Lexus unveils electric concept car with Tesla-like yoke steering wheel

Toyota’s luxury brand Lexus unveiled a concept vehicle on Tuesday with a yoke steering wheel that echoes the one in Tesla’s refreshed Model S.

Dubbed the LF-Z Electrified, the new concept hints at a new production model to be launched in 2025 as the brand sets in motion a plan to introduce 10 new electric, plug-in hybrid or hybrid models.

The dynamic design of the LF-Z Electrified aims to attract those after a sporty and edgy EV experience and, for the first time, Lexus is turning that distinctive “spindle” grille on its head.

Taking advantage of the lack of a radiator to cool down a combustion engine, Lexus has reversed the much-maligned spindle which now presents as somewhere between a luxury armoured car and a suspicious Pokemon.

If that whets your appetite, then you’ll be keen to hear that this is accompanied by a new “four-wheel driving force control technology” called Direct4 that promises to distribute energy from the LZ-F’s motors to each wheel for a “superior and highly flexible” driving performance.

Doing away with a driving shaft means a drive-by-wire experience, along with a low centre of gravity thanks to the under-floor battery, that should deliver an exemplary driving experience, although being a concept we’ll wait to see what Lexus comes up with in its production version.

Inside – where we are seeing carmakers turn their focus as driver experience of the vehicle interior increasingly lays claim to design priority – Lexus is bringing the idea of car and driver as horse and rider, using the concept of “tazuna” which means “rein”.

This apparently manifests by wrapping the driver in an arm that stretches between the front passenger and driver, keeping the driver’s attention on the cockpit and instrument panel which is low set to enhance a sense of spaciousness.

The yoke steering wheel adorned with multiple switches and a heads-up display ensure minimal glances away from the road, while a touch panel that sits between the front and rear rows – and below an expansive and electrochromic glass roof that dims for privacy or shade – enables communication between driver and passengers.

This along with a slew of high-tech additions such as reclining rear seats, a next-generation Mark Levinson audio system as active noise-cancelling will work to provide occupants with maximum comfort.

Of course, how much of this makes it to the production version only time will tell, but Lexus has also shared a bunch of specifications including a 90kWh battery capacity, 150kW charging, 600km driving range (WLTP), acceleration from 0-0100km/hr in 3 seconds and a maximum speed of 200km/hr.

Lexus has just one electric vehicle currently on the market, the UX 300e which it says sold out in initial 2020 sales ahead of a wider global launch in 2021 (it is slated for a November launch to coincide with the Melbourne Cup).

There are rumours there may be another battery electric Lexus on the way also, with a RZ 450e trademarked in 2020 by the Japanese luxury carmaker that hints at a forthcoming electric sports car.