Lexus RZ 450E Is a Pivotal Part of Luxury Brand's Future

First of Many

With the recent (and rather shocking) revelation that Lexus is going all-electric in the coming years, the luxury brand's very first EV is going to be a big deal. And that game-changing vehicle is this - the Lexus RZ 450e, revealed last month as the first of what promises to be many electric vehicles from Lexus over the coming months and years.

Photos: Lexus

Dedicated Platform

To be fair, Lexus already builds and sells an EV - the UX 300e. But that isn't a dedicated electric model and is built on the same platform as the ICE-powered UX models. The RZ 450e, on the other hand, rides on the same dedicated e-TNGA platform as the Toyota bZ4X and Subaru Solterra, though it looks nothing like its mainstream twins.

Photos: Lexus

Scant Details

If nothing else, the RZ 450e features some truly sharp and angular styling, giving it a futuristic look in a familiar crossover shape. At the same time, Lexus has released scant details about its first-ever dedicated EV, though we know that its e-TNGA brethren are both powered by dual electric motors producing 215 horsepower. 

Photos: Lexus

More Power, More Range?

It's quite likely that the RZ 450e will offer much more power than that, particularly since the electrified RX450h makes 308 horsepower. At the very least, expect the all-electric crossover to make more power than that. The same goes for range, as we'd imagine the Lexus will offer more than the 220 miles projected for the Solterra.

Photos: Lexus

Long-Lasting

The RZ's Subaru and Toyota twins utilize a 72.8 kWh battery pack that's guaranteed to retain 90 percent of its capacity after 10 years, which is quite impressive. That sort of thing is also very important to the folks that aren't convinced EVs are the future, as one of the biggest concerns we hear revolves around what happens when a battery's usable life is over.

Photos: Lexus

Coming Soon(ish)

Lexus didn't bother to show off the RZ 450e's interior, nor did it provide any additional details about this incredibly important new vehicle. Regardless, the EV space is a hyper-competitive one these days, so it may be holding off on releasing that info for a very good reason. Either way, it won't be long before Lexus' first dedicated EV is fully revealed, with a launch expected sometime in 2023.

Photos: Lexus

>>Join the conversation about the Lexus RZ 450E right here at ClubLexus.com.

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