A new trademark application from Ford has people wondering what comes next for the Ranger. The company has applied in New Zealand to protect the name "Ranger Crosspower," a name it has never used before on any vehicle or technology.According to Autoblog, the filing was first spotted by the site Carmoses. It covers gas and electric vehicles and lists pickup trucks, SUVs, vans, and their structural parts. Ford has separately applied for the standalone "Crosspower" name in both Australia and New Zealand.The "power" in Crosspower suggests a drivetrain. Ford is already developing the next-generation Ranger, so a dedicated powertrain for that truck is one possibility. The company sells a Ranger plug-in hybrid in some markets outside the United States, so the name could also describe another hybrid option.A light blue pickup truck parked on a dirt roadA second theory is a performance model slotting beneath the Raptor, which is expected to stay at the top of the Ranger lineup. The standalone filings also point to a third idea: technology that could be shared across several Ford models. The Ranger already shares its EcoBoost engine with the Explorer and Bronco.A Ranger-based crossover or SUV is considered less likely than the other options, since the Bronco already shares a platform with the Ranger and the Expedition serves buyers wanting a larger body-on-frame vehicle.A Name Is Not a ProductNotably, trademark applications do not guarantee a vehicle is coming, and Ford may simply be securing a name. Yet precedent exists. Ford trademarked Maverick in 2018, and the compact pickup arrived in 2021.Ford has not officially mentioned Crosspower, so it could equally be a trim level or a reserved title without a firm plan. The nearest historical echo is the old Crossflow engine, named for its cross-flow cylinder head.The next Ranger carries its own uncertainty though. Ford engineers in Australia, where the pickup is hugely popular, are already working on it, but CEO Jim Farley has questioned whether building it there is financially viable. If not, development could finish elsewhere, with China and Vietnam both mentioned by Farley.American buyers will hope for no delays, since the current Ranger reached the U.S. roughly a year and a half after its global debut. Until Ford says more, Crosspower remains a clue rather than a confirmed product, leaving the Ranger's future lineup an open question.