. . . but a way of life.

The mainstream media hasn’t picked up on this story yet, but The Detroit Bureau, an excellent blog that covers the automotive industry, is reporting today that Toyota will from now on regard the Prius not as a model, but as its own brand:

While hybrid sales volumes may still be modest, Toyota Motor Co. appears to be convinced there’s enough demand to introduce an array of gasoline-electric models that would share the Prius badge with the Japanese maker’s most popular entry into the emerging field. . . .

[S]enior [Toyota] American officials have been seeking to broaden the use of the Prius name, essentially creating a hybrid-based brand-within-a-brand.

For those not familiar with concept of branding, particularly in the automotive world, think of it this way:  the Malibu is a model produced by GM.  Chevrolet is a brand owned by GM.  Brands are way to organize products and link them in the mind of consumers — hopefully in a good way.

It’s no secret that the Prius has become much more than a car — it’s a bourgeois badge of honor, a way of broadcasting to the world that you’re environmentally hip — even if you drink bottled water and commute to work.  It’s no accident that movie stars like to be seen arriving at the Oscars in their Priuses, even if they usually use a Hummer to go to the yoga studio.

In that context, Toyota’s decision makes tremendous economic sense:  as second- and third-generation hybrids (and plug-ins) start to arrive, Toyota finds itself at risk of losing its stranglehold on the enviro-car market.  The Ford Fusion, for example, has gotten absolute raves, and many automakers are bypassing hybrids altogether in order to develop plug-ins (the most prominent example being GM’s push to get its Volt to market by 2011).

By spinning Prius off as a brand, Toyota can de-link Prius’s hip bougie street rep from its core technology, thus sustaining brand identity (and loyalty) even as its comparative advantage fades.

Toyota’s decision may not represent a major moment in the history of environmentalism, but it is the first time that an environmentally friendly product is regarded not as a niche item but a mainstream brand.   And that is worth noting (and perhaps even celebrating).

Photo:  Wikipedia Commons, using a Creative Commons 3.0 license

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