Tesla submitted applications to the US Patent and Trademark Office on Wednesday to register the terms “Cybercar” and “Cybervehicle,” according to documents published on the USPTO website. The electric vehicle company previously filed applications for the Cybercab and Cyberbus, two products that don’t exist yet, as well as the Cybertruck, the official truck for middle-aged fathers who don’t have child visitation rights.

The big question is if the Cybercar and Cyber ​​vehicle is meant to be something that eventually gets a public release or remains vaporware and serves little purpose beyond juicing Tesla’s stock price. Both options seem equally likely at this point.

The law firm Tanning IPwhich was the first to report on trademark applications, said that once the USPTO reviews and approves a trademark, companies like Tesla typically have about three years to begin using the name commercially before they risk losing it. Alternatively, you cannot park a trademark like a web domain forever. Ultimately, you have to sell the product, or it will be taken away.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk announced in an earnings call on Wednesday that he is stopping the Model S and X. “We expect to stop production of the S and X in the next quarter and basically stop production,” Musk said. “That’s a little sad, but it’s time to end the S and X programs, and it’s part of our overall transition to an autonomous future.”

What does an autonomous future mean? For Musk, this means a focus on things like humanoid robots. He is hyping his Optimus robot like crazy, despite the fact that Tesla is behind competitors when it comes to capabilities. Whenever he takes Optimus out to show off some impressive feat like pouring beer or folding laundry, it’s usually with someone controlling the robot remotely. Sometimes with hilarious bad results.

But the question is what Musk’s new names, the Cybercar and the Cybervehicle, mean. One possibility is that these are Cybertruck-related names and will be vehicles with large box designs. Another possibility is that it may be more closely related to the Cybercab, a concept car that Musk unveiled in late 2024 which can only seat two people and has no steering wheel.

The Cybercab is not to be confused with the Robotaxi, which is the car that drives passengers in Austin, Texas. Those Robotaxis have a steering wheel and are basically regular Tesla cars with thinking people. Is the Cybercar and Cybervehicle viewed as something without a steering wheel? We don’t really know yet.

Another option is that these cars are related to the flying car Musk teased to Joe Rogan last year. The Tesla CEO said he will demo the mystery car before the end of 2025. That didn’t happen, obviously. But whenever things look up for Tesla’s business, Musk always tries to dangle another shiny object in front of Wall Street to keep his stock price up.

Gerben IP seems to favor the theory that the new filings are related to the Cybertruck: “Given Tesla’s track record, it would not be surprising if one of these names eventually ends up with a smaller, faster cousin of the Cybertruck.” But we are skeptical. Cybertruck sales are in the toilet, and it seems more likely that it has to do with some vaporware that is more compatible with Cybercab.

Tesla did not respond to emailed questions Thursday, though that’s not a surprise. Every company under Musk’s control is actively hostile to the press, and the billionaire shut down Tesla’s PR department years ago. We’ll update this article if, by some miracle, we hear from Tesla.