Looks like Lexus is planning a cheaper, and less powerful, electric RZ with the RZ 300e

Lexus has filed trademark applications for ‘RZ 300e’, so it looks like the RZ 450e is getting a cheaper, and less powerful, sibling.

Back in April, Lexus revealed their first proper EV with the arrival of the Lexus RZ 450e, a new EV based on the underpinnings of the almost as new Toyota bZ4X.

But unlike its Toyota sibling, the RZ 450e is offered with just a single electric powertrain with Direct4 four-wheel drive with two motors delivering 308bhp, good for a 0-62mph sprint in 5.6 seconds and an EV range from its 71.4kWh battery of 250 miles.

But now it seems Lexus is planning a cheaper and lower-powered version of the RZ after CarBuzz uncovered trademark filings for ‘RZ 300e’. Which makes sense.

But with only a trademark filing pointing to what Lexus is probably planning, what are we likely to see when it’s uncovered? Logically, the RZ 300e will come with one of the two electric powertrains on offer in the bZ4X.

That means either a FWD single motor model with 201bhp or a 4WD version with 215bhp, both powered by the same 71.4kWh battery as the RZ450e, which should improve range and lower prices, although at the expense of performance.

How long it will take for a trademark application to turn into a real-world model is anyone’s guess, but with Lexus and Toyota’s ambitious EV plans we can’t see it taking too long.