In an effort to accelerate the development of electric vehicles, Ford has agreed to make its patents available to competitors, much like Tesla did with its Supercharger stations.
Last year alone, Ford filed more than 400 patents dedicated to electrified vehicle technologies, which represents over 20% of all the patents the company filed.
“Innovation is our goal,” said Kevin Layden, director, Ford Electrification Programs. “The way to provide the best technology is through constant development and progress. By sharing our research with other companies, we will accelerate the growth of electrified vehicle technology and deliver even better products to customers.”
Ford believes electric car makers need to collaborate as they continue to challenge each other on a daily basis.
Some of the electrified vehicle patents the Blue Oval will make available for competitors to purchase include “Method and Apparatus for Battery Charge Balancing,” which extends battery run time and overall life; “Temperature Dependent Regenerative Brake System for Electric Vehicle,” which maximizes the amount of energy captured through regenerative braking, as well as various driver assist technologies.