Ford Motor Company has filed a patent for unattended bidirectional charging, Ford Authority has learned.
The patent was filed on August 3rd, 2021, published on February 16th, 2023, and assigned serial number 0048233.
The Ford Authority Take
Ford has filed a large number of EV charging-related patents in recent months as it continues to innovate in that regard, including one for passthrough charging support, a portable vehicle charging system, and a bidirectional charging system for ATVs, to name just a few. Now, this newly filed Ford patent continues that trend by introducing an idea for unattended bidirectional charging capability, which figures to build upon the existing vehicle-to-vehicle charging abilities of the Ford F-150 Lightning.
Vehicle-to-vehicle charging has already come in handy on multiple occasions, giving F-150 Lightning owners the ability to supply power to other EVs on the go. In fact, this patent mentions instances when a vehicle may be in need of charge in some remote location, at which point this system could identify its location and send out another all-electric vehicle to charge it.
The difference here is, the EV that’s sent to charge a customer’s vehicle would drive there autonomously, providing instructions to the owner on how to plug their vehicle into the responding vehicle. When the vehicles are successfully connected, the lights would flash, and the vehicle could give the owner updates on the charging process as well.
This is certainly an interesting idea that could become quite useful as EVs become more and more prevalent. While a company could simply employ a fleet of vehicles like the F-150 Lightning and have actual drivers take them out for this kind of task, doing it autonomously is also a real possibility if that technology becomes viable in the future, as expected.
We’ll have more on this and all Ford patents soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford patent news, Ford business news, and continuous Ford news coverage.
Comments
Automotive engineers can’t put enough lipstick on the EV pig. These contortions to solve all the problems caused by EVs are ridiculous.
Hey FORD how about Patenting a more reliable, safer EV?
Hey Bill, how about being less silly.
LoL are you getting daft again?
I know you are capable of some creative thinking. And forward looking paranoia.
The best time to patent something is before somebody else does. That’s why they do this now. It’s a foundational patent.
As for problem solving, this is a solution that ICE vehicles are never going to get, the “gas” pump that automatically comes to you no matter why you need a charge.
Shows up every time I call AAA. No problem.
Sure but that is still the old way of doing it.
Ps: BELOW
Oh no, It’s Bil The Patent Hating Hairball Cat, about to tell us how buggy whips and leather grease seals were all that was ever needed.
Henry Ford would agree with you, he nearly rode the Model T all the way into Ch 11 before sanity prevailed.
Many times old IS better, more reliable and less expensive in the overall scheme of things.
So as I watch my car leave me stranded as it rescues some idiot who forgot to charge their car…you got to be kidding me. Just wondering when ford will decide I don’t need 400 Hp and over the air cuts me back to a more politically correct 125hp.
You are exactly correct. Or throttles you to 45mph because it is the most economical speed, etc., etc. Or stops your vehicle dead if you are Red Flagged as a threat because your social credit score is too low.
DD, Keep posting dystopian visions like this and your home locks won’t let you out and you’ll be subjected to 36-hours of looped Debby Boone – ‘You Light Up My Life’.
And I will continue to do so. As I’ve noted several times, there are no real data privacy laws in the US. That is a key problem. Further, companies are driving deeper and deeper into peoples lives, and even their brains. AI is aggregating your personal data to be used against you. The government turns a blind eye towards it because they want to tap into the surveillance whenever they want, and IT has become the overseer of the 21st century plantation of taxpayer slaves that need to feed a wildly consumptive, and grossly corrupt, government complex.
LoL and I wouldn’t be surprised if you keep voting for the red hat politicians that align with the tech loons like Thiel.
When was the last time you gave a donation to somebody like Ron Wyden or Ted Lieu who try to promote data privacy and security issues?
You sound like a good candidate for 10hp, max speed 8mph, Rascal Mode.
That would be very frustrating in my ’24 Expedition Max Raptor.
I was actually responding to Eric who is in a panic about things that won’t happen.
But since you bring it up, I guess I’m also responding to something else that won’t happen.
Oh, no, I’m sure they won’t even let you unlock the doors to enjoy that new car smell.