The conversation around EVs and their impact on our lives is evolving as the vehicles change and grow with new features and tech. Range anxiety was a significant concern early on, but that has given way to fears about charging times and availability as more EVs offer impressive range estimates. While many automakers have looked to Tesla for access to a more reliable, widespread charging network, almost all of them have continued development of their own solutions. Ford, the first to join Tesla’s Supercharger network, is no exception, and Green Car Reports found a patent for an interesting wireless EV charging system it filed back in 2022 that has recently come to light.
Ford’s “Roadway Charging Coil Alignment and Monitoring” patent relates to inductive charging for EVs. Unlike most systems we’ve seen to date, Ford’s patent is for a system that can charge moving vehicles, which uses charging coils embedded in a road’s surface.
Like fiddling with your wireless smartphone charger to find the right spot, the driver would need to align the vehicle’s batteries with the charging components underneath. To solve for that, Ford’s patent suggests ground penetrating radar and a series of sensors that could help everything line up.
Ford isn’t the first company to explore wireless charging. Genesis has already announced its intentions to develop a wireless solution, and its popular GV60 EV was shown with prototype charging gear. Others have claimed to have tested the technology, and a few years ago, an Israeli company tested commercial trucks on a wireless charging road.
Some, including major automakers, believe that dynamic wireless charging could lead to smaller batteries that require fewer raw materials. In the meantime, entities from all corners of business and government are working to develop new charging solutions and push for more charging locations, as the proliferation of EVs has so far outpaced the infrastructure to support them.
