The eighth generation Lexus ES luxury sedan lineup will debut an all-electric model early next year, joining the RZ crossover in the upscale brand’s family of fully electrified vehicles. There will be a hybrid version as well, but Lexus will no longer offer a purely internal combustion powertrain for the ES.
A third all-electric Lexus model will be unveiled prior to March 2026, the company says.
The battery-electric ES will be offered in two trims, the front-drive ES 350e, with a Lexus-estimated 300 miles of range, and the all-wheel drive ES 500e, with an estimated 250-mile range. Adding an optional 21-inch wheel and the option to the 500e will reduce its range somewhat, but Lexus hasn’t offered an estimate. The standard wheel and tire size for both electric EV versions is 19 inches.
In addition to full electrification, Lexus’ redesign of the ES adds a full 6.5 inches to its overall length, increasing the wheelbase by 3 inches to provide for a more spacious interior.
The new ES shares a platform with Toyota’s Camry and has a bit of Toyota Crown in its fastback sedan exterior design, but with striking side graphics, thin profile LED headlights and taillights and a flat, relatively unadorned front fascia characteristic of many EVs (the hybrid adds a thin upper grille for engine cooling). The 2026 ES also debuts the brand’s Lexus Safety System + 4.0 suite of advanced safety and driver assist features. Lexus hasn’t yet disclosed how it advances the existing LSS + 2.5 package in the 2025 models except to say it will feature over-the-air updates
Also new for 2026 will be an Executive Package for the ES 350e that includes reclining, heated and ventilated rear seats with a passenger side ottoman and a massage function for the outboard seats.
Pricing and a full list of feature and options is expected closer to the new ES’ on-sale date.
Charge It
As is the norm with all new and revamped models from Toyota and Lexus, the electric ES trims will have NACS charge ports to take advantage of the Tesla Supercharger network for DC fast charging.
That will allow for battery recharging sessions – to 80% full from 90% empty – of about 30 minutes. Not world-class but pretty much par for the segment.
The ES EVs also will have 11-kw, Level 2 on-board charging for home and workplace (240-volt) charging.
The company hasn’t specified battery capacity for the 2026 ES EVs, but most other all-electric 2026 Toyota and Lexus models that have been announced recently are equipped with batteries averaging 74-kWh, and we expect the ES will have a least the the same capacity.
ES Powertrains
The ES 350e will use a single motor e-axle system mounted for front-wheel drive and rated at 220 horsepower.
The ES 500e will get two motors, one on each axle, for combined output of 335 horsepower. The dual-motor system enables a direct all-wheel drive system with four-wheel torque distribution. The system can shift as much as 100% of available torque between the front and rear axles, depending of road conditions and driving demands.
The hybrid ES 350h pairs a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder gas engine with an electric motor assist. Combined output is 243 hp – up from 215 ponies for the 2025 hybrid – and both front- and al-wheel drive versions will be available.
Moving Up in Class?
Until now, the Lexus ES has been classed as a mid-size sedan because its interior volume, measured in cubic feet, didn’t quite meet the 120 cu. in minimum for a full-size rating.
Lexus hasn’t yet divulged full measurements for the 2026 ES, but its increased length and wheelbase could open the interior enough to push it into the full-size class.
Inside the 2026 ES
Lexus designers didn’t stop at the outside and have given the new ES a dramatically un-Lexus-like minimalist modern interior, with most controls relegated to a central stand-alone 14-inch touchscreen. The driver gets a separate 12.3-inch digital information center that includes navigation and map display.
3-D printed “bamboo layering” trim panels with ambient lighting also are part of the interior redesign, as well as new thin profile seats with synthetic leather upholstery. (Lexus hasn’t said whether actual leather will be an option).
