Ford Motor Company has filed a patent for retractable extension cords that could be used in future Ford vehicles, Ford Authority has learned.
The patent was filed on June 21st, 2022, published on December 21st, 2023, and assigned serial number 0406235.
The Ford Authority Take
Ford’s Pro Power Onboard feature – which launched back in 2021 – has become immensely popular over the past couple of years, and for good reason – it’s incredibly useful in any situation where one might need a portable power source. As such, Ford continues to explore ways to make this kind of feature more useful in the future, recently filing patents for a system that could help provide more power for outlets installed in hybrid vehicles, a vehicle connectivity system for enhancing power tool operation, interchangeable AC outlets, a new Pro Power Onboard interface, and an integrated truck bed for power outlets. Now, this newly filed patent keeps that trend going by introducing an idea for retractable extension cords that could be used in future Ford vehicles, too.
The presence of power outlets in vehicles is certainly nothing new, and has become more and more common in recent years. From powering homes during outages to providing juice for tools on remote job sites, there are many reasons for this, but currently, one has to settle for plugging devices into those outlets, using a traditional extension cord for times when one needs to operate those devices further away than the regular cord allows.
That’s precisely where this patent comes into play – it proposes integrating a retractable extension cord into future vehicles, which is both simple and quite smart. This way, power could be provided to devices without having to worry about using an extension cord or – if one doesn’t have one on hand – using that power source at all. As such, it certainly wouldn’t be surprising to see such a feature used in future Ford vehicles of all kinds.
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
Ford was the very first brand to offer a 120 VAC outlet in the 2005 Escape Hybrid, and all Ford and Lincoln hybrids, including the trucks, still have outlets. Adding retractable cables is not needed since every owner can buy the cable they need for much less than what Ford will charge us.
My ’23 Escape Platinum Hybrid does not have an AC outlet.