Volkswagen continues to invest heavily in a future of plug-in electric vehicles as it attempts to clean the diesel soot from its face following its emissions-cheating scandal.
Part of that initiative is coming up with new names for upcoming all-electric models to be sold under its ID electric sub-brand.
If Volkswagen's latest trademark filings in Europe are any indication, it seems the automakers vehicle-naming department may be struggling.
READ MORE: Volkswagen ID Crozz electric SUV to launch in US in 2020
According to UK-based AutoExpress, the German automaker has filed for trademarks on both the Cruiser and Freeler names—both with and without ID preceding them.
The last automaker to use the Cruiser name in the United States was Chrysler for its retro PT Cruiser compact, which went out of production after the 2010 model year.
Freeler, meanwhile, doesn't quite roll easily off the tongues of English speakers—though arguably it's easier to understand how to say it than, say, Touareg.
Volkswagen ID and ID Buzz concepts, 2017 Los Angeles auto show
So it appears Volkswagen may have some challenges ahead as it attempts to bulk up its electric-vehicle portfolio in a hurry.
The automaker has already confirmed at least one model for the United States: an all-electric compact crossover based on the ID Crozz Concept it first showed last year in Shanghai.
That vehicle will likely come to North America in 2020 for the 2021 model year, underpinned by Volkswagen's new MEB electric vehicle architecture.
DON'T MISS: Volkswagen ID electric car production date now set: November 2019
For now, the latest trademark applications are only showing up on European trademark searches.
Still, the number of nations for which those trademarks apply suggests Volkswagen is serious about using them globally.
We'd suggest "ID Cruiser" is likely one of those names better suited to a taller, squarer, more traditional-looking crossover or SUV than to the decidedly coupe-like shape of the ID Crozz concept.
Volkswagen ID Crozz concept, 2017 Los Angeles auto show
Volkswagen ID Crozz concept
Volkswagen ID Crozz concept
Volkswagen ID Crozz concept, 2017 Los Angeles auto show
AutoExpress predicts one of the names could be used for the so-far-unseen sedan model VW plans for the Chinese market, a key electric-vehicle battleground for global automakers.
Volume production of the first Volkswagen ID electric car will begin in November 2019.
That model, however, will be a compact five-door hatchback—though with more interior room than its Golf equivalent—that won't be sold in North America.
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