Toyota to dump blue hybrid badges

Toyota has confirmed it will no longer badge its hybrid vehicles with the familiar blue Toyota ‘halo’ logo it has been using since 2009.

According to US mag Motortrend, the latest Toyota Prius and hybrid versions of the Camry sedan and Crown flagship have reverted back to a traditional ‘T’ logo seen on all other models as part of a change in its global strategy.

In the future, as part of Toyota’s Beyond Zero initiative, all electrified Toyota cars including hybrids (HEVs), electric vehicles (EVs), plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEVs) and hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles (FCEVs) will adopt Beyond Zero blue dot badging instead.

The Japanese brand also confirmed that all RAV4 and Corolla models will also drop the blue halo emblem, but only following their mid-life refresh or replacement.

In the case of the new 2024 Toyota Camry, instead of the blue T badge, the mid-size sedan will wear a blue dot on its rear boot lid, alongside ‘HEV’ (hybrid electric vehicle) lettering.

Toyota says the new blue circle is said to represent its commitment to “the happiness of people living on earth and [its desire] to pass it on to the next generation.”

The next vehicle in store for the blue dot treatment will be Toyota’s first EV, the upcoming bZ3X mid-size electric SUV, which as part of a minor MY24 update will wear the small blue BZ dot beside BEV (battery-electric vehicle) lettering.