It’s said that the future of the cars is electric. Every big car manufacturer is launching now electric models. In some cases, they are developing electric options for the cars which are already part of their portfolio. Like Volkswagen has done with Golf model. They have launched the electric model of Golf which is called eGolf. But the future is more complex than that. All the automotive corporations are focusing now in launching completely new models which will be only electric powered.

The naming challenges are huge and very interesting:

• Developing creative brand names which overcome the old-fashioned generic terms like electric, “e” or “green”.
• Establishing an association between the environmental care and a new futuristic car model through the brand’s name
• And probably the biggest challenge: Seeing the electric future of cars as a standard not as a future to come. This means that manufacturers must come up with new brand names not so connected with “electric”. Instead they must empower the new brand’s image on the market.

In this article we have created a top of 5 best electric cars names which we consider the most interesting and suitable for this challenging new market:

5) Hyundai Ioniq

The name Ioniq is a word fusion between “ion” and “unique”. The result is a very good one. Ioniq has a very “technical” and innovative sound. When you first hear this name, you are thinking about a very performant new electric car and a reliable technology. It makes you trust into the engineering evolution of the electric cars. Good shot for Hyundai!

4) Renault Twizy

Renault is one of the car manufacturers which invests a lot of attention and probably a generous budget into their naming processes. Their results are fantastic. Renault has one of the best portfolios in terms of naming. One of them is Twizy. It was created from the combination of two English words: Twin and Easy. Twin because is a car that has only two seats. And “Easy” because is a vehicle very easy to drive and very light. Twizy is a name that marks more the main functionality of the car: to be easy driven by anyone. It means that Twizy is one of the EV’s that starts a new trend: The electrical character of the vehicle is being a secondary benefit. Twizy starts the era where electric is a matter-of course and the naming strategy involves other important functionalities of the vehicles.

3) Renault Zoe

Another fantastic brand name from Renault is Zoe. The name Zoe is inspired from the Greek language and means “life”. The name was, for sure, chosen to underline the car’s environmental credentials. Renault’s car naming strategy has already established a direction for using women’s names or feminine words - including Clio and Megane.

This strategy has differentiated Renault in front of its competitors. Zoe is a powerful statement for supporting the future of the EV’s

2) Nissan Leaf

“Leaf” is one of the best metaphorical names for an EV. It’s a name which expresses the best the idea of a green and clean environment. Nissan Leaf has succeeded to make the driver feel good about personally contributing into something environmentally friendly. The task of Nissan was not only to sell a new electric car. Through Nissan Leaf they have started to sell and entirely different whole concept to an early adopter public. Even if the name is strictly connected with the “green” idea, we can consider them as pioneers and innovators of these new future and world.

1) Porsche Taycan

Porsche Taycan is the brand name which we consider it the best from the EV world. Why? Because its name story overcomes the ideas of “green” and “electric”. They have simply taken the electric future as the new standard, not as an innovative and new idea and they have started to create a brand name more connected with the power concept and the car’s highest performances. Story of Taycan?

Taycan is the first all-electric car model from Porsche.

The name can be roughly translated as “lively young horse”, referencing the imagery at the heart of the Porsche crest, which has featured a leaping steed since 1952.

“Our new electric sports car is strong and dependable; it’s a vehicle that can consistently cover long distances and that epitomizes freedom”, explains Oliver Blume, Chairman of the Executive Board of Porsche AG.

The oriental name also signifies the launch of the first electric sports car with the soul of a Porsche. Porsche announced the name for its first purely electric series as part of the “70 years of sports cars” ceremony.

As naming specialists, we can say that Taycan is a very good name. How does it differentiate on the EV market?

• Has gone beyond the “green” already boring zone
• Sounds powerful and expresses something important: Is not just an electric car. It is also a “force” car.
• The name has a strong homogeneity of the word: Begins with a strong consonant “t”, continues in the middle with “c” also strong and ends up with “n” which moderates the word.
Well done, Porsche!

When a new era starts, the biggest challenge is to leave behind the past and begin to think forward and to assume some risks. If you don’t do it on time, you will be left behind. In a future article we will make also a top of 5 worst electric cars names. Stay tuned!

If you need help with your future naming project, write us more details!