According to several car designers, illuminated logos are the new chrome. But not everything they come up with is exactly legal. Toyota can attest to that.
Toyota was forced to change the design of the brand's crossover C-HR when the crossover received a facelift in June 2023. The light that should have surrounded both the emblem and the model name is illegal.
So not the light itself. But the way it was supposed to be used cannot be type approved. At least not yet.
The rules for illuminated logos on cars, which are determined by type approval regulations in the EU, state that the light must only surround emblems and not model names or other designations.
To comply with the legislation, Toyota has therefore adjusted the design so that the logo's lighting turns off automatically when the car is driving.
Decorative lighting on cars has become more widespread in recent years, and many manufacturers are experimenting with different approaches to this type of lighting.
In addition to illuminated logos, LED stripes and other details are made part of the cars' visual identity.
According to car designers, lighting has become the new black. Or in the automotive world, 'the new chrome'.
– Lighting is the new chrome, writes Niek Schenk, photo editor at Algemeen Dagblad , in a column.
Since 2023, it has been permitted to have illuminated logos and decorative lighting on cars. But the rules are strict.
The light must not resemble that of the car's headlights. And there is a requirement that the light at the front of the car must be white, while red light is only permitted at the back. Niek Schenk explains that the rules are necessary to ensure that other road users are not confused by the car's lights.
Toyota is not the only car manufacturer to work with lighting as part of its car design. For many manufacturers, it is important that their cars are recognizable, even in the dark. This has led to a trend where lighting is used to create a distinct signature for each model.
BMW has actually been recognizable by its headlights for many years. For many years, the German models were inextricably linked with the so-called corona rings – colloquially known as angel eyes.
Volkswagen is also experimenting with this kind of thing. For example, the Wolfsburg brand has tried to make the ID.3 electric car easily recognizable with a light bridge between the headlights and the logo.
In the case of the Toyota C-HR, however, the limit was exceeded because the lighting went beyond what was permitted, showing how regulations for lighting and design can challenge car manufacturers' creative ambitions.
