It wasn't long ago that Audi recognized that engine displacement is not the best numerical figure to use for model nomenclature given that turbocharging and hybrid technology makes it so engines of rather unimpressive sizes can pump out godly horsepower numbers. It'll take some time to get used to adding the "55 TFSI" suffix to an A8 like Audi wants us to, but according to Car and Driver, it's beat to get used to changing names because Mercedes' naming scheme is about to get a host of new tongue twisters.

For fans of the Silver Star, it's going to become important to get used to saying the letters "EQ" quite a lot. As Germany's automakers become more electrified by the day, each respective manufacturer is going to need a way to not only differentiate the juiced-up models from the CO2-spewing variety, but to market the technology using clever and catchy branding to complete the package. BMW has picked the letter "i" to represent its electric brand, Audi trademarked the term "e-tron," Volkswagen reserved "I.D.," and Mercedes has "EQ." Now, with the first round of electrified Mercs getting ready to hit the streets, the German automaker is readying EQ badges to affix to them.

Every Mercedes that receives electric help via batteries and motors, whether the car is a plug-in hybrid or just a plain old hybrid, will get a badge that reads "EQ Power." For high performance hybrids, think the AMG Project One or hybrid AMG 53 variants for example, that badge will instead read "EQ Power+." Fully electric variants, which we won't see in America for at least a year or more, will get a standalone EQ badge and be referred to as "Mercedes-EQ," kind of how AMG models are called "Mercedes-AMG" or Maybach vehicles are named "Mercedes-Maybach." Europe will be the first to see the badges when some electrified 2018 models are released later this year.

Plug-in hybrid Mercs in America will have to wait until the end of the year to get EQ Power badges. For non geeks, full EQ models will be easy to pick out due to clean styling similar to the Mercedes EQ A concept. Seems it's time for us to acknowledge that Mercedes and the rest of the auto industry are actually going through with this.