Chery files trademark complaint against Mercedes over EV brand
Chery Automobile Co. filed a complaint with China's trademark regulator over Mercedes-Benz's use of the "EQ" name for a line of electric vehicles, throwing up a potential road block for the Daimler AG unit.
A Chery spokeswoman said Thursday that the automaker had filed a complaint with the Trademark Office of the State Administration for Industry and Commerce, which it hopes will bar Mercedes from using the name in China.
"If it entered the Chinese market, it would impact our trademark rights," the Chery spokeswoman said. "Mercedes Benz EQ and our (eQ) are extremely similar. Their product is also an electric car."
She said Chery has used the name "eQ" for its two-door electric vehicle for two years. Mercedes showed off a concept car for its forthcoming line of EVs last year, saying it would build its first EQ model in a German factory by the end of the decade.
Last year, Mercedes said last year it could make the EQ in China, but did not give a launch date. A Mercedes spokeswoman declined to comment on Thursday.
A ruling in Chery's favor would be a blow to Mercedes in a market that generates more EV sales than the rest of the world combined.
China's central government aggressively promotes electric cars to fight urban smog and is urging domestic automakers to develop emissions technology.
"If it entered the Chinese market, it would impact our trademark rights," the Chery spokeswoman said. "Mercedes Benz EQ and our (eQ) are extremely similar. Their product is also an electric car."
She said Chery has used the name "eQ" for its two-door electric vehicle for two years. Mercedes showed off a concept car for its forthcoming line of EVs last year, saying it would build its first EQ model in a German factory by the end of the decade.
Last year, Mercedes said last year it could make the EQ in China, but did not give a launch date. A Mercedes spokeswoman declined to comment on Thursday.
A ruling in Chery's favor would be a blow to Mercedes in a market that generates more EV sales than the rest of the world combined.
China's central government aggressively promotes electric cars to fight urban smog and is urging domestic automakers to develop emissions technology.
