Toyota Drops Meaningless Name for Plug-In Hybrids

The "Prime" nameplate is dead. From now on, Toyota will just call them plug-in hybrids. As it should be.

2023 Toyota Prius Prime

Brian Silvestro

By: Brian Silvestro

Sep 26, 2024 at 10:30am ET

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"Prime" is dead. Toyota announced on Thursday that its naming scheme for plug-in hybrid trims of the RAV4 and Prius has been dropped. Instead, the cars will be called the RAV4 Plug-in Hybrid and the Prius Plug-in Hybrid. As it should be.

The Prime name first appeared in 2017 with the introduction of the Prius Prime, based on the then-new fourth-generation Prius. The first RAV4 Prime appeared in 2019, making headlines with its combined 302 horsepower and claimed 5.5-second 0-60 time.

"The switch to the RAV4 Plug-in name is intended to help consumers more easily identify the powertrain choices among RAV4 models," Toyota said in a statement. "In addition to the model naming change, the Toyota logo on the front and rear of the vehicle will no longer have a blue “halo” within."

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Toyota

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The Prime name might've sounded cool, but it made things tough for normal shoppers who just wanted to know what they were getting. This switch will make it far easier for people to understand the differences in powertrain offerings without having to load up Google on their phones.

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Aside from the badging switch-up, the RAV4 Plug-In continues into 2025 with no changes. That means standard all-wheel drive, an estimated 42 miles of all-electric range, and a combined 38 mpg when in hybrid mode.

The 2025 Prius Plug-in Hybrid continues similarly, with the same 220 hp as last year's Prime model, 44 miles of electric driving range, and up to 52 mpg combined, depending on wheel size.