Ford Motor Company has filed a patent for integrated heat dissipating skid plates that may be used in future Ford EVs, Ford Authority has learned.
The patent was filed on October 19th, 2022, published on July 15th, 2025, and assigned serial number 12358567.
The Ford Authority Take
Skid plates are a popular feature for off-road focused vehicles, as they’re designed to help protect vital components like the engine, transmission, transfer case, and even the fuel tank from damage caused by objects like rocks. In that vein, the Ford F-150 Lightning comes equipped with skid plates to protect its EV bits as standard equipment, while The Blue Oval also sells a battery shield kit for the Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally, too. Now, this newly published patent presents us with an idea for an integrated heat dissipating skid plates that may be used in future Ford EVs, too.
What’s particularly interesting about these proposed skid plates is that they feature a series of cooling channels, meaning that they’d serve a double purpose. Not only could these skid plates protect the battery pack of an EV from possible damage, but those cooling channels would also serve to keep the battery pack cool, too. This is especially useful for EVs, as battery packs need to operate within a certain temperature range to be at their most effective and efficient. As such, those cooling channels could help take the place of something like a conventional heat exchanger, potentially doing the same job without the need for fluids and additional parts that add weight and complexity.
“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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Every time I see the Switchgear truck, I remember seeing it at the Chicago Auto Show in 2024. It came right from King of the Hammers. They didn’t even wash it, it was caked with desert crud. Totally perfect for the display. During the setup of the show, a different manufacturer who brings a dog adoption center got photo’d painting dirt on their off road styled cars. Fun contrast of thought process!