Lexus May Be Working on a “TZ” Electric 3-Row Crossover SUV

Fresh off the launch of the RZ 450e, Lexus’s first all-electric crossover, signs point to the next Lexus Battery Electric model being called the TZ. Lexus of Las Vegas has learned of a user on the RX Owner’s forum who posted they found Toyota had filed with the European Union Intellectual Property Office Trademark applications for the names “Lexus TZ 450e” and “Lexus TZ 550e.”

Why the TZ May Be an Electric 3-Row Crossover

There are good arguments that these names may be for an upcoming 3-row Lexus crossover SUV. To start, the two names indicate that this will be a larger vehicle than the RZ 450e as it appears to start with something equivalent in the drivetrain to the present RZ model line and then have a larger option. Also, the RZ is very close in size to the RX gas and hybrid model line. Both are 5-passenger crossovers with an identical wheelbase and very close interior dimensions. Now rewind to Austin, Texas, last month, where Lexus revealed the TX as its first dedicated 3-row crossover, which will reach showrooms this fall. Following the relationship of the RZ for the RX, that the TZ would be a battery electric vehicle of a size and purpose similar to the TX makes sense.

Lexus hasn’t announced plans to launch a three-row electric crossover, but parent company Toyota has announced plans to launch 30 vehicles by 2030, some of which will be Lexus models.  That a vehicle in the popular luxury 3-row crossover category would be among them, and possibly arrive sooner rather than later would not be surprising.

It is possible we already have an idea of what the TZ will look like. In late 2021, Lexus previewed conceptual renditions of several possible upcoming electric models. Among them was a vehicle that has the size and proportions of a 3-row crossover. With a front-end design similar to that of the RZ 450e, the concept was simply labeled “Lexus Electrified SUV”.

A Possible Lexus Naming Strategy

The trademark filings possibly indicate Lexus’s EV naming strategy with the letter Z replacing X on similarly sized crossover models.  We may see NZ or UZ models in the future. Lexus is also rumored to be working on an electric IS-like sport sedan. It could possibly be named IZ. That would certainly be a better choice than ”EZ” as an electric version of the ES.

Though the Toyota bZ4X launched before the Lexus RX 450e, new Toyota President Koji Sato has stated he intends to have Lexus spearheading the transformation to EVs. His plan is to have zero-emission vehicles, which could include hydrogen fuel cell vehicles, become 100% of Lexus’ sales in the U.S., Europe, and China by 2030, and the rest of the world by 2035.  To get a good look at Lexus’s future, pay a visit to Lexus of Las Vegas and check out the RX 450e crossover.