Lexus has launched a brand new all electric car with the RZ 450e. It it the very first bespoke, all electric model from the company and has some competitive range and performance figures. It has 308bhp, 4WD and can do 0-60mph in just 5.6 seconds.
The RZ 450e is due to go on sale here in the UK later this year and is a similar size to the existing Lexus NZ. However, the company has made it very clear that the new RZ 450e is not replacing that car.
In terms of the underlying structure, the RZ 450e sits on the same platform as the new Toyota bZ4X SUV and Subaru Solterra but as Lexus usually does, this new model is focused on luxury.
The new RZ 450e has a 71.4kWh battery pack, the same as Toyota uses in the bZ4X and it’ll take it 250 miles on one charge and Lexus say that after 10 years of use, it’ll still retain 90% of its capacity. To make the four wheel drive system work, there are two electric motors, one at the front which has 201bhp and one at the bak with 107bhp to make 308bhp in total.
Inside, Lexus is offering a yoke steering wheel as an option for buyers, presumably following the trend set by Tesla with the new Model S Plaid. Here the yoke is in a butterfly shape and uses a steer-by-wire system, rather than physically linking the steering wheel to the front wheels.
For the infotainment there is a huge 14-inch display as well as digital drivers display and a head-up display for other important information.
The new Lexus RZ 450e is due to be available in the UK later this year, with prices yet to be revealed.
