In today's issue:
Toyota shelves the Lexus LF-ZC, the sedan it positioned as the face of its EV future in 2023
Mitsubishi confirms a Nissan-sourced US midsize pickup and officially revives the Pajero name
Waymo's Zeekr-bodied Ojai robotaxi begins passenger rides in San Francisco, LA, and Phoenix
EV RETREAT
Toyota Kills the Lexus EV Sedan It Called a "Symbol of Electrification"
Toyota has halted development of the Lexus LF-ZC, the planned production version of a concept shown at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show as "a symbol of Lexus' electrification journey," per Nikkei Asia, confirmed by Carscoops, Just Auto, Autoblog, and CBT News.
The project, targeting late 2026 production using gigacasting and an advanced charging architecture, is being redirected toward SUV body styles as Toyota cites slowing global EV demand, per Just Auto.
Key LF-ZC technologies including gigacasting and the charging system are preserved but expected to resurface in an SUV, per Carscoops.
The cancellation lands one week after the all-new Lexus ES went on sale with no gas-only option: the brand is simultaneously canceling its purpose-built EV sedan and mandating electrification in its volume car. Toyota has not publicly addressed that contradiction.
Buyers who expected a Lexus luxury EV sedan to rival the BMW i3 or Zeekr 7GT have no Toyota-group equivalent on the horizon.
Toyota spent three years citing the LF-ZC as proof it had a credible luxury EV answer. The brand that claims electrification leadership just killed the only EV sedan it designed from scratch.
Also worth knowing
Mitsubishi confirms Nissan-sourced US midsize pickup and Pajero revival: Mitsubishi will enter the US midsize pickup market with a new truck built by Nissan at a US plant, targeting the Toyota Tacoma, Chevrolet Colorado, and Ford Ranger, per Automotive News. On the same day, the brand confirmed the fifth-generation Pajero flagship SUV: a Triton-derived ladder-frame SUV debuting in autumn 2026, sold as the Montero in certain markets, per Carscoops. #news
Waymo's Ojai robotaxi starts passenger service in three cities: Waymo began offering select rides in its Ojai minivan robotaxi, debuting 6th-generation Driver hardware in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Phoenix, per Electrek and the LA Times. The Ojai's chassis and body come from Chinese manufacturer Zeekr; Waymo installs its own sensor suite. Trips are free for a limited time, per Electrek. #news
Chery launches Emta brand to crack Japan's kei-car market: Chery is entering Japan through a joint venture with Autobacs Seven, the Japanese auto-parts retailer, per CarNewsChina and CleanTechnica. The first model is a boxy electric kei hatchback due in second-half 2027; four models are planned by 2029, per Autocar UK. Carscoops notes a Japanese factory could follow after 2030 if sales targets are met. #analyst
China's EV leaders are bleeding at home: BYD and Geely are cutting earnings as domestic EV sales fall, driven by a new-vehicle tax, reduced subsidies, and a flagging economy, per Automotive News Europe. NIO CEO William Li told reporters China's auto market has moved past its "golden era," with sales declining for the seventh consecutive month in April. The IEA still projects global EV and PHEV sales at 23 million units in 2026, roughly 28% of all new cars, per carexpert.com.au. #analyst
What's new
AC Cobra GT Coupe debuts at £399,000 with 720 hp: AC Cars officially unveiled the production Cobra GT Coupe, a carbon-fiber two-seater powered by a Ford 5.0L V8 making 720 hp, priced at £399,000 (about $320,500), per Autocar UK and Autoblog. Production begins in 2027; AC chairman Alan Lubinsky told Autocar the company is targeting more than 1,000 cars per year to turn the 125-year-old British firm into a global brand. #enthusiast
Recalls & legal action
NHTSA probes 114,922 Rivian R1T and R1S over rear toe link failures: Federal regulators opened a preliminary investigation after two complaints in which fractured left rear toe link assembly bolts caused drivers to lose control mid-drive, per TheTruthAboutCars and CBT News. Both incidents involved 2023-2024 model year vehicles that had been previously serviced, per TechCrunch. Rivian's internal review attributed the failures to improper servicing rather than a design defect, per Road & Track, a conclusion federal regulators have not accepted. #news
Quick links
FIA bans active aero at Monaco GP: The FIA has disabled the 2026 regulations' active front and rear wing system for the entire Monaco Grand Prix weekend, citing safety risks from excessive speed at the Tunnel exit, per The Race and Motorsport.com.
Toyota global sales fell 3.1% in April year-over-year: Volumes dropped to 849,306 vehicles, with China down 25% and the Middle East off 34%, a third straight month of year-on-year declines, per Just Auto.
Rivian's software chief says CarPlay and Android Auto are obsolete: Chief Software Officer Wassym Bensaid told The Drive that Rivian has no plans to add Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, calling dedicated smartphone integration a relic of a pre-integrated era.
Sources: Carscoops (LF-ZC) · Just Auto (LF-ZC) · Autoblog (LF-ZC) · CBT News (LF-ZC) · CarsGuide Australia · Automotive News (Mitsubishi truck) · Carscoops (Pajero) · Autoblog (Pajero) · Autoblog (Mitsubishi truck) · Electrek (Waymo) · LA Times · TechCrunch (Waymo) · Electrive.com · CarNewsChina · CleanTechnica · Carscoops (Chery) · Autocar UK (Chery) · Automotive News Europe (China EV) · Automotive News Europe (NIO) · carexpert.com.au (IEA) · Autocar UK (AC Cobra) · Autoblog (AC Cobra) · TheTruthAboutCars · CBT News (Rivian) · TechCrunch (Rivian) · Road & Track · The Race · Motorsport.com · Just Auto (Toyota sales) · The Drive (Rivian CarPlay)