Toyota has confirmed that car model names like bZ4x are set to be consigned to the bin, with recognised badges coming back for its new range of electric cars.
The bZ4x was launched in 2022 and is just about to undergo a major refresh, although it will keep the same name – for now. The car’s weird combination of numbers and letters do actually have a meaning, with the bZ standing for ‘beyond zero’ referring to the car’s zero emissions from its battery electric powertrain, the four refers to the car’s size within the product range and the x signifies that it’s a crossover/SUV.
In addition to the bZ4x, Toyota also sells the bZ3, bZ3x and bZ3C in China, while the brand is also said to have trademarked everything from bZ1 to bZ5 names.
Speaking at the unveiling of Toyota’s latest electric models, the C-HR+, Urban Cruiser and revised bZ4X, Andrea Carlucci, Toyota’s Vice President of Product and Marketing Management said, “our future BEVs will be named after existing and established nameplates.”
Asked if that meant that familiar names like the Yaris and Corolla would be used for future electric models, Carlucci said, “absolutely – they’ll have names we’re very familiar with.”
Toyota’s latest mid-size all-electric crossover the C-HR+ shares part of its name with one of Toyota’s biggest-selling models, even if it doesn’t share any parts with that car. However, Toyota’s Massya Uchiyama, Chief Engineer on the C-HR+, said: “It doesn’t share any parts, but it does share the C-HR’s DNA and driving appeal.”
Uchiyama-San also confirmed that the plus sign at the end of the C-HR was specific for that model and didn’t mean that we would see a Yaris and Corolla plus. “It's three things: it’s more versatile and also has better usability, and unique dynamic performance comes from BEV– the battery performance – so that it means the plus. So, the C authentic CHR value, plus,” he said.
C-HR, which stands for compact high-rider, is one of Toyota’s most popular cars, so that name and those such as RAV4 (Recreational Activity Vehicle with four-wheel drive), Yaris and Corolla are also likely to be used in Toyota’s upcoming electric car line-up.
The new Urban Cruiser EV is the first in that line, using a name previously given to a similar-sized SUV.
