Jaguar might be the next automaker to step up to Tesla Motors in the electric car game.
The British company has applied to trademark the name "EV-Type," which could be an electric version of its upcoming F-Pace SUV, according to Autocar.
The F-Pace, based on the C-X17 concept that came on the scene at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show, will be Jaguar's first SUV and is expected to be available to drivers in the U.S. as a 2016 model, Business Insider reported.
Features and capabilities of the rumored EV-Type have yet to be revealed, which makes it difficult to compare the vehicle to Tesla's Model X crossover, which comes with a 300-mile electric range and can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in less than four seconds.
Sources with knowledge of Jaguar's projects say that the company doesn't plan on making a model bigger than the F-Pace due to the performance intended for its SUVs.
In addition to suggesting a new version of the F-Type sports car, the name "EV-Type" also hints at Jaguar developing an electric version of the classic E-Type roadster from 1961, according to Green Car Reports.
The electric car is also expected to be built under contract by Magna Steyr in Graz, Austria, rather than on the SUV's main production line in Solihull, England.
If the "EV-Type" car turns out to be an electric SUV, Jaguar will join a long list of automakers that are challenging Tesla in the electric car race. Such competitors include Aston Martin, which recently revealed that it plans to bring an electric version of the Rapide sedan to the roads in two years, and Audi, which is set on beginning production of its own electric SUV in 2018.
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