Attorneys for General Motors recently filed to trademark the word Velite. Does this mean you’ll soon see a hybrid or all-electric SUVs at your local Buick dealer soon? What does this mean for new Buick EV models?

It’s Déjà vu All Over Again

The site GM Authority recently uncovered a January 26, 2022 trademark filing showing GM requested the word mark under the Goods and Services category. GM describes the intended use for Velite as “Motor land vehicles, namely, automobiles.”

This isn’t the first time the automaker has filed to reserve the name Velite. GM initially filed to trademark the name a decade ago and then made repeated filings in 2014 and 2015. However, they have yet to produce a vehicle under that name for the U.S. market. Instead, the Velite badge has been used on Buick models produced and sold in China.

Is Buick the Odd Brand Out?

Now that General Motors has announced it’s going all-in on electric vehicles, we’ve seen new EV models emerge for Cadillac, Chevrolet, and GMC. That’s left Buick as the only GM brand without a dedicated EV or PHEV offered in the United States.

While Buick hasn’t yet launched a hybrid or electric vehicle stateside, the brand has sold the Velite in China for several years. Originally a rebranded Chevy Volt, the Velite 5 sedan went on sale for the Chinese market in 2017. The design later morphed into a compact wagon and was relaunched in 2019 as the Velite 6 EV and PHEV.

A new crossover model, the Velite 7, debuted in 2020. The Velite 7 looks similar to the Chevrolet Bolt EV, which makes sense since the EVs GM had in the works were sharing the BEV underpinnings with the Chevy model.

The Future of Buick EV Models

Not to fear, Buick fans, GM isn’t letting its crop of luxury crossovers and SUVs go fallow. But those looking for a Buick EV will have to wait a little longer. General Motors plans to release the first electric crossover under the Buick brand in 2024, with another expected at your Buick dealer shortly after.

Given GM’s recent filings, it’s a fair guess that the first EV will wear the Velite badge. But what about the second one? It turns out Velite wasn’t the only name GM was putting dibs on.

Is the Electra Making a Comeback?

In late 2021, General Motors filed to trademark the Electra name. The luxury sedan was a staple in the Buick lineup from the early 1960s until GM ceased production in 1990.

The automaker debuted its eye-popping Electra concept car at the 2020 Bejing Auto Show. Among the concept’s most attention-grabbing features is its curved glass roof and winged doors, along with a design that looks like it drove out of the pages of a 1930 World’s Fair program. If there is a new vehicle worthy of the Electra name, this is it.

Buick EV Models: Coming to a Buick Dealer Near You in 2024

If you’re holding out for a new Buick electric SUV, your wait is almost over. General Motors has pledged to start rolling EVs bearing the Buick brand off the production line and into Buick dealerships in the next couple of years. Whether either of the first two models bears the Velite or Electra badge, well, we’ll have to wait and see.