Ford wants to give you extra battery power while out and about. The automaker filed a patent for a portable “charging trailer” that can power up your EV or even a construction site.
Published on July 13, 2023 (filed on Jan 13, 2022), the patent describes a “charging trailer” with a rechargeable battery pack, a recharging port, and one or more charging ports to power electric vehicles or other equipment.
According to Ford, the charging trailer can provide transportable battery packs to charge electrical devices like EVs or equipment at a construction site.
The charging trailer includes the basics like a trailer body, wheels and tires, but the inside contains the batteries, which could possibly be lithium-ion, accoring to the document. Users can haul the trailer by hooking up to its tongue or can plug in to charge up.
In some configurations, the trailer can be moved around independently, by powering and steering it through its own electric motors.
Ford says a charging trailer like this could be used to move around a construction site, enabling one or more pieces of equipment to hook up to it via a cable. For example, it could be used to power an electric skid loader or crane when needed rather than having to send it back to a charger.
Although the patent filing doesn’t mention it, I could think of several used for a charging trailer such as camping, going to the beach, a party or event, or even just to have a backup energy source.
The patent describes a canopy system that deploys when the sunlight is detected to protect it from the heat, but I think Ford could improve it to harness the energy from the sun instead with solar panels.
Ford has filed patents for several innovations designed to provide mobile power. Last month, another Ford patent was spotted describing a roof-mounted backup EV battery system.
The trailer seems like a more practical option, given the weight of mounting a battery on the roof doesn’t seem viable. On the other hand, a portable charging trailer you can take just about anywhere, detatching it when not needed, could be more useful.
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