Ford Motor Company has filed a patent for an 800V architecture that may be used in future Ford EVs, Ford Authority has learned.
The patent was filed on October 26th, 2020, published on February 27th, 2024, and assigned serial number 11912145.
The Ford Authority Take
One of the main sticking points of EVs in general pertains to charging speeds, which tend to vary greatly on a model by model basis. Currently, Ford EVs utilize a 400 volt electrical system, which lags a bit behind some of its competition from the likes of Hyundai, Kia, and now, Tesla, which can take advantage of the faster charging speeds that an 800 volt architecture allows. This is a big part of the reason why the Ford Mustang Mach-E – in particular – ranked near the bottom of the pack in terms of charging speeds in a recent study, too.
However, this new patent filing indicates that Ford is working on a major improvement in that regard – or, more specifically, a system that would enable future Ford EVs to utilize multi-voltage charging circuits that support charging at different voltage levels. The patent notes that the first voltage level would be 400V, but it would also add a second voltage level of 800V for scenarios where faster chargers are available to use.
This type of system is already in use in select EVs that are on sale today, such as the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6, which are capable of taking advantage of 400- and 800-volt charging. At the upper level of the threshold, this means that the Ioniq 5, in particular, can go from a 10-80 percent state of charge in just 18 minutes – speeds that future Ford EVs may match or exceed if this system – or one like it – comes to fruition.
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Comment
800 V is easy to implement and it save 50% of the cabling weight. As well, change the low voltage systems from 12 V to 48 V, and save even more cabling weight.