We may know the name of the next Lexus model, thanks to trademarks filed with the United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office and European Union Intellectual Property Office. The filings were made on August 26, 2025, and both applications are currently under examination. Toyota Motor Corporation is trying to trademark the name “Lexus ZC” for “automobiles and structural parts thereof.” ZC may sound like a completely new name for Lexus, but it links back to a concept car shown at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show.
Readers with strong memories may recall the LF-ZC, which stands for Lexus Future Zero-emission Catalyst. It was only a concept at the time, but a production model was scheduled to launch in 2026, which is now only one year away, making the timing of this trademark filing seem right on cue. So what can we expect from this new Lexus ZC?
Better Than The RZ And ES? 
The LF-ZC previewed a coupe-like electric sedan with what Lexus calls an “emotionally-charged design.” It promised “approximately twice the range as the conventional,” using next-generation BEV battery and motor technology and sleek aerodynamics to improve efficiency. Like the recently refreshed Lexus RZ and the upcoming Lexus ES, the ZC should come with a standard NACS port on US models, allowing it to use Tesla Superchargers natively. We hope it will introduce faster charging speeds, compared to the 150 kW offered by the RZ. The concept promised 20-minute recharge times and a 500-mile range, which would be a huge improvement over existing Lexus EVs.
Based on what we know from the name, Lexus has used Z to denote an electric powertrain with the RZ (though the ES will buck that trend), and C typically hints at a coupe with models like the LC, RC, and SC. The ZC is unlikely to be a proper two-door coupe, since the LF-ZC concept had four doors, and the C is likely to reference a coupe-like roofline instead. It’s unclear if the car will be bigger than the ES, positioned like the LS, or perhaps smaller, more like an IS.
A Sister Vehicle Coming
Though we haven’t seen the trademark yet, we should expect to see Toyota file for the name “Lexus ZL” in the near future. Alongside the LF-ZC in 2023, Lexus showed off another concept car called the LF-ZL (Lexus Future Zero-emission Luxury). Lexus called this a sister car to the LF-ZC, but doesn’t specifically point out its body style.
The LF-ZL highlighted a new Arene Operating System to control driving characteristics such as sounds and vibrations, a steer-by-wire system like the one available in the RZ, and a bamboo interior like the one in the upcoming ES. If the ZC arrives sporting a coupe-like roofline, or (less likely) only two doors, the ZL could be the more conventional four-door luxury EV. Let’s hope these future EVs continue to improve on the RZ’s M Mode, which simulates gear shifts and engine noises and could eventually mimic an LFA V10.