Toyota’s Japanese headquarters has registered four new brands that can be used for its future electric models.

In addition to its current BZ-series electric car range – which so far includes the BZ3 and BZ4X – Toyota has now filed trademarks for BZ1C, BZ2C, BZ3C and BZ4C.

The files were first dug up by a member of the BZ forums, and suggests that the Japanese auto giant may be looking to expand its BZ lineup to include additional body styles or options for the battery and electric motors.

The letter C could stand for “coupe”, with sloping versions of vehicles possibly being sold alongside traditional models – as in the case of the BMW 3 Series and 4 Series Gran Coupe and the X5 and X6.

Or the names could refer to “crossover,” which is an industry term for vehicles that bridge the gap between a traditional hatch or wagon body and high-riding SUVs — like the Mercedes-Benz A-Class and GLA.

Unveiling the BZ3 for the Chinese market in October 2022, Toyota teased the third member of its BZ electric car lineup (above) – a vehicle with a similar silhouette to the recently unveiled Toyota Crown sedan and hatchback Toyota Prius models – albeit to this one It is not yet clear at this point whether the vehicle is a BZ3X, BZ3C or something else entirely.

Curiously, while Toyota has previously applied for trademarks of BZ1, BZ1X, BZ2, BZ2X, BZ3, BZ3X, BZ4, BZ4X, BZ5, and BZ5X, the company doesn’t appear to have applied for BZ5C.

This suggests that plans for the company’s future model range have already been drawn up within the company, rather than the names being merely trademarked to protect future use.