Lexus Needs Help If It Wants To Build One Million EVs

Lexus is nearing the release of itsfirst dedicated EV,RZ, later this year, but the vehicle is just the first in a long line of electrified vehicles the automaker has planned. Though it only moved a few thousand EVs in 2021, Lexus says it plans to build one million electric vehicles by 2030.

Lexus needs to rework its manufacturing processes and prepare itself for potential volatility to get there. Takashi Watanabe, chief engineer of Lexus Electrified, sees challenges ahead. At an event earlier this month, Watanabe said that the automaker would need to reconfigure its manufacturing processes in addition to designing the cars. He toldAutomotive Newsthat the shift to EVs makes it hard to maintain a profitable business and said that Lexus needs to "reduce the cost of the battery and innovate the entire car manufacturing process."

丰田雷克萨斯将寻求帮助build efficiencies while considering its manufacturing facilities. Though extremely rare, Lexus may share more production lines with Toyota, a move that both automakers have largely avoided. Even so, the upcoming Lexus RZ will roll off the same line that produces theToyota bZ4XandSubaru Solterra, so there's a recent precedent for the strategy.

Another solution could involve retrofitting existing production lines with EV-specific components. Watanabe said that hybrid lines could be adapted to build EVs, just as Lexus did withUXproduction, where the hybrid version is built alongside traditional gas models. Whatever the path, Lexus has an expensive road ahead of it. Updating legacy production facilities can cost billions, as many automakers like General Motors andFord have discovered.