Ford Patent Filed For Hybrid Vehicle Launch Control System

Ford Motor Company has filed a patent for a hybrid vehicle launch control system, Ford Authority has learned.

The patent was filed on April 22^nd, 2019, published on May 24^th, 2022, and assigned serial number 11338794.

The Ford Authority Take

In spite of its major EV push, Ford continues to innovate in the area of other types of electrified vehicles, recently filing a patent for a continuously variable transmission (CVT) with discrete gear ratios for hybrid vehicles. CEO Jim Farley recently said that the automaker will continue to develop hybrid vehicles for the foreseeable future as well, particularly as sales for those models continue to rise. Now, a new and very interesting Ford patent aims to make hybrids a bit more fun to drive, too.

This Ford patent outlines a launch control system for hybrid vehicles, one that could operate while receiving power from both a gas and electric motor. Interestingly, the patent mentions a dual clutch transmission and rear-wheel drive multiple times, though it also notes that it could be used in conjunction with vehicles that supply electric power to the front wheels as well. Currently, there is no Blue Oval vehicle that utilizes this sort of technology, however.

The patent also mentions that this launch control system could be used in vehicles that have a traditional automatic gearbox, which means that it could be deployed in the most obvious machine within FoMoCo’s current lineup – the Ford Mustang. Regular Mustang models can be equipped with Ford’s traditional 10-speed automatic transmission, while the Shelby GT500 comes with a seven-speed dual clutch gearbox.

This particular patent suggests that Ford at least did some research on the kind of technology that could be used on a theoretical hybrid Mustang with all-wheel drive. However, as Ford Authority exclusively reported in April, the next-generation S650 will feature carryover engines when it launches – reportedly in 2023 as a 2024  model – and will not offer any sort of all-wheel drive system, either.

We’ll have more on this and all Ford patents soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford trademark news, Ford business news, and non-stop Ford news coverage.