He said Lexus aims to have a full lineup of battery EVs in all vehicle segments by 2030 and for battery EVs to make up 100 percent of its global vehicles sales in 2035 in Europe, North America, and China -- totalling 1 million units globally.

Lexus is making loads of big moves as it embraces an electric future. We've seen a concept that could finally become the LFA's long-awaited successor, and the luxury automaker just revealed its first electric vehicle in the form of the RZ. As part of this new chapter, Lexus is making some changes, the first of which can be seen on the back of vehicles lik the 2022 Lexus NX.

On this new SUV, the Lexus logo badge has been eschewed in favor of a written-out script, and this will now become the norm for future models, says global head of marketing Brian Bolain in an interview with MotorTrend.

"We need some way to signify that change is coming to Lexus, and this may seem like a dumb way, but it catches your eye," says Bolain. Fortunately, the updates to the NX are more than just skin-deep. The luxury SUV also benefits from a new infotainment system that uses Google Maps for navigation info. It can also connect to Apple Music and Amazon Music and boasts wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The annoyingly frustrating joystick that was used to control Lexus infotainment systems of the past has also been done away with, and these changes will carry over to numerous other models in record time.

Bolain says that Lexus doesn't want to wait for a midlife refresh and is instead choosing to roll the new tech out to as many vehicles as possible as quickly as possible. "There's a very quick window, something like 30 months or so, but we're not waiting for major changes," says Bolain. "We're doing it fast."

This kind of urgency will help show customers that Lexus is keeping with the times and can be relied upon to provide the best and latest tech on the market, something that could help improve its public image and further bolster its class-leading credentials. We look forward to seeing how else Lexus aims to revolutionize itself, and hopefully, the next few changes will pertain to more than just a new way of identifying itself on its own cars.

When we drove the 2018 Lexus RX 350L for the first time, we called it "generally a far superior vehicle to the GX," but also a "seemingly quick-and-dirty solution" to address the chasm in the Lexus lineup: Lack of a large, three-row SUV on a unibody chassis to counter competition like the Mercedes-Benz GLS and BMW X7. Lexus die-hards were asked to accept the compromises of the silken RX L or parachute into the truckish LX (because the GX is shorter than the RX L). Automotive News reports there's a patch coming. Sources told the outlet a model called the Lexus TX will put three-row seating for adults on a unibody architecture, debuting about six months after the three-row Toyota Grand Highlander that's expected in the middle of 2023. Bolstering that report, Toyota applied to trademark the TX name in 2009, then suspected to be a Mercedes-Benz GLK fighter below the Lexus RX. Toyota followed that up with applications for TX 350 and TX 500h in 2020.

The Grand Highlander is the key piece, the TX being Lexus' version of the Toyota. We don't know how much length either vehicle will bring to showroom floors. The 2022 Highlander is 194.9 inches long, the RX 350L stretches two inches beyond that to 196.9 inches. The 2022 Toyota Sequoia is 205.1 inches long, nearly five inches longer than the 2022 Lexus LX. That gives Toyota a hair over eight inches to play with — comparing the RX L with the Sequoia, and assuming the all-new 2023 Sequoia doesn't break the measuring tape — if it doesn't want to present the Grand Highlander as merely a unibody Sequoia.

Both new three-row models will be built at Toyota Motor Manufacturing Indiana, in the process of an $803 million makeover "in preparation to introduce two all-new, three-row SUVs." When the automaker announced the investment in the Princeton, IN facility, it said both models would offer seating for up to eight people, hybrid powertrains, "a semi-automated driving system — which will allow for hands-free driving in certain conditions — a remote parking system allowing the driver to park and unpark from outside the vehicle using a smartphone, and a digital key that turns a user's smartphone into their key and allows them to share it digitally."

Lexus dealers no doubt have their calendars circled. The chairman of the brand's National Dealer Advisory Council told AN the TX "can't come fast enough."

