American legacy automaker Ford seems to be following General Motors’ strategy with a new patent filing that shows an Ultium-like electric vehicle platform.
This new platform may power Ford’s next-gen electric pickup or other electric car of any type.
Patent filing
A new patent filing under Ford Global Technologies on Tuesday features a powertrain setup similar to GM’s Ultium platform.
It is filed with the US Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) with a description of “vehicle chassis with interchangeable performance packages and related methods.”
According to Road and Track, Ford initially filed the new patent in April 2021. Therefore, Ford has been developing the Ultium-like platform for some time already.
The platform has different front and rear subframe designs, enabling it to support various vehicle types.
The subframes hold a motor and the requisite suspension hardware. Notably, one of the setups features a more powerful drive unit and a stiffer suspension configuration.
The central structure can also support a 180-degree flip, enabling a more comfortable lower ride height. Its different side rails also support different wheelbases, giving Ford’s performance models more improved flexibility even while using a similar central structure.
As per the images indicated in the documents, the central structure appears to hold the battery pack, which is similar to GM’s Ultium Platform. It has front-drive, rear-drive, and all-wheel drive powertrain configurations with various performance capabilities.
Ford’s new EV plans
Ford Chief Executive Jim Farley announced almost a year ago that its second-gen electric vehicles are “deep in development,” Electrek reports. It apparently includes the American brand’s next-gen electric pickup, the next model to follow the F-150 Lightning.
The Ford boss outlined that the new EV models will be “fully software-updatable,” hinting at a potential development of a brand-new electric architecture to optimize vehicle production.
“Imagine three body styles, each with volume potential of up to 1 million units and just a handful of orderable combinations.”
Ford Chief Executive Jim Farley
It is also worth noting that the company already unveiled its next-gen pickup, dubbed the “T3 Project,” in March 2023. It will reportedly aid Ford’s efforts to advance in the industry amid the shift to a digitally connected era.
Ford also plans to release a three-row electric SUV, potentially an Explorer EV’s bigger variant for the European market.
Excitingly, Ford’s flexible structure can support all vehicle types, such as sedans, coupes, vans, pickups, SUVs, and even ATVs or farm equipment. It also has removable battery pack arrays that can add or reduce power, like the Ultium. We can expect to learn more about Ford’s next-gen platform near its official launch in 2025.
