Is Lexus Making the Right Choice by Going All-Electric?

Big Move

Recently, Toyota made a pretty sudden and stunning announcement that it is investing heavily in EVs moving forward, and it brought out a whopping dozen-plus concepts to prove that it's serious. But perhaps the most stunning thing about this presentation was the revelation that Lexus will go all-electric by 2030. But is this the right move?

Photos: Lexus

All In

For some time now, Toyota has argued that putting all of its eggs in one basket would be foolish, and it has continued to tout the advantages of hybrid and hydrogen-powered vehicles. Thus, this is a big about-face for the automaker, especially since the recently revealed RZ - the brand's very first dedicated all-electric vehicle (not including the UX 300e, which is based on its ICE twin) - was just revealed and isn't on sale yet.

Photos: Lexus

Electrified Sport

The RZ is scheduled to go on sale globally next year, but it will quickly be joined by a number of new all-electric Lexus models, as Toyota revealed during its press conference. Most notably, that included the Electrified Sport Concept, which looks a lot like an LFA EV. Performance is stunning, with 0-62 mph reportedly falling in the low 2.0-second range, while the low-slung sports car can also travel 430 miles on a single charge.

Photos: Lexus

Compact Sedan

Next up, we have a compact sedan that will also be available in shooting brake form, though that may not land in the U.S. Otherwise, Lexus didn't provide too much information about this stylish and diminutive city car, including where it will be sold.

Photos: Lexus

Electrified SUV

Lexus' Electrified SUV concept is larger than the existing RZ and appears to be a two-row crossover, though once again, the brand didn't give any information on this particular concept. We do know that like all Lexus EVs, it will feature a "Z" at the end of its name, which stands for "Zero," as in emissions.

Photos: Lexus

Filling the Lineup

Despite the lack of information given on these future models, it wouldn't be surprising to see all of them reach production over the next few years. After all, Lexus has a lot of spots to fill in its lineup if it wishes to reach its goal of going all-electric by 2030, which isn't terribly far away in terms of the automotive world.

Photos: Lexus

Time Will Tell

Given the current climate of the industry, it isn't terribly surprising to see Lexus go all-electric, a move that many other luxury brands including Mercedes-Benz and Bentley have already committed to. Whether or not it turns out to be a wise decision, well, only time will tell, and it will be interesting to see if fans of the brand embrace electrification, or look elsewhere because of it.

Photos: Lexus

>>Join the conversation about the electric future of Lexus right here at ClubLexus.com.

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