Should automakers remove "hybrid" from a vehicle's name?

GreenMachine

GreenMachine

New Member
For some hybrids, like the Lexus ES300h and Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, I think the automakers should make the hybrid powertrain the only available powertrain and drop any mention of "hybrid" in the vehicle names. This would begin to normalize electrified powertrains, which really hasn't begun happening yet. Currently, every electrified version of a car has something in its name to identify it as different and special. I suppose that's to differentiate it from a non-electrified version, but that's why I think in some cases, like the Lexus and Lincoln, they should just drop the other powertrain options and go with the hybrid powertrain only. Those hybrid powertrains fit the mission of a comfy luxury cruiser so well. Why Lincoln offers a 400-hp, twin-turbo version of the MKZ is baffling.
 
With PEVs as only ~1-2% of the market, arguably they are something different and special, which need to be labeled as such.

And when the average consumer starts to see PEVs as preferable to gasmobiles, then auto makers will have even more reasons to label them as such!

So, I expect it will be a long, long time before we see auto makers not labeling their PEVs with names indicating "electric" or "plug-in" or "hybrid".
 
Then you have the case of the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid, which the automaker didn't make clear to the public that it's a plug-in. This is also true in the case of the Toyota Prius Prime. At this point, most people know that the Prius is a hybrid (c'mon it's the king of hybrids). But "hybrid" isn't in the name, nor is plug-in. The car is called the Prius Plug-In in other markets. So we must assume that it goes both ways. It likely depends on who you talk to. So, for the average consumer, maybe it's not a good thing to share that info, until (like Pu-pu said) those people start to see and prefer its benefits? Then share away because everyone will want one? For our niche group here, of course, we want the information specified in the name and marketed as such. Good question. Tough to really answer at this point.
 
Steve said:
Then you have the case of the Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid, which the automaker didn't make clear to the public that it's a plug-in. This is also true in the case of the Toyota Prius Prime.
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While I certainly agree that the lack of uniformity in naming car models is confusing -- EV models or otherwise -- that has always been the case for product names. Manufacturers often prefer to give their products distinctive names rather than descriptive ones. Would you know that "Kleenex" means "facial tissue" if you had never seen a Kleenex box? Does the name "Xerox" suggest "photocopier"? If you were unfamiliar with soft drinks, would you know that "Pepsi" means a carbonated cola beverage?

They're not going to stop now just because the EV revolution is happening!

So, Toyota naming their PHEV the "Prius Prime" isn't necessarily a bad thing. However, I certainly do agree that the label "Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid" was not well chosen. There are a lot of hybrids out there, but not that many plug-in hybrids; I'm guessing that was your point.
 
Pushmi-Pullyu said:
While I certainly agree that the lack of uniformity in naming car models is confusing -- EV models or otherwise -- that has always been the case for product names. Manufacturers often prefer to give their products distinctive names rather than descriptive ones. Would you know that "Kleenex" means "facial tissue" if you had never seen a Kleenex box? Does the name "Xerox" suggest "photocopier"? If you were unfamiliar with soft drinks, would you know that "Pepsi" means a carbonated cola beverage?

They're not going to stop now just because the EV revolution is happening!

So, Toyota naming their PHEV the "Prius Prime" isn't necessarily a bad thing. However, I certainly do agree that the label "Chrysler Pacifica Hybrid" was not well chosen. There are a lot of hybrids out there, but not that many plug-in hybrids; I'm guessing that was your point.
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Yes, exactly my point.
 
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