Buick will launch its first electric vehicle in 2024 as part of the brand's plan to offer a fully electric lineup by 2030.
The first-ever Buick model to feature a battery-electric powertrain will carry the Electra name, but it looks like all future EVs from the GM-owned brand will also get "Electra" in their names.
GM Authority discovered nine new trademark filings with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for Electra E1 through E9 names. Filed on October 27, General Motors' applications are for "motor land vehicles, namely, automobiles." Given the naming convention and previous statements from GM execs, it looks like Buick will turn Electra into an EV sub-brand, much like Hyundai has done with Ioniq.
Interestingly, this latest trademark filing comes after Buick registered the Electra GS name last month, which indicated that the brand is considering a new sporty EV. The automaker has used the Buick GS (Gran Sport) name in the past on a number of performance models, including the Buick Regal GS most recently.
In December 2021, the automaker also filed a trademark application with the Canadian Intellectual Property Office for the Buick Electra name, which the company had registered in the United States in 2002.
In June 2022, the brand unveiled an electric concept car called Electra-X in China, a name previously used on another electric study for China, the Buick Electra in 2020. However, Buick said the Electra and Electra-X concepts preview electric vehicles for the Chinese market, although some elements will be found on EVs for the US as well, such as the new brand logo and identity.
In the United States, Buick unveiled the Wildcat EV coupe concept in June as a preview of the design of its future electric models for its home market. While the show car looked stunning, it was a bit of an unusual choice given that all future Buicks will be SUVs.
So far, Buick has confirmed an electric SUV arriving in 2024 based on GM's Ultium Platform and sized similarly to the Cadillac Lyriq. This first Electra production EV will be heavily influenced by the Wildcat EV concept.
