New trademark filings could signal Ford's plans to offer electric versions of its Maverick and Ranger pickup trucks.

As first spotted by CarBuzz, Ford on Monday filed trademark protection for “Maverick Lightning” and “Ranger Lightning” with the European Union Intellectual Property Office.

At the time of writing, the trademarks aren't listed in the database of the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Lightning was traditionally the designation Ford used for F-150 street trucks, but with Ford's latest F-150 the designation has come to signify the electric version of the full-size pickup truck which was added for 2022. Likewise, electric versions of Ford's compact and mid-size pickup trucks would most likely also use Lightning in their names.

New Ford Ranger (Global model)

New Ford Ranger (Global model)

Trademark protection doesn't necessarily mean the protected name will be used, but Ford has confirmed plans to launch more electric pickup trucks. And early reservations for the F-150 Lightning show there's certainly demand for the vehicles. Ford has over 200,000 reservations for the F-150 Lighting, which led the automaker to boost production capacity to 150,000 units a year, or almost four times the original planned amount.

Electric versions of the Maverick and Ranger will also help boost Ford EV sales outside of the U.S., where the F-150 Lighting may be deemed too big.

Unlike the F-150 Lightning, electric versions of the Maverick and Ranger will likely use dedicated EV platforms, which means the launch is likely some years away still. Ford in 2021 confirmed it has two dedicated EV platforms in the works, one capable of supporting mid-size vehicles including a pickup truck. The other platform is designed for full-size pickup trucks and SUVs. For smaller vehicles, Ford will rely on Volkswagen Group's MEB platform.

Before the arrival of any electric Maverick or Ranger, we're likely to see plug-in hybrid versions. Don't be surprised if Ford ends up using the Thunder designation for the plug-in hybrids, as both "Maverick Thunder" and "Ranger Thunder" have been trademarked by the automaker.