The first electric Lexus has a range of over 200 miles and a top speed of over 300 mph. The Lexus RZ 450e is a compact SUV with a brand new all-wheel-drive system. Lexus sells an electric version of its SUV in Europe and China. This is the brand's first EV for an American audience, but the second globally.
Pricing details have not been announced by Lexus. The RZ is likely to reach sales lots at the end of the year.
The architecture of the RZ is similar to that of Toyota and a Subaru. Toyota's first mainstream electric vehicle, the bZ4X, will likely reach dealerships soon. Almost all of the parts of the first EV, the Solterra, are shared with that car.
The RZ rides on the same platform as the Lexus car, so Lexus probably won't emphasize this in marketing the car. Many new EV architectures are built on skateboard-like architectures that have all the power of a car under the floor. Engineers can scale these platforms up or down to design vehicles.
As the automotive world moves toward mostly electric lineups, it will become common for luxury cars and more affordable cars to share most of their parts.
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The Lexus is more refined than the Toyota. The brand's controversial huge spindle grille gets a reverse interpretation, with a sheet metal spindle shaped by air vents to its sides. The look is more subtle than Lexus's offerings. It looks smaller than it is because of the character lines in the doors. A liftgate that is raked may trade cargo space for style.
It's all Lexus inside. The cabin is very similar to theLexus NX, with a generous 14-inch central touchscreen canted slightly toward the driver.
Lexus is known for its quiet interiors. Designers are challenged by the fact that EV produce so little sound that wind and road noise seem amplified. Lexus has designed a seal for the edges of the acoustic glass to keep out noises. If they still bother you, the RZ has the option of playing express in-cabin sounds through the speakers to give drivers some acoustic feedback.
Lexus has given the RZ a new performance to set it apart.
The bZ4X and Solterra use one electric motor. The one on the front makes over 200hp. There is a second on the rear of the vehicle. The RZ has a respectable-for-a-luxury-car 308 horsepower.
Lexus says the two work together to create a new all-wheel-drive experience called DIRECT4. The power at each wheel is varied by thousands of times per minute by analyzing feedback from the sensors. The power at each wheel is constantly adjusted to make the most of range, handling, and acceleration.
Which electric SUVs have the most cargo space? A full list is here.
The RZ will use a steering wheel at launch. Lexus will make a steer-by-wire system optional later in its production run. It uses a steering yoke similar to what pilots of small aircraft use.
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The steering yoke in the Model S and Model X was mixed in reception. Toyota's system can vary the steering ratio so that drivers don't have to execute a hand-over-hand turn, which may address many of the complaints about yokes that you may have heard.
The RZ 450e has a battery pack. The EPA has not yet tested the RZ, but Lexus says it should earn an EPA range rating of about225 miles.
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