"LEXUS is committed to the evolution of electrification, achieving a comprehensive leap in car performance, handling and driving quality, bringing users a unique travel experience and meeting the needs of users in diverse travel scenarios and diversified lifestyle experiences. In an exclusive interview at the Beijing Auto Show, Li Hui, executive deputy general manager of Lexus China, said.
On April 25, the day of the Beijing Auto Show, the Lexus next-generation pure electric concept model LF-ZC and the pure electric flagship concept model LF-ZL carrying the brand's future vision were unveiled for the first time in the Chinese market, in addition, the new generation of hard-core off-road GX and the new generation RX and the 2024 NX of the same SUV family were exhibited on the same stage, presenting a variety of mobility solutions brought by the brand.
"The two pure electric concept cars on display today, the LF-ZL is an SUV and the LF-ZC is a sedan, of which the LF-ZC is planned to be mass-produced in 2026, which is actually to adapt and meet the needs of the Chinese market for the pure electric market. In this regard, Li Hui said.
At present, the automotive industry is undergoing a "green" transformation, and Lexus is also preparing sufficient strategies for the electrification era.
Embrace the era of electrification with "volume" and "fast".
What makes the outside world quite perceptible: Lexus's pace has accelerated. Li Hui has a better understanding of this.
"I feel that Toyota is speeding up from top to bottom, from Chairman Akio Toyoda to the specific executive level - the launch of these two pure electric concept cars is one of the results. Li Hui said. In frequent exchanges with the Japanese headquarters, Li Hui wanted to convey the "volume" and "fastness" he felt in the Chinese market to the Japanese decision-makers.
"I want to be able to use every opportunity that we have been exposed to to let them know about the changes in China, and they are actually feeling it now. I told them that this change in China seems to be a phenomenon that is independent of the world, but it may also be a phenomenon that predates the world, and we are to some extent as a pioneer, a pathfinder, hoping to accumulate our practices and experience in the process, and also exchange some of our ideas with the Lexus design department, the development department, the production department, etc. Li Hui said.
Lexus' electrification strategy has a richer connotation.
"There is a difference between electrification and electrification, Lexus electrification is for energy conservation and emission reduction, and the deep accumulation of electrification technology for more than 30 years, and the electrification product layout covering the entire lineup, are all aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Li Hui introduced. Since the launch of electrified models in 2005, as of 2021, Lexus electrified models have cumulatively reduced carbon emissions by about 19 million tons, equivalent to the carbon sequestration of 1 billion trees, and can circle the earth 24 times.
Therefore, Lexus provides the most abundant electrified power options in its class, covering hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and pure electric, aiming to provide users with more flexible, environmentally friendly and energy-saving travel solutions, which is also in line with a major principle that Lexus has followed from the past to the present, which is to "meet the diversified needs of customers". As part of its ongoing electrification efforts, Lexus has set clear goals for environmental and social responsibility: it expects to offer all-electric versions in all its vehicle categories by 2030, and aims to achieve all-electric switching to all models globally by 2035.
"This year, Lexus is aiming for 180,000 units, of which more than 50% are electrified," Li said. ”
The LF-ZC, which was unveiled at the Beijing Motor Show, is scheduled to go into production in 2026. At that time, you will feel the latest experience of Lexus on the electrified road.
作为品牌下一代纯电车型阵容成员，LF-ZC（Lexus Future Zero-emission Catalyst）概念车型延续“LEXUS雷克萨斯驾驶印迹（Lexus Driving Signature）”赋予的精准动态表现，呈现兼顾美感和功能性，独具工匠精神的品牌电气化新风貌。
As the next-generation pure electric flagship concept model of Lexus, the LF-ZL (Lexus Future Zero-emission Luxury) showcases Lexus' vision for the future of mobility and provides users with a driving experience that goes beyond the product itself.
In the era of electrification, not only "volume" and "fast", but also "adhere to the luxury of temperature".
"We need to have an electrified product lineup that continues to evolve, as well as consistent texture and high reliability. No matter how it changes, luxury remains unchanged is product quality and service, which should exist in any period and in any region. Luxury is the need to precipitate, it needs to be accumulated, it is a lot of invisible, but after a long period of contact, you can feel the incomparable feeling it brings you. Li Hui said.
The Shiji brand was introduced into the Chinese market
Another topic of great interest to the outside world is the "Shiji" product, which is quite famous in Japan and has already been sold in Lexus's channel system.
Seji was born out of the Toyota century. Originally born in 1967, it is a top-of-the-line luxury car developed to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the birth of Sakichi Toyoda, the father of Toyota's founder, Kiichiro Toyoda, and is also the most luxurious model Toyota has ever seen. As a top-of-the-line luxury sedan, its customers are leaders from all walks of life and people at the top of society.
The Shiji brand was introduced to China and made its domestic debut at the 2023 Guangzhou Auto Show, with its Chinese name "Shiji", which means "generational inheritance and ingenuity", representing the highest level of car-making technology in Japan. In addition to the Japanese market, China is currently the only overseas market for this car, and it has been imported into the domestic market for sale, and the first batch of vehicles has been delivered one after another.
"In China, Lexus has a dedicated service team to provide customers with customized models with unique and customized solutions that meet their personal preferences. This car combines the ultimate heritage, the ultimate experience, and the ultimate ingenuity, not caring about sales, but more about his customer base. We hope to grow together with those who respect and love the oriental culture and have a high degree of recognition for the Shiji brand to meet the ever-changing and diverse needs of customers. Li Hui said.
Li Hui said that he hopes that through the introduction of this car, on the one hand, it can really "bring more attention to the whole Toyota through a good product" as Chairman Akio Toyoda hopes, on the other hand, it will be able to pass on oriental luxury to Chinese customers, and through this car, it will be able to show "the past, present and future accumulation - what has been inherited, what has been inherited, what has been developed and innovated." ”
Passing on Lexus's accumulation of luxury to consumers in the new era is also a topic for Li Hui's thinking.
At present, the competition in China's luxury market is fierce, Li Hui believes that the understanding of luxury requires more time to accumulate and precipitate, and at the same time, "Lexus must grasp the target group and use them to infect and influence more people." "Rejuvenation is another issue that cannot be avoided.
At the Beijing Auto Show, Lexus brought a variety of unique "OVERTRAIL" models to the booth simulating the sand dune environment, conveying the brand's spirit of exploration yearning for nature. ADHERING TO THE BRAND CONCEPT OF "PEOPLE-ORIENTED", LEXUS LOOKS FORWARD TO CREATING A WONDERFUL OUTDOOR LIFESTYLE FOR USERS THROUGH THE "OVERTRAIL PROJECT", SO AS TO ATTRACT MORE USERS TO REALIZE THE BEAUTY OF NATURE THAT IS OVERLOOKED IN LIFE.
For a long time, Lexus has adhered to high-quality product quality and humanized service, allowing Lexus to continue to maintain the characteristics and advantages of a luxury brand. Nowadays, in the era of involution and electrification in the Chinese market, Lexus has also become the most distinctive luxury brand with its long-termism, accumulation and inheritance.