Ford Motor Company has filed a patent for a regenerative braking battery charging system that could be used in future Ford EVs, Ford Authority has learned.
The patent was filed on December 23rd, 2020, published on December 19th, 2023, and assigned serial number 11845360.
The Ford Authority Take
In recent months, Ford has filed patents for ideas including an in-flight charging system for EVs, an in-flight EV remote parking system, and an in-flight EV towing assistance system, potentially previewing some driver-less features we may one day enjoy in all-electric vehicles. Now, that trend continues with this new patent filing, which introduces an idea for a regenerative braking battery charging system that could be used in future Ford EVs, too.
While Ford has presented us with the notion that vehicle-to-vehicle charging may one day be possible while one vehicle tows another, the concept here is a bit different. Rather than using a direct connection or a cable, this system would use the energy taken from regenerative braking and put it back into the EV’s battery while it’s being towed behind another vehicle, essentially the same way EVs already do on their own accord.
The motivation behind this idea is pretty familiar – Ford knows that EVs taking long road trips can prove to be cumbersome thanks to charging times. Until battery technology improves to the point where it’s just as quick and easy to charge an EV as it is to refuel an ICE vehicle, alternative methods of charging may be warranted. In the case of this patent, that energy may very well come from a familiar source, but an EV being towed in this way wouldn’t use any energy while it’s moving either, which makes it a pretty interesting idea, indeed.
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 comprehensive Ford news coverage.
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