Here’s Why Mercedes-Benz Is Dropping The EQ Badge For The EV Future

Seven years ago, Mercedes first rolled out an EQ badge to help its all-electric SUV lineup stand out from its fuel-powered lineups. As EVs become more popular in the automotive market, Mercedes’ CEO, Ola Kallenius, is making a big move to get ahead of the competition. The Stuttgart giant will drop the Mercedes-Benz EQ badge by next year to shore up its wide-ranging yet slightly confusing lineup.

Here’s How Mercedes Plans To Become An All-Electric Powerhouse

Many companies like Ford are moving ahead with plans to have a split lineup: EVs and traditional internal combustion engine vehicles. However, others want to satisfy future customers’ demands by concentrating solely on electric power. Following the decision to focus on the “Mercede-Benz brand promise,” the German automaker is ditching internal combustion. When asked by The Verge in an interview last year, Kallenius Mercedes-Benz is “going all-in on electric” soon. “In fact, as of 2025, all new vehicle architectures for Mercedes…will be electric-only,” he said.

Even though EQ is shorthand for “Electric Intelligence,” the moniker will likely leave with non-EV products, not to be repurposed. Once the all-EV lineup is set, the differentiation in models the EQ badge demonstrates will become irrelevant.

Mercedes-Benz plans on being EV-only in just two years. Yet, the company revealed its first electric model years ago at the 2016 Paris Motor Show.

What Mercedes-Benz EQ Models Are There?

The EQ series featured an electric version of Mercedes-Benz’s internal combustion vehicles. For example, the EQB and EQC were based on the GLB and GLC compact crossovers. Mercedes-Benz also offered the EQA, EQE, EQG, EQS, and EQV. Yet, the EQS was the first Mercedes-Benz EV based on the current three-prong EV architecture system. The EQS SUV closely followed the four-door electric-only sedan.

Later this year, the automaker is set to release the AMG EQE sedan. With nearly 700 horsepower, Mercedes-Benz says the experience will be “invigorating.” There will also be an EQE SUV and a “track-ready highway-conquering” AMG variant. However, Mercedes-Benz will wait until 2024 to put it on sale.

Conclusion

Mercedes will continue to build internal combustion engines in the same plants as long as there is a demand for them. Until then, the automaker is operating as long as there is a demand for them.