Ford's Clever Magnetic EV Charger Eliminates Fussy Cables

Jan. 28, 2023 4:05 PM ET by Karl Furlong Technology / Comments

It may challenge your parking skills, though.

Ford has filed a new patent application for a convenient magnetic EV charger that allows you to hook your vehicle up to a charger without budging from the driver's seat. Filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Green Car Reports was the first to report on this feature.

Using a strong magnetic attraction, a charge port in the EV's bumper could be easily linked to a charging connector, much like the magnetic MagSafe connector that can be used to charge some Apple devices. Plug-in hybrids will also benefit from the technology, and Ford intends for it to work whether you're at an AC or DC charging station. Even better, the magnetic connector can be installed on EVs with regular charge ports.

USPTO

Many EV owners will know about the frustration of fiddling with bulky charging cables, especially in smaller, more congested spaces or during inclement weather. Ford's idea dispenses with the cable, although the new challenge comes when aligning the vehicle's port with the charging point.

To get around this, a certain amount of articulation would be incorporated into the magnetic charger's design so that a physical connection is possible as long as the port is close enough to the charging point; in other words, your parking skills would have to be pretty poor for the charger to be inoperable.

Of course, just because a patent has been filed doesn't mean that the tech will reach production, and it would be challenging to modify all existing charging points. Just getting the existing charging network up to speed is a challenge on its own.

Ford is the second best-selling EV automaker in America, only behind Tesla. That's largely thanks to the success of the Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning, two models that stand to benefit from the magnetic charger.

USPTO

Like Ford, other automakers and industry experts are constantly looking for ways to make the charging experience easier and closer to the simplicity of filling up an ICE car with gas. Wireless EV charging may not be ready soon, but the tech is being tested in Germany, and Michigan is in line for its own evaluations.

Earlier this month, Ram revealed the 1500 EV Revolution concept with a robotic Ram Charger for use at home, which aligns itself under the car to initiate the charging process with no effort on the owner's part.

It's not only EV charging that's getting attention, but how one pays for it, too. New functionality like Autocharge+ from EVgo, introduced last year, makes plugging in and paying for your charging session easier, bringing this convenience to EV drivers who don't own Teslas and can't benefit from that brand's extensive Supercharger network.

Hopefully, Ford's novel magnetic charger isn't another intelligent idea that gets shelved and never makes it to production.