Audi’s try to dam Nio from utilizing names ES8 and ES6 had been shot down

Audi tried to dam Nio from utilizing the names ES8 and ES6 as Nio is coming into the European market. It took a flip for Audi because the European Union Mental Property Workplace shot down its request. After a 15-month-long battle, a German court docket sided with Audi final month. It was after initially seeing the Chinese language EV maker Nio 2021 protest the integrity of its S6 and S8 mannequin names.

In line with the German court docket, two of Nio’s electrical SUV fashions, the ES6 and ES8, sounded too intently to Audi’s current S6 and S8 automobile’s names. In the meantime, the decide defined that though Nio’s names are completely different from Audi’s, patrons might get confused, believing that the added E is simply an “electrical” Audi mannequin, saying, “There’s a threat that buyers will assume that the “ES 6” is the “S 6” within the electrical model, that the 2 autos are from the identical producer. There’s due to this fact a switch hazard of confusion by way of affiliation that goes past pure affiliation.”

After launching its first EV within the area, the “ES7” mannequin, Nio renamed it to EL7 to keep away from doable backlash. The Nio EVs talked about within the naming lawsuit by Audi should not but out there in Germany. The ruling was not remaining, and Nio mentioned on the time it will attraction the choice and defend its authorized rights. Regardless of successful the battle in Germany, it appears Audi is dropping the general battle in Europe after the European Union Mental Property Workplace (EUIPO) dominated this week that Nio’s ES6 and ES8 fashions don’t, in truth, represent confusion, in response to CnEVPost.

Nio coming into Europe

After the final court docket ruling, the EV naming lawsuit appears like a basic case of a longtime participant choosing on the brand new man. On the identical time, they do sound acquainted and will simply be confused, particularly for these residing in Europe who’re used to seeing Audi’s S6 and S8 fashions and realizing the model goes all electrical.

Notably, NIO has not but began promoting the ES6 or ES8 in Germany, the latter of which is offered in Europe solely in Norway. On October 7, 2022, NIO launched the ET7, ET5, and the SUV referred to as ES7 in China in Europe on the NIO Berlin occasion. Just a few hours earlier than the launch, nevertheless, NIO modified the title of the ES7 in Europe to EL7. In a response shared with native media outlet Sina Tech, NIO mentioned on the time that it has been making world registration functions for emblems since 2016 and has acquired profitable registrations in China and most markets in Europe and the US.