Nissan e-Trail trademark points to adventure EV

A new Nissan trademark filing points to an adventurous electric vehicle from the Japanese automaker—but it’s just a hint for now.

In a move first spotted by CarMoses, Nissan filed a trademark application for the name e-Trail with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on Jan. 15. While a trademark filing is no guarantee of production intent, the name is interesting for its closeness to e-Power, the branding of Nissan’s series hybrid system, and e-4ORCE, the dual-motor powertrain currently used in the Ariya EV.

The first version of e-Power was introduced in other markets almost a decade ago, but despite repeated promises, Nissan still hasn’t brought it to the U.S. In 2023, the automaker indicated that U.S. plans for e-Power included trucks, but last year Nissan North America Senior Vice President and Chief Planning Officer Ponz Pandikuthira told Green Car Reports that the system was better suited to crossovers like the Rogue and Kicks.

A next-generation Rogue e-Power is likely a couple of years away at least, but it isn’t the only planned electrified version of Nissan’s compact crossover. The automaker will also leverage its connection to Mitsubishi to use the latter’s plug-in hybrid tech in the Rogue. It’s a straightforward swap, as said tech is already used in the Mitsubishi Outlander, which shares underpinnings with the Rogue. Could an e-Trail badge be applied to that model?

2025 Nissan Ariya

CarMoses also speculates that e-Trail could refer to an off-road version of the Ariya, to be sold alongside current Ariya e-4ORCE models, which are tuned more for on-road driving dynamics.

Whatever Nissan has planned for the e-Trail name, it could very well change. The automaker’s planned merger with Honda could upend some product plans, and Nissan has already reportedly delayed some U.S.-market EVs.