The Paris Motor Show last year saw the debut of the Mercedes-Benz Generation EQ concept car, with the Stuttgart manufacturer’s EQ moniker denoting a new, fully-electric model sub-brand.
Now, it seems that the EQ sub-brand could face hurdles for its use in China, as Chery Automobiles has filed a trademark complaint against Mercedes for the use of the name. Apparently, Chery has had an electric vehicle named the eQ on sale since 2014.
“If it (the Mercedes-Benz EQ) entered the Chinese market, it would impact our trademark rights. The Mercedes-Benz EQ and our eQ are extremely similar. Their product is also an electric car,” a Chery spokeswoman said to Reuters, adding that Chery has used the name ‘eQ’ for its two-door EV for two years.
This development comes ahead of a backdrop of key EV activity, where China’s central government is aggressively promoting environmentally-friendly vehicles in order to combat intense smog in urban areas, and more electric vehicles are sold in China than in the rest of the world combined.
Daimler, as a whole, is also committed to the electric vehicle cause, with €10 billion (RM47.9 billion) earmarked for the development of EVs. The Generation EQ Concept will be made production-ready in three years’ time, while the revised S 500 e plug-in hybrid is set to debut with the rest of the facelifted W222 S-Class range. The aim is to debut 10 EVs from the same platform, with three under the smart brand.
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No worries. Mesidis will ask the maker of that Mesidis clone to pay them instead.
Mercedes is Mercedes
Chery is Chery
I believe China citizens are smart enough to differentiate the EQ and eQ.
Totally different segment too
Unless its a golf buggy paneled clone of a Mesidis.
China, the land of any possibilities…
China Car Maker is showing concern on Intellectual Properties?
I hope this marks an era of IP respect in China
Yes, I’m surprised too. Usually we hear Chinese infringe other IP but in this case, the German are the accused.
In any case, this probably apply in China ONLY as their Chinese counterpart Chery Automobiles has filed a trademark complaint against Mercedes for the use of the name.
EQ v eQ. At first, we have M’sia Boleh, Now we have China pun Boleh.
boleh tahan…a company from the land of copycats filed trademark complaints? memang lihai…..
Wow…if they ciplak others no prob. But if others have identical product name only also want to sue..
asian power dominant….don bow down to imperialist
Power to copycat, but when others copy kena sue
Topkek
See….. Now hamburger want to copy kue tiaw…… Still proton dun want marry geely…. Geli aku!!!!
If China boikot Merc, tehy will lose… so silently change the name to elec-Q