Lexus will play a key role in the Japanese automaker's plans to develop electric vehicles. After opening its new global headquarters, Lexus is using an “ajimigaki” strategy to refresh the brand.
The Japanese term “ajimigaki” means “elegance of taste”. Opening the doors to its new research and development center in Toyota City, Japan in March, Lexus plans to use the latest technology and tools to develop electric vehicles and hybrids.
For the first time, Lexus will be able to design, develop, prototype and test cars under one roof. Toyota will also use “advanced digital equipment” to speed up development and production.
During the opening ceremony, Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda said that around 3,000 people will be “testing, breaking and improving cars here”. Toyoda added that the more we drive and break the cars, the better they get.
During an exclusive tour of the plant, Simon Humphreys, Toyota's head of global design, said the new center would revolutionize the production of Lexus vehicles while accelerating the company's transition to electric vehicles.
“Given the number of projects we implement, the ability to bring it all together in one place is extremely important”– explained Humphreys.
It also became known that a new platform for next-generation electric vehicles from Toyota will debut on Lexus in 2026. It is noted that by 2030, Lexus plans to offer an electrified option for every model in its lineup, and by 2035, Lexus plans to switch to producing only electric cars.