Well, this could be very interesting. According to a report from Auto Guide, Jaguar->ke39 has just trademarked the name “EV-Type.” Now aside from the sports cars->ke506 like the E-Type,->ke1246 D-Type->ke1250 and F-Type,->ke1224 Jaguar has used the “-Type” suffix on sedans like the X-Type->ke1217 and S-Type,->ke1218 so we are not entirely sure what kind of car Jaguar may want to use this name on, but we can certainly come up with some ideas.

For starters, Jaguar’s F-Type came from the C-X16 concept that was electrified. That could mean that Jaguar is planning a hybrid sports car->ke147 based on the F-Type, but the most likely scenario is an electrified version of the new XE or the refreshed XF sedans. By moving an electric or plug-in hybrid drivetrain into a shell like this, Jaguar has an easy and quick weapon to use against the Tesla Model S.->ke3329 The Model S has been relatively dominating the luxury sedan market, and every auto maker is looking at a way to get a slice of that pie. AutoGuide even goes so far as to suggest that an EV car from Jaguar could be used to underpin a small SUV->ke145 from Land Rover->ke46 with electric power to take the fight to the [Tesla Model X.

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Battery-powered cars are coming hot and fast, and Jaguar appears to be getting ready to join in on that fight. What do you guys think this means? Is Jaguar going to build a hybrid sports car from the F-Type? Is this new car going to be a Model S fighter? Are Jaguar’s lawyers just finding things to keep themselves busy so they decided to start filing patent claims? Sound off in those comments and let us know.

Click past the jump to read more about Jaguar's latest trademark.

Why it matters

The Tesla Model S has completely changed the landscape of the automotive industry. If a luxury maker like Jaguar wants to keep up, it needn to start moving quickly. The fact that the brand has already filed a patent for the EV-Type names shows that there is at least some serious planning about an electric car for the brand’s portfolio.

Jaguar and Land Rover have both seen a large resurgence in the last few years with aggressive car updates, performance models and increased luxury options at price points that usually undercut the competitors. The building momentum of sales and the increasing prestige of the Jaguar name could make now the perfect time introduce a new car for an entirely new segment. Rest assured, whatever the EV-Type is destined for, the next few years at Jaguar are going to be very interesting.

Jaguar C-X16 Concept

The C-X16 was a concept car that Jaguar debuted way back in 2011 at Frankfurt Auto Show. The car featured a 3.0-liter, supercharged V-6 coupled to an electric motor for a hybrid system that produced more than 400 horsepower. The car itself was actually just a design preview for the new F-Type sports car that debuted in 2013 as a roadster with a coupe version arriving for 2014. Both cars arrived with the same 3.0-liter V-6 of the concept car, complete with supercharger, but the hybrid electric system was dropped for production.