Lexus said that the slinky, two-door create test is “a imaginative and prescient of the non secular successor to the lengthy-lasting LFA supercar”.

Diagram specs for the Electrified Sport Belief consist of a 0-100km/h time in the “low two-2nd fluctuate” and a cruising fluctuate of 690km, backed up by a unparalleled-inform battery.

Subsequent-gen Lexus EV platform to enhance high-efficiency

Since the Electrified Sport Belief became printed, Toyota and Lexus enjoy taken strides to enforcing the technological basis for such vehicles.

The team plans to introduce a producing sturdy-inform battery in 2027 or 2028 with greater than 1000km of driving fluctuate (WLTP) and 10-minute payment instances.

But even when that bear in mind about is missed, Toyota has earmarked the open of a ‘efficiency’ liquid lithium-ion battery with today’s skills in 2026, promising greater than 800 kilometres of fluctuate with a recharging time of 20 minutes.

Such efficiency potentially indicates that Lexus will enjoy accept admission to to an 800-volt efficiency electric car platform that would possibly perchance well per chance also toughen an F-branded sports car even with out the leap to sturdy-inform batteries.