Another day, another electric vehicle project on the chopping block.

This time, it’s Toyota’s luxury arm Lexus that’s halting development of its next-generation BEV in the LF-ZC project.

The model, which stands for Lexus Future Zero-emission Catalyst, was supposedly an EV sedan that would have competed against the likes of the BMW i3 and the Mercedes-Benz C-Class. It could have been the next-generation IS, but Lexus says market uncertainties and waning demand for EVs have prompted the brand to put aside the project for the mean time.

The Lexus LF-ZC was previewed at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show, where it showcased the next-generation Lexus design language, as well as introducing novel manufacturing techniques such as gigacasting where large, single-piece aluminum sections replace dozens of smaller welded components to cut production times, lower costs, and improve structural rigidity.

Also, the LF-ZC would have been the first Toyota/Lexus model to feature solid state batteries, improving charging times while delivering a longer range. The production version was originally intended to launch this year, but it was already pushed back to 2027 prior to this most recent announcement.

However, that doesn’t mean Lexus or Toyota have scrapped everything in their BEV plans for the future. The Japanese automaker says they will continue their research on solid-state batteries and gigacasting to implement the learnings into future production of their next-generation models.

Furthermore, Lexus is still on track to deliver the all-electric successor to the LFA, which is based from Toyota’s V8 hybrid-powered GR GT.