Mercedes-Benz Picks a Name for Its Electric Sub-Brand

Steph Willems
by Steph Willems

Last week, we told you how Mercedes-Benz planned to go the BMW route and turn its looming roster of electric vehicles into a sub-brand.

All the automaker needed was a name to slap on its gas-free offerings. Well, according to UK trademark application filings first reported by Autocar, the new sub-brand’s name is…

EQ.

Sounds smart and classy all at once, doesn’t it? And we totally guessed the first half of it. Clearly, “GQ” was already taken, and as for “iQ,” well, someone already destroyed picked that name. So, the first EQ-badged EVs will go up against BMW’s i sub-brand sometime in the foreseeable future. Mercedes-Benz also has Tesla in its sights.

Sources recently told Bloomberg that four vehicles — two sedans and two SUVs — will carry the badge, but the trademarks suggest several more. In the past month, Mercedes-Benz filed applications for EQA, EQC, EQE, EQG and EQS, as well as EQ Inside, EQ Boost and Generation EQ.

That’s a lot of EQs. Looking at the first five names, it’s easy to guess what models will see electric variants. The EQ Boost name is probably reserved for plug-in hybrid versions of existing models, similar to BMW’s iPerformance badging.

The Bloomberg report claims that the EQ sub-brand will be in place, with at least four models on sale, by the end of the decade. Autocar claims we’ll likely see Mercedes-Benz unveil an electric SUV concept at the Paris Auto Show at the end of September.

Steph Willems
Steph Willems

More by Steph Willems

Comments
Join the conversation
12 of 26 comments
  • Ryoku75 Ryoku75 on Aug 11, 2016

    Ugh, names are so 1999!

    • Lorenzo Lorenzo on Aug 12, 2016

      BAD names are so 2017. You'd expect more from the Germans, who turned 'fuel injection' into "kraftstoffeinspritzung".

  • RHD RHD on Aug 11, 2016

    EQ is commonly used in the military for Enlisted Quarters. Also: (Psychology) emotional quotient, a (notional) measure of a person's adequacy in such areas as self-awareness, empathy, and dealing sensitively with other people I'm sure electric Mercedes buyers will be very empathetic and sensitive people (guffaw, chortle). Mercedes is missing the point that so many of their buyers in the US are just paying extra for the perceived prestige and exclusivity of the Mercedes logo. Saving money on fuel isn't even on their radar. So by eliminating the Mercedes badge, they are eliminating most of their potential customers. Who wants an EQ? Probably almost no one.

    • See 3 previous
    • Healthy skeptic Healthy skeptic on Aug 12, 2016

      @MBella If you're making compliance cars, you're not going after Tesla.

  • Madanthony Madanthony on Aug 11, 2016

    WaWa is my favorite sub brand. Can I get a graphic equalizer in my EQ, so I can adjust the bass on the EQ in my EQ?

    • See 1 previous
    • JMII JMII on Aug 12, 2016

      Just checked in to make sure someone said equalizer. Thank you.

  • FAHRVERGNUGEN FAHRVERGNUGEN on Aug 12, 2016

    EQ. EEK. Right up there with TRD, which is just one 'u' short of a turd.

    • Redmondjp Redmondjp on Aug 12, 2016

      Reminds me of listening to 'Bob and Tom' back in the 1980s when they were still local in Indianapolis. They reviewed the album/band 'GTR' - their review: SHT

Next