Don’t worry if Mercedes’ insistence on EQ branding for electric cars seems arbitrary — the naming scheme might not last much longer. According to sources, Mercedes will be dropping the EQ brand by late 2024 when it launches its next generation of compact cars. The company won’t be able to use the label, as more and more of its cars are electric.
Mercedes used the EQ brand name on its first production cars, 2019’s EQC UTV. The company has used the branding on both electrified versions and unique designs of the EQB and EQS SUVs since then. Concept cars like long-range EQXXX are similar to this.
A Mercedes spokesperson told Reuters that plans were not yet known. The representative stated that Mercedes would “adapt” the use the EQ brand to its transition to an all-EV lineup by 2030. According to the spokesperson, identification is still a key part of the company’s current strategy for electric vehicles.
The rethink shouldn’t be surprising if the report is true. As EVs become more common, car manufacturers are starting to use more traditional names. Chevy’s electric Blazer is an example. EVs will become the norm, and companies won’t have to tout the existence of an electric motor.
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