Bea Beltran Auto 01.12.2023 21:Jan PM EST

Mercedes Might Retire the EQ Brand as It Slowly Phases Out Conventional Cars

Mercedes created the EQ brand to highlight its line of electric vehicles. However, the label might not hold its value anymore since the car manufacturer plans to create more electric cars and fewer gas-fueled vehicles.

Mercedes Looking at the Future of EV

Car companies are starting to become less reliant on gas fuel and joining the EV market. Mercedes-Benz has been in the electric engine scene since 2019, releasing the EQC SUV as the first in the line.

The company has since used the EQ label for EV models like the EQS SUV, or electrified versions of conventional cars like the EQB, as mentioned by Engadget. Although, reports say that Mercedes might drop the name altogether as they create more EVs.

Right now, the EQ brand is still being used since the company is still producing conventional cars, which makes electric and electrified vehicles distinctive. It may also be why a spokesperson from the automaker said it was too early to reveal their plans.

It's no surprise that Mercedes is already looking ahead to an all-electric future. Other than the obvious indications that electric engines will bring convenience and sustainability, the automaker's competitors are also doing the same thing.

An Electrified Car Market

It's not all about the competitive aspect of the car market that's urging companies to transition to electric engines. Climate change has prompted governments to look into the ban on fossil fuels in the future. The UK, for instance, plans to do so by 2030, according to The Guardian.

The United Kingdom is not alone in that sentiment. Other countries have also been looking into the policy to reduce the pollution brought by conventional engines. France, Germany, Ireland, and the Netherlands also plan to ban fossil fuels by 2040, and Norway by 2025.

It's a smart move to slowly transition early on to avoid sudden changes in the market. Following Tesla's footsteps, a lot of automakers are already beginning their phase toward producing electric cars.

Jaguar plans to become an all-electric car company by 2025 by announcing its "Reimagine" plan. The company will be using an EV platform called "Pantera." 2027 will also be the same fate for Alfa Romeo.

Lotus is already working on the all-electric sports car Evija, which is the first step to becoming an EV company by 2028. Bentley already announced that it will also be all-electric by 2030, but will start phasing out fully conventional engines as early as 2026.

2030 seems like an important year for the car market. Aside from the fact that the UK aims to eradicate the use of fossil fuels, it also marks the year when several car companies will phase out engines that use gas fuels. These are the other companies/models that plan to go all-electric:

Cadillac
Lexus
Mini Cooper
Rolls-Royce
Volvo
Audi

Although they will be five years late, General Motors also plans to sell exclusive electric cars by 2035. Combustion-powered vehicles will no longer be available for Chevrolet, GMC, and Buick brands, as mentioned in Gear Patrol, which starts with the new Silverado EV on 2024.