Earlier this month, Ford hosted a meeting with its dealer network in Las Vegas, which was an event chock full of revealing news regarding the automaker’s future plans. That included, as Ford Authority previously reported, previews of potential Ford Mustang variants such as a four-door and off-road-focused model, as well as a potential small van based on the Ford Maverick. That wasn’t everything The Blue Oval covered, however, as it also showed off some interesting possible future EV tech, too.
According to Automotive News, that tech was EV batteries that would be integrated into a vehicle’s chassis, which is something that other companies – including BYD and Tesla – have explored in the past as well. There are several benefits to such a design, including including reduced manufacturing costs, reduced complexity, a more efficient overall package, and more interior space, not to mention a stronger overall structure.
It’s unclear if this sort of design will make its way into Ford’s under-development low-cost EV platform, though the automaker did note that building several types of vehicles on that same shared architecture will help reduce costs as well. The low-cost platform will debut in a mid-size pickup at some point in 2027, and could wind up underpinning everything from crossovers to rideshare vehicles and even perhaps a sedan.
At the same time, Ford also canceled plans to build a pair of three-row all-electric crossovers for North America, instead opting to develop new hybrid models to replace them amid declining demand growth for EVs. CEO Jim Farley previously stated that high battery costs were to blame for delays in bringing those models to market, which is something that the new low-cost platform and this integrated battery technology may help compensate for.
We’ll have more on these Ford’s EV plans soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for continuous Ford news coverage.
Comments
Could imagine this would be costly to repair and would be very high to insure
Seeing as most of these need connections for wiring, as well as plumbing to be glycol cooled, and have contactors, in addition to startup capacitor charging relays, I can’t fathom how burying the battery further into the car could possibly save any money.
If they want to protect the battery further to lower insurance costs due to fewer fires during collisions they can do that now in lieu of coming out with any more ridiculous low-intelligence patents, that FORD seems addicted to lately.
It’s likely a result of the analysis of how Tesla is integrating the battery into the chassis on the Model 3 and Model Y. I agree that maintenance on the battery would probably be more difficult than having a separate battery pack. But Ford and the other OEMs seem to be following Tesla’s lead on every EV “innovation” they introduce.