We had a feeling it was coming soon. Toyota is moving away from its “bZ” naming system for EVs with plans to use names you may already be familiar with. The bZ4X will likely be the only electric car Toyota sells globally under the old system.
Toyota will use old names for new EVs
The bZ4X SUV was launched in 2022 as Toyota’s first global EV. It was expected to be the first of a new series of electric cars under the bZ naming system for zero-emission vehicles.
Toyota initially planned to introduce 15 dedicated EVs globally, seven of them under the bZ branding. The bZ stands for Beyond Zero, which Toyota claims symbolizes its desire to “provide customers with value than exceeds “zero emissions.”
After all models were recalled in 2022 due to concerns that the wheels could fall off, Toyota’s bZ4X has struggled to stand out among a wave of electric SUVs.
To move past it, Toyota is abandoning the bZ naming scheme and plans to use names from its older models. Toyota Europe’s marketing director, Andrea Carlucci, told Autocar that he expected the bZ4X to “remain a bit isolated” in its lineup.
Carlucci explained that using words for names, rather than a number system, was “a clear request from Europe that was very much heard and followed by Japan” for its EVs.
The news comes after Toyota unveiled its new Urban Cruiser electric SUV last month, an unofficial successor to the gas-powered model retired in 2014. Toyota’s new electric SUV will also be the first of its partnership with Suzuki to be made in India. It will be based on the same platform as the Suzuki e-Vitara.
Toyota’s European marketing boss said the company’s expertise in batteries and energy management has already “created a lot of trust from customers” with hybrids.
“Toyota knows better than anyone about how to manage a battery, how to make it stable and so on,” Carlucci added.
Meanwhile, Public Citizen found that Toyota donated the most funds to climate deniers in the US Congress of any automaker.
In the US, Toyota cut prices by up to $6,000 on the 2025 bZ4X to boost demand. The 2025 model now starts at just over $37,000 with up to 252 miles range.
What names do you think Toyota should revive for future EVs? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.