Like a lot of people, I fear change. Do cars need power steering? Why add electric motors to perfectly fine window regulators? Hydraulic brakes? Though, like all innovation and development, these strange, futuristic oddities become commonplace and accepted over time. The latest in the long line of automotive innovations is a steering yoke and steer-by-wire systems, which are both appearing on the upcoming 2023 Lexus RZ 450e.

While its clearly too early to know if this steer-by-wire system will see mass adoption, it’s at least going to be with us for the near future. Trying to show how Lexus is adapting the yoke-style steering controls and how the steer-by-wire system works, the team at Lexus UK went to their YouTube channel and dropped a promotional video.The video briefly shows the components in the steer-by-wire system and compares this system to the traditional steering system that’s also found on the RZ 450e. The video shows how the system fundamentally works in practice and highlights the RZ 450e’s hardware.

The oddly shaped steering controls could be a huge pain if you’re using the same steering ratio as a traditional round wheel, but Lexus shows how this yoke-controlled system avoids any hand-over-hand operation. The RZ 450e will use vehicle speed data to help feed steering inputs and can adapt to different demands on the fly.

Of course, it’s hard to say how effective the system is in realty until these start to hit the road en masse. Though, it seems like this is the most sensible way to reinvent the steering wheel.

https://youtu.be/uqihWUhVjdc

Lexus is continuing with the development of what we – and Lexus – are happy to call the "LFA successor". It was shown at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, albeit as a concept, the Electrified Sports.

But a production car will be a thing all right. Lexus boss Koji Sato was happy to answer Top Gear's questions about it. Except the obvious one: "When?" He dodges that. Ah well.

As a challenge, that's pretty steep. The LFA cost twice as much as the contemporary Ferrari 458 Italia, and ran a V10 engine that screamed to 9,000rpm. Its bodyshell was 65 per cent carbonfibre – they even had to invent a special loom to get it how they wanted. Examples of the LFA now go for well north of half a million pounds.

Is he getting close to an answer to that challenge? Sato – as he does easily during our chat – laughs a little. "On the way. Let's speak soon."

Lexus has released just two performance figures, but they truly grab your attention. Zero to 62mph will be in the 'low two-second range' and electric range will be '700km' or 435 miles.

And yet Sato almost brushes numerical measures aside. "Specs are of course important, but I really want this car be a halo, a showcase for the future of Lexus driving dynamics, to express the overall Lexus driving signature."

lt will be superior in some ways to the LFA, he says. "Vehicle response is one of the advantages of the e-motor, the sudden torque is a very unique character with a BEV – the driver can expect a quicker reaction to their input."

Then he drops a little bombshell. He's experimenting with some sort of simulation of a 'manual' transmission, done through software. "It's a hobby of mine, a crazy thing. I'm looking for better engagement, even in an EV, I want another link from the car to the driver. It's not just about efficiency. I love cars and want something different."

Definitely part of the spec are two big technologies for handling. Steer-by-wire is on Sato's menu for all electric Lexuses. "And torque vectoring technology is one of our key areas to realise vehicle dynamics.Sato speaks of other ways where the new supercar will be a pinnacle example of techniques he wants to use right through the Lexus electric-car lineup.

First is light weight. So will it use carbonfibre like the LFA did? "We look at the LFA heritage and use carbonfibre as necessary," he says, but won't be more specific yet.

Aerodynamics is another of his central pillars for Lexus, and for this car especially. It's not just for drag reduction to improve electric efficiency and range. He also wants to use airflow to control body movement.

What about the batteries? Lexus is part of Toyota and that company is widely acknowledged to be a leader in solid-state batteries. Toyota says it will use them in a production car but isn’t ready to give us a date when it will happen.

Does that 700km range figure depend on solid-state batteries? He chuckles again. "It can lighten the total battery weight, and this is a great opportunity to realise our weight reduction." Charging time will drop too. But he reminds us solid-state storage needs more research to reach mature durability.

Don't necessarily expect a slab battery under the whole floor of the car. Sato points out that Toyota makes their own battery designs and can package it to keep the driver low, as well as get a low centre of gravity.

The LFA had a famously long gestation period. Gotta hope its successor arrives more quickly.

