Ford Motor Company has filed a patent for deployable charging points, Ford Authority has learned.
The patent was filed on November 19th, 2020, published on January 31st, 2023, and assigned serial number 11565600.
The Ford Authority Take
Ford has submitted a large number of charging-related patents in recent months, a list that includes filings for a hands-free charging system, an in-flight EV towing assistance system, an in-flight charging system for EVs, a portable vehicle charging system, an EV charging coordination system, and an EV charging pad with wireless charging, to name just a few. Now, that trend continues with this newly filed Ford patent, which outlines an idea for deployable charging ports.
As Ford notes in the patent, EVs and PHEVs utilize a charge port mounted on the exterior of those vehicles that is used to charge their batteries, though these ports aren’t always located in the most ergonomic or easily accessible locations. Additionally, these ports are typically covered in some sort of way, but the operation of the covers can be affected by things like weather – in some cases, for example, winter precipitation can freeze them shut.
As such, this Ford patent presents a way to solve these problems with a deployable charging point assembly that’s capable of moving in different directions as needed. When not in use, the charging assembly would retract into the vehicle so that it’s out of the way, and when needed, it could be deployed in number of directions to make it easy to hook up to a power source.
This idea is quite simply, yet could also prove to be quite useful on future all-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. Some EV owners have faced problems accessing their charge ports in certain weather conditions, and many automakers also place those ports in difficult to reach locations, leaving plenty of room for improvement.
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Comments
It may seem useful, but it adds weight and complexity. True mobile devices just need a charging port, just like smartphones. If the problem is accessibility to a charge station, just use a longer cable at the station, or on the portable EVSE device. Both alternatives are simpler and less costly.
Just another reason I bought a 2022 Maverick HYBRID … no charging point necessary! Battery is constantly rejuvenated through breaking process and, with around town usage, expected battery life is 8-10 yrs!
More brilliance from the invention department.
The only reason you can’t use your hip high, already ergonomically placed, charge point is because the door froze, like a gas flap. How about building it so it can’t, where it is, or adding a heater to it?
Wow, way more simple!
As EVs become more popular, new engineering of charging points should become much more accessible.