Elon Musk defends missing Tesla logo on new Cybercab and Cybertruck

Few designs seem to provoke more heated reactions than car logos. Automobile brands often enjoy strong brand loyalty, so when something a little controversial comes along (like, yes, the Jaguar rebrand), feathers are often ruffled. But perhaps the boldest step of all is removing a logo completely.

Earlier this year, Tesla revealed a bunch of new vehicles, including the Cybercab and Cybervan. Following the lead of the controversial Cybertruck, these vehicles feature no Tesla logo, and not even a wordmark. Why such a glaring omission? Just ask Elon Musk.

"If the product is special enough, no logo is needed," Musk tweeted in response to a Tesla fan who noticed lack of logo yesterday. But as recent history has shown us, removing an iconic logo isn't always a wise move. Audi recently drew the ire of the internet when it announced a new EV range (conveniently titled 'AUDI') that does away with the iconic four rings logo in favour of a simple wordmark.

But then again, perhaps Musk has a point. Indeed, without even a wordmark, Tesla really is letting the vehicle design speak for itself. New logo designs are one thing (and, as Kia showed us a couple of years back, they can cause serious confusion). Including no logo at all is certainly a bold move – and hey, if it manages to cut production costs too, that's a nice little bonus.

Tesla's car design is certainly recognisable enough not to require a logo. Whether recognisable means 'good' is another matter – the Cybertruck has been mocked enough over the years. But for brands with the best logos of all time, the logo is arguably as important to the aesthetic as the product design itself. Everybody recognises the iPhone – but you won't see Apple opt out of slapping a fruit on the back of it.