A recent patent application from Ford hints that the automaker is exploring ways to charge electric vehicles while driving.
Published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) on July 20, 2023, and originally filed on January 20, 2022, the patent application titled “Alignment and Monitoring of Road Charging Coil” revolves around wireless inductive charging for moving vehicles, also known as dynamic wireless charging.
While adoption has been slow, stationary wireless/inductive charging systems are not new. In 2020, SAE International, formerly the Society of Automotive Engineers, announced the first global standards for wireless charging of electric vehicles up to 11 kW. This charging method uses coils mounted on a transmitter (connected to a power source) that sends power to a receiver mounted on the vehicle.
However, in this patent application, Ford explores the incorporation of inductive charging coils into the surface of a road, enabling vehicles to wirelessly charge while driving. To achieve this, a vehicle’s receiver would align with a line of coils, requiring the driver to follow a precise path, potentially aided by cameras or other sensors.
Relying on steering action still leaves room for misalignment between the car and the charging coils on the road, reducing charging efficiency, according to Ford. The solution proposed by the automaker is to equip vehicles with ground-penetrating radar to detect the coils. The radar data would then be input into a control system that would automatically adjust the steering to precisely align the coils on the road with the vehicle’s receiver.
A patent application is not proof of real-world plans, but wireless charging on the move has been tested before. In 2017, Renault and Qualcomm (who later sold their wireless charging patents to WiTricity) claimed to have charged a car at 60 mph on a test track. In 2020, hardware from the Israeli company Electreon was used for wireless charging of moving trucks on a short stretch of Swedish road. Toyota believes that dynamic wireless charging could even enable smaller batteries in future electric vehicles.
