General Motors has renewed its patent for the name “FNR” with the United States Patent and Trademark Office, suggesting that neither the General nor Chevrolet — the brand that used the name on a pair of concept vehicles — are done using the moniker. There’s no word yet on when Chevrolet plans to use the name again, but given its history, it could be used on a new concept that will debut somewhere down the road. The USPTO has yet to grant the patent renewal to GM, though it could only be a matter of time before it does.

The first of these two concepts made its debut at Auto Shanghai back in 2015 as an autonomous, all-electric concept. It was one of the most dynamic and futuristic concept vehicles Chevy has released in recent memory, thanks in part to its high-tech capsule design, crystal laser headlights and taillights, wireless charging system, and "dragonfly dual swing" doors.

Two years after the first FNR Concept debuted, Chevrolet returned to Auto Shanghai 2017 with a new concept called the FNR-X. Unlike the original concept, the FNR-X was more rooted in reality as a crossover that featured Chevy’s next-generation aerodynamic technology, including active front and rear spoilers, movable side skirts, and wheel blades that closed at highway speed to help reduce drag.

It’s unclear what Chevy plans to do with the FNR name moving forward, but the company has owned the trademark since 2015 and has already received five extensions on it since then. That doesn’t guarantee plans for use in the future, but Chevrolet appears to think the name is important enough to go through all the trouble of continuing to renew it with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

If the USPTO grants the renewal — all signs point to it happening — don’t be surprised if Chevrolet dusts it off and uses it on a third concept vehicle. It’s anybody’s guess what this new concept is going to look like, but knowing Chevy, it’s going to be grounded on the company’s “Find New Roads” mentality.

Further reading

Read our full review on the 2015 Chevrolet FNR.

Read our full review on the 2017 Chevrolet FNR-X.