Nio loses court battle over ES6, ES7 and ES8 names that may be mistaken for Audi's S6, S7 and S8

The competition in the white-hot EV market is getting tougher and fiercer by the day. Among others, established carmakers such as Audi have to prove themselves against up-and-coming Chinese manufacturers, who are attracting the interest of many prospective buyers with good-looking electric cars and SUVs such as the Nio ES7.

Therefore, Audi has recently taken legal action against Nio and its ES6, ES7 and ES8 model names in particular. Last year, the Ingolstadt-based automaker filed a lawsuit in which it questioned the similarity to its Audi S6, S7 and Audi S8 brand names. According to a new report by a German automobile magazine, this legal dispute has now ended in a victory for the luxury manufacturer with the four rings.

Accordingly, Nio won’t be able to sell its electric SUVs under the original ES6, ES7 and ES8 names in Germany. If the Chinese manufacturer infringes on the court’s ruling, its regional manager in Germany will face a fine of up to €250,000 or six months of prison. Even before the verdict was announced, the company had already decided to change the ES7 name to “Nio EL7”, but it continues to use the disputable naming scheme in other international markets. Unsurprisingly, Audi welcomed the verdict and once again emphasized that it will continue to protect its brand names such as the Audi S6, S7 and S8.

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