Mercedes EQ electric cars on way
Eq-badged EVS on the way EQS crossover could be previewed by Paris show concept
EV line-up to take on Tesla will wear EQ badge
MERCEDES’ forthcoming range of pureelectric vehicles is likely to be called ‘EQ’, Auto Express understands.
The brand is known to be developing a pure-ev range designed to take on not only Tesla but also pure electric vehicles due from Porsche, Audi and Jaguar over the next two to three years. Speculation has suggested that Merc could spin off its EVS into an entirely separate sub-brand – more detached from the three-pointed star than BMW’S i range is from its parent firm.
However, recent trademark applications suggest that Mercedes is lining up a range of vehicles that will carry the ‘EQ’ prefix in their names – and that they’re likely to exist under a more conventional sub-brand called MEQ. The firm has asked to register everything from EQA and EQB through to EQX and EQZ. It has also applied to register slogans including ‘EQ inside’, ‘Generation MEQ’ and ‘EQ boost’; these would probably be used in the marketing material for the vehicles.
A Mercedes spokesperson denied all knowledge of the name or any plans for a sub-brand – although company executives have been quite open about the need to have pure-electric vehicles in their line-up.
The first all-electric vehicle from Mercedes is believed to be the EQS, a high-end rival for the Tesla Model S. The car – likely to be some form of crossover or SUV – could be previewed as early as October’s Paris Motor Show, but sales are unlikely to start before 2019.
It’ll sit on an all-new pure-electric platform called EVA (Electric Vehicle Architecture) that is designed to be scalable – allowing Mercedes to roll out smaller models and SUVS with relative ease.