In the quickly evolving panorama of sustainable transportation, electrical autos (EVs) are on the forefront. However, ‘range anxiety’ – the worry of operating out of battery earlier than reaching a charging station – has been a persistent concern for potential EV house owners. Ford has proposed an revolutionary answer to this difficulty: a detachable roof battery for EVs.
“The techniques described relate to an electrified vehicle backup battery system, which includes a traction battery pack and a backup battery assembly that is removably mounted to the vehicle. This backup battery assembly can recharge the traction battery pack through a charge port of the vehicle.”
Ford’s patent utility for this detachable roof battery expertise has been making waves within the trade. The proposed system includes a backup battery pack that’s conveniently mounted on the roof of the automobile, offering drivers with further battery energy. This ingenious answer is designed to alleviate vary anxiousness, guaranteeing that drivers don’t have to fret about their EV operating out of energy earlier than they’ll attain the subsequent charging station.
“The backup battery assembly is particularly useful for vehicles that frequent areas lacking high numbers of charging stations, such as off-roading vehicles utilized for off-roading.”
The patent means that these detachable roof batteries could possibly be rented or leased previous to embarking on lengthy drives or off-roading adventures. This signifies that the battery packs won’t solely be detachable but in addition appropriate with quite a lot of EV fashions. This versatility may probably win over drivers who’ve been hesitant about buying an EV as a consequence of issues about battery life and charging infrastructure.
“A method of charging the traction battery pack 14 with the backup battery assembly 42 can include charging the backup battery assembly 42 and then mounting the backup battery assembly 42 to the roof rack 38 of the electrified vehicle 10. The electrified vehicle 10 is then driven to a location, such as a campsite, without readily accessible recharging stations. The driving reduces the state of charge of the traction battery pack 14.”
The shift to EVs is a major step in direction of a extra sustainable future. On common, EVs produce 30-50% much less air pollution than autos with inside combustion engines. Therefore, improvements like Ford’s detachable roof battery are usually not simply technological developments; they’re additionally vital strides in direction of environmental sustainability.
However, the patent utility leaves some questions unanswered. For occasion, on condition that EV batteries can weigh over 1,000 kilos, how are drivers alleged to mount such a hefty battery pack on prime of their automobiles? What sort of reinforcements will automobiles have to help that sort of weight? Speculations recommend that Ford may go for a smaller capability battery, much like the unique Prius plug-in hybrid’s 4.4-kWh battery, which weighed a manufacturer-claimed 176 kilos.
Currently, there’s no definitive timeline for when these detachable roof batteries might be accessible for widespread use. However, the patent utility is a transparent indication that automakers like Ford are keen to offer extra versatile EV choices to cater to a broader vary of drivers and their numerous driving calls for.
Ford’s patent for a detachable roof battery represents a major leap ahead within the EV trade. It not solely addresses some of the urgent issues of potential EV house owners – vary anxiousness – but in addition underscores the trade’s dedication to innovation and sustainability. As we await additional developments, one factor is obvious: the way forward for EVs is shiny, and it’s charging forward at full pace with improvements just like the detachable roof battery.
Source:
https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/20230173902
Source: theweeklydriver.com
