Ford Motor Company has filed a patent for a more efficient method of heating cabins that may be used in future Ford hybrids, Ford Authority has learned.
The patent was filed on October 17th, 2024, published on May 1st, 2025, and assigned serial number 0136081.
The Ford Authority Take
Ford has filed a few patents aimed at various ways it might improve the HVAC systems in its future vehicles as of late, presenting us with ideas for things like a climate controlled frunk for EVs and an instant cabin heating system. This newly published patent is specifically aimed at Ford hybrids, however, and it gives us an idea for a more efficient and effective way of heating up the cabins of those partially-electrified vehicles.
As Ford points out here, vehicles tend to continue to run their heaters if the outside temperatures remain low, even in places like the luggage compartment, when a vehicle is at a standstill. This can reduce the efficiency not only of ICE models, but also hybrids, perhaps depleting the battery pack when the vehicle isn’t in motion and the gas engine is turned off. Thus, Ford proposes using a new type of heating system with a special “park” mode that could deactivate itself if the fuel level or the battery’s state of charge fall below a certain level, which could cause problems – such as an inability to start the vehicle during the next cycle.
“Submitting patent applications is a normal part of any strong business as the process protects new ideas and helps us build a robust portfolio of intellectual property,” Ford said in a statement. “The ideas described within a patent application should not be viewed as an indication of our business or product plans. No matter what the patent application outlines, we will always put the customer first in the decision-making behind the development and marketing of new products and services.”
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