Mercedes-Benz electric cars to drop ‘EQ’ sub-branding in 2024

KUALA LUMPUR: Mercedes-Benz retails its all-electric cars under the “EQ” badge which stands for “electric intelligence.” The names of all the eight pure-electric models of the brand start with “EQ”, including EQA, EQB, EQC, EQE, EQE SUV, EQS, EQS SUV, and EQV. Well, the German automaker is expected to phase out this two-letter badging very soon.

According to a report by Handelsblatt (a German daily newspaper), the company will ditch the EQ designation starting from 2024 and revert to its conventional naming structure. As once it will stop producing ICE cars, the requirement of a separate sub-brand for the battery electric vehicles (BEVs) will be ended.  

Mercedes-Benz will be a fully electric brand by the end of the decade. So when there will be no gas-powered S-class, there is no point in calling its electric version the EQS. Right?

Also, this move can let the Mercedes-Benz customers easily navigate the brand’s lineup as the names like the S-Class, E-Class, and C-Class have great recognition as compared to the EQS and EQE which are the electric counterparts of the GLS and GLE.

"With the goal of our parent brand Mercedes-Benz becoming fully electric by the end of the decade, we will adapt the positioning of the vehicles and thus also the use of the brand in line with the times, but it is too early for details on this at the moment," said the spokesperson for Mercedes' EQ products.

Mercedes-Benz EQ models in Malaysia

Mercedes-Benz's local lineup comprises a slew of EQ models, including - EQA, EQS, EQB, EQC, and EQE. Pricing for these EVs start from -

• Mercedes-Benz EQA - RM 278,201
• Mercedes-Benz EQB - RM 328,888
• Mercedes-Benz EQC - RM 388,888
• Mercedes-Benz EQE - RM 419,888
• Mercedes-Benz EQS - RM 698,888

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