On June 10th, Ford applied for an interesting patent to install external batteries on the roof of electric vehicles, which can charge the main battery pack in areas without charging stations.
Documents submitted by Ford to the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) show an SUV similar to the Bronco with a luggage rack on the roof carrying something similar to a regular car roof box. However, a charging cable extends from the back of the box, which conceals a backup battery.
According to Ford’s patent application, this backup battery can be installed when traveling to an area with scarce charging stations and removed at home, where the car owner can use an electric vehicle charger to charge the battery. Therefore, it can be seen as a large mobile power bank for electric vehicles.
The patent application states, “The backup battery pack includes multiple battery modules and a connection port. A cable can be used to connect the backup battery pack to the electric vehicle’s electrical system, by inserting the backup battery pack’s connection port into the electric vehicle’s charging port.” In addition, Ford states that the roof-mounted backup battery has air ducts on both sides of the housing to improve the heat dissipation of the battery cells. They can also be equipped with remotely operated valves to close them to prevent water, cold air, or sand from entering the housing and potentially damaging the battery.
In addition, the battery contains a control module that can be connected to the vehicle’s communication module, allowing the car owner to control the battery from inside the vehicle.
This is a very creative patent that can solve the problem of charging electric vehicles when off-roading, where there are no charging stations. However, IT Home found a problem with this solution: weight. It is well known that lithium-ion batteries are quite heavy, and placing them on the roof of a vehicle will raise the center of gravity, making it prone to tipping over at high speeds, which is not a small problem.
