Several new electric vehicles will be shown at the Japan Mobility Show later this month. Automakers, including Subaru and Lexus, will showcase their vision for the future, and we are getting a sneak peek of what that will look like.
Japanese automakers have been some of the slowest to transition as electric vehicle sales continue climbing.
Under parent company Toyota, Lexus launched its first EV, the RZ electric SUV, late last year as a 2023 model. Through August, Lexus and Toyota have sold a combined 11,880 electric vehicles globally.
Lexus (with Toyota’s help) believes it will have more success with its next-gen EVs, with longer ranges and faster charging at less cost.
According to Lexus, future electric cars will feature “next-generation battery” tech and a slew of other design and production upgrades.
Toyota previewed its battery roadmap plans at a tech briefing over the summer. More recently, it gave us a look at its future EV production line featuring giga casting technology, self-propelled production lines, and robots to move finished vehicles.
Lexus, Subaru tease new electric vehicles
Lexus has been teasing an electric sports car for over a year, and it’s finally due to appear at the Japan Mobility Show.
The company released another teaser Wednesday, revealing the EV’s much-anticipated fastback. Previous teaser images and prototypes show a sleek, low-riding sports fastback.
New Lexus brand boss Takashi Watanabe said the automaker will kick off Toyota’s next-gen EV offensive. He added Lexus will “humbly look at and learn from” Tesla’s success.
Meanwhile, Subaru, another Japanese automaker, is teasing a new electric sports concept that will show its face at the auto show later this month.
Subaru also has ties to Toyota. The automaker’s first EV, the Suburu Solterra, is built by Toyota. It rides on the same e-TNGA platform used for the Toyota bZ4X electric SUV.
Toyota owns 20% of Subaru and produces both models at its Motomachi assembly plant in Japan.
Subaru plans to begin building EVs in-house in 2025, with dedicated production lines due in 2027. It’s expected to start producing EVs in the US around 2027.
The new Subaru and Lexus electric vehicles will debut at the Japan Mobility Show starting October 27. Press days will be October 25-26, so expect more info around then. If you’re headed out to the show, our editor-in-chief, Fred Lambert, will be attending. If you see him, say konnichiwa!
Electrek’s Take
Subaru and Lexus are both lagging in the EV market. With only concepts to show at the Japan Mobility Show, the Japanese automakers risk falling further behind.
Lexus and Subaru are looking to ride on Toyota’s coattails as it promises its next-gen EV tech will boost range and efficiency. However, this technology isn’t due out until 2026 at the earliest.
Toyota aims to produce 190,000 electric cars in 2024. In comparison, Tesla produced nearly 430,500 models between July and September alone.
The Japanese automakers will need to start acting urgently if they want to remain relevant going into the electric era.