General Motors has announced an adjustment to Buick’s traditional GS (which stands for Gran Sport) branding element, a symbol dating back to 1965. The adjusted symbol combines the old GS badge and the new Buick Electra EV (indicating the new electric vehicle line) nameplate.
Buick Goes Electric
The new symbol will be present on forthcoming Buick electric models, vehicles that will soon predominate among Buick dealers. It’s all part of the automaker’s wholesale move into the electric vehicle market. This line of vehicles will sport the new Electra badge accompanied by an alphanumeric identifier indicating the size and body style of each subsequent individual model. This visual rebranding comes in advance of the official launch of Buick’s first electric vehicle, planned for some time in 2024.
The initial Buick EV is scheduled for an official introduction in late 2022. It is anticipated that Buick’s initial EVs will be electric crossovers and will share the same engine architecture and line of Ultium batteries as other yet-to-be-announced GM electric vehicles. Earlier this year, GM announced it would offer buyouts to Buick dealers (Cadillac dealerships, too) that declined to participate in the EV roll-out. GMC and Chevrolet dealers are excluded from the offer, however.
A New Visual Identity
The decision to retain the historic GS badge is part of GM’s ongoing effort to add a new visual component to Buick’s basic brand emblem, thereby maintaining a sense of continuity and brand recognition as Buick transitions into a new era. The GS insignia was a mainstay on Buick cars throughout the 1960s and retained a presence for decades thereafter. The most recent model to receive the GS badge was the 2018 Buick Regal Sportback.
The Buick Electra EV has officially been trademarked in the United States and Canada. The newt Electra’s nameplate recalls an emblem originally used on a Buick model that lasted from 1959 to 1990. The Electra EV concept was unveiled in 2020 in Shanghai, China.
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