Toyota’s Lexus division has pushed back the production timeline of its next-generation electric vehicle (EV), the LF-ZC EV, to mid-2027, a notable delay from the original 2026 schedule.
The LF-ZC EV, intended as a technological leap for Toyota’s luxury brand, Lexus. Revealed as a concept vehicle last year, it is expected to arrive with a futuristic design and a range of up to 1,000 kilometers (621 miles). Even with such a high range, the automaker is aiming for the LF-ZC EV to be able to be fully charged within 20 minutes. Borrowing a page from Tesla’s playbook, Toyota will use gigacast manufacturing techniques to build the EV.
While Toyota hasn’t officially confirmed any changes to the production schedule, a report from Japan’s NHK says delaying production to 2027 will give Toyota time to develop these features, ensuring the vehicle can live up to expectations.
Initially, Toyota planned to produce 1.5 million EVs by 2026, with a goal of 500,000 sales of advanced next-generation models by 2030. However, Toyota has since adjusted its 2026 EV production target downward to 1 million units.
This is not the first delay for Toyota. As we have previously reported, plans to manufacture EVs at the company’s $1.3 billion facility in Georgetown, Kentucky, have been delayed by a year, moving from 2025 to 2026. This adjustment also includes delaying the introduction of an electric three-row SUV.
At the time, the company attributed that delay to slowing market demand for EVs.