Steer-by-wire is a new technology that Lexus has developed. It’s officially known as One Motion Grip and replaces the traditional mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the steering rack with an electrical one. Its goal is to increase the connection between the driver and the vehicle. Let’s delve into details and see how that’s possible.
6 photos

The input from the driver is sensed by a Steering Torque Actuator at the end of the steering column. The movement info is then relayed to a Steering Control Actuator, which translates into mechanical movement within the steering rack. The tires also gather data regarding the road surface, which is sent to the control actuator to modify its reactions further.

Traditional mechanical technology creates a fixed steering gear ratio, which in simpler terms, means that the movement you input will deliver the same degree of movement through the steering rack. Consequently, the speed of the steering and the number of turns it takes to lock the wheel remain constant.

Through the steer by wire tech, Lexus removes this physical connection and replaces it with a system capable of adapting to provide the best ratio. What’s more, during slow-speed maneuvers, you can even configure it to allow the steering wheel to turn entirely from lock to lock without removing your hands from it.

The system is optimized to suit the car’s speed and will deliver steering tuned for each circumstance. For instance, you won’t need to use the hand-over-hand technique to park, and it’ll be easier to keep the car straight when driving at high speed. Moreover, the removed mechanical connection means you won’t feel the vibrations from the tires and brakes. That being said, the One Motion Grip system will still provide feel and feedback at all times so that the driver can remain engaged.

With the top quarter of the traditional steering wheel made redundant, Lexus adopted a butterfly-style yoke. The new design will encourage drivers to use the proper hand positioning, and visibility for the instrument cluster is also improved.

Some people might be worried about fully incorporating electronics into the driving experience. Lexus assures us that the new steer by wire technology is totally safe. It has also included a fail-safe provision and an emergency power supply in case the main energy source is lost.

One Motion Grip will become available starting in the first half of 2024.

the removed mechanical connection means you won’t feel the vibrations from the tires and brakes

While Lexus has not made strides toward electrification besides its usual crop of hybrid powertrains, the Japanese carmaker revealed that it’s working on a manual transmission of sorts for its future electric vehicles.
6 photos

While Lexus’s name sounds like luxury and technology, Toyota made sure it will not leapfrog Tesla in electric vehicles anytime soon. To be sure, Lexus also plans some EVs down the line, but it doesn’t want to stray far from the beaten track. One of the more curious things Toyota announced the other day at its Kenshiki media forum in Brussels is a manual transmission for EV powertrains.

If you are concerned that a geared transmission might compromise an already crippled EV range, as we’ve seen recently with the Toyota bZ4X, fret not: this concept doesn’t have gears. Instead, it’s a software trick to offer EV drivers the same engaging experience a manual transmission does. It can even generate the accompanying sound, as you can hear in the video attached below. And because it works in software, it can be programmed to offer the characteristics of different vehicle types, letting the driver choose their preferred mapping.

This is not much different from the game consoles’ experience, where you use a realistic steering wheel, pedals, and gearshift instead of the standard controller. Lexus goes even further and develops the One Motion Grip steering system the same way. Set to be introduced in the RZ 450e crossovers, it’s a steer-by-wire system, meaning there’s no mechanical connection between the steering wheel and the front wheels.

It’s exactly how gaming steering wheels work, with the software (the game in the case of consoles) choosing the right feedback and feel based on the type of vehicle it simulates. Lexus might not be the EV crusader its fans might want, but it sure has a point. With DIRECT4 all-wheel drive system, One Motion Grip steering system, and the simulated stick shift, all software-based, you can drive any car model you want, gamifying the driving experience.

Fancy an F1 single-seater? It’s right there, a couple of menu flicks away. Want to drive a boring 1998 Toyota Prius? Feel free to torment yourself. The number of possibilities is just limitless. And although Lexus implies that the new gadgetry will be introduced in the future production version of the Lexus Electrified Sport concept, in the video below, you see it in action on a research prototype based on the UX 300e compact SUV, equipped with a gear lever and a clutch pedal.