'ELEXIO' Trademark Registered with Patent Office
Van Designated as Top Priority for Trademark Use
Hyundai and GM Nearing Binding Agreement
Chung Euisun and Mary Barra to Reunite in September
Hyundai Motor Company has filed a trademark application for 'ELEXIO' for electric vans and has completed registration with the Korean Intellectual Property Office. This comes as discussions with US automaker GM on sharing electric commercial vehicle platforms are reaching the final stages, with Hyundai registering a new vehicle name as a trademark. It appears that the collaboration between Hyundai and GM is becoming stronger.
According to the Korean Intellectual Property Office's KIPRIS on the 9th, Hyundai filed the trademark application for 'ELEXIO' in July last year and completed registration in December of the same year. To obtain legal protection and exclusive rights, a trademark application must undergo examination by the patent office and be finally registered.
Hyundai limited the trademark use of 'ELEXIO' to ▲van (automobile) ▲bus ▲sports car ▲automobile ▲electric vehicle ▲cargo truck. Since the primary intended use is designated as van, it is highly likely to be applied to an electric van.
Hyundai also registered this trademark overseas. Through the Madrid International Registration System, the 'ELEXIO' trademark was filed and registered in regions including the Middle East (United Arab Emirates, Egypt, etc.), Oceania (New Zealand), and Latin America (Colombia, Cuba, etc.). Utilizing the Madrid International Registration system allows securing exclusive rights to a trademark in multiple selected countries at once.
The 'ELEXIO' trademark design recently secured by Hyundai Motor Company. Korea Intellectual Property Rights Information Service (KIPRIS)
It has been about a year since Hyundai last registered a new vehicle name as a trademark, rather than a business brand or design image, with 'STARGAZER' in May last year. Currently, STARGAZER is used as the name of a minivan launched in Southeast Asian markets such as Indonesia.
Hyundai's new vehicle trademark registration can be interpreted as a sign of strengthening cooperation with GM. As discussions on commercial vehicle sharing approach the final stage, Hyundai has begun preliminary work for launching a new vehicle by filing a new trademark. There is growing speculation that the name of the new electric van developed by Hyundai and shared with GM will be 'ELEXIO.'
According to Reuters, the two companies are negotiating model sharing by exchanging Hyundai electric vans and GM pickup trucks. Among these, the electric van is planned to be produced domestically first and exported overseas, with plans under consideration to manufacture the van at a US plant after 2028.
Last September, Chung Eui-sun, Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group (right in the photo), and Mary Barra, Chairwoman of General Motors, are taking a commemorative photo after signing an MOU for comprehensive cooperation. Photo by Hyundai Motor Company
Since signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for comprehensive cooperation in September last year, Hyundai and GM have been exploring continuous collaboration methods. The two companies announced they would complete binding contracts, including joint parts purchasing and model sharing through 'rebadging' (selling the same model under different brand names), by the first quarter of this year. As the initially targeted deadline has passed, the industry expects concrete cooperation plans between the two companies to be announced soon.
Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Euisun and GM Chair Mary Barra are expected to appear together on the same stage in September. They are scheduled to deliver keynote speeches at the Automotive News Forum, a leading US automotive media event. It is anticipated that both sides will share detailed collaboration plans at this event. Through cooperation, they are expected to present roles to counter emerging Chinese electric vehicle manufacturers and lead the global automotive industry as established market leaders.
In addition, Hyundai is sequentially registering trademarks combining the alphabet T and numbers such as 'IONIQ T7, IONIQ T10' for its electric vehicle brand IONIQ. The intended uses for these trademarks include ▲sport utility vehicle (SUV) ▲dump truck ▲truck ▲electric vehicle. There is speculation that these could be names for Hyundai's new electric pickup truck lineup.
A Hyundai official commented on the patent application, saying, "While the trademark application is true, we do not know which vehicle model or market it will be applied to," adding, "We are discussing various candidates."
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