Photo: Toyota
Lexus is preparing for a new era and a new identity, and the first step it is taking toward its goal is a new global head office that is being built in a secluded mountain complex in Shimoyama, Japan.
According to Automotive News, company executives say the new operations center will revolutionize the way Lexus develops cars and will accelerate the brand’s transition toward electrification.
Lexus has gotten a section of Toyota's Technical Center in Shimoyama that is used to build a development center, a brand-new headquarters, as well as 12 test tracks. When completed, Lexus’ new den will extend over an area equivalent to 140 baseball stadiums. The total investment is estimated at $2.25 billion (roughly 2.13 billion Euro at current exchange rates) and operations at the new Lexus facility are set to start in March 2024.
This means that, instead of relying on a collection of Toyota Motor Corp. offices, the Lexus team will have its own place to call home. At the moment, Lexus’ headquarters are in Nagoya, Japan, and its operational centers are in Brussels, Belgium, and Plano, Texas.
Koji Sato, Lexus' head honcho, said that all employees involved with planning, designing, developing, and testing Lexus vehicles will be housed under the same roof starting next year. In total, about 3,300 people will be working at the new facility, including those at the Lexus campus.
Lexus has a lot of catching up to do in the EV race, as the brand hasn’t yet launched its first dedicated EV. This will be the Lexus RZ, which is set to arrive toward the end of 2022. Aside from this initial model, the company has teased some other EVs, including a sleek BEV Sport performance car, a large SUV, and a sedan.
“This is a next chapter initiative to improve the vehicle fundamentals, sharpen the Lexus Driving Signature and evolve the design in harmony with functionality. The core value is how to design and create cars that generate a desire among people to own that vehicle,” said Koji Sato.
As per previous declarations, Lexus is planning to go fully electric in the US, Europe, and China by 2030 and its ambitious goal is to sell one million EVs annually.
Lexus has gotten a section of Toyota's Technical Center in Shimoyama that is used to build a development center, a brand-new headquarters, as well as 12 test tracks. When completed, Lexus’ new den will extend over an area equivalent to 140 baseball stadiums. The total investment is estimated at $2.25 billion (roughly 2.13 billion Euro at current exchange rates) and operations at the new Lexus facility are set to start in March 2024.
This means that, instead of relying on a collection of Toyota Motor Corp. offices, the Lexus team will have its own place to call home. At the moment, Lexus’ headquarters are in Nagoya, Japan, and its operational centers are in Brussels, Belgium, and Plano, Texas.
Koji Sato, Lexus' head honcho, said that all employees involved with planning, designing, developing, and testing Lexus vehicles will be housed under the same roof starting next year. In total, about 3,300 people will be working at the new facility, including those at the Lexus campus.
Lexus has a lot of catching up to do in the EV race, as the brand hasn’t yet launched its first dedicated EV. This will be the Lexus RZ, which is set to arrive toward the end of 2022. Aside from this initial model, the company has teased some other EVs, including a sleek BEV Sport performance car, a large SUV, and a sedan.
“This is a next chapter initiative to improve the vehicle fundamentals, sharpen the Lexus Driving Signature and evolve the design in harmony with functionality. The core value is how to design and create cars that generate a desire among people to own that vehicle,” said Koji Sato.
As per previous declarations, Lexus is planning to go fully electric in the US, Europe, and China by 2030 and its ambitious goal is to sell one million EVs annually.
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