Ford’s Hydrogen Fuel Cell Push for Super Duty Trucks

Blue Oval Patents Hydrogen Fuel Cell Chassis Design

Ford is currently occupied in looking into even more avenues of hydrogen technology, as illustrated by a patent distributed by the European Patent Office that CarBuzz identified. Within the patent, the Blue Oval outlines an installation system for a tank of a hydrogen fuel cell motor vehicle. As may be perceived, hydrogen is a rather unstable element which must be retained at immense pressure. The container should be quite resilient, as it is anticipated to swell while being loaded and diminish when there is decrease of hydrogen owing to usage.

To augment the longevity of the tank, Ford devised an architecture for the container that is divided into two sections- one part that extends as it is filled and retracts as the content drains off, thereby guaranteeing the hydrogen stays pressurised at the necessary pressure range.

The intricacies of the patent should not require elaboration here, yet it is proximate to the one from BMW in which multiple minuscule containers can move separately inside their encasements.

The spotlight we’ve targeted is to signifying Ford’s eternal commitment to hydrogen science, following a patent surveyed by Muscle Cars & Trucks approximately one year back. In that paper, Ford depicted a supercharged internal combustion engine fueled by hydrogen.

This patent points to Ford’s consideration of hydrogen fuel cell technology, showing that they are investigating diverse options. Yet why would Ford prioritize hydrogen-powered FCEV when they have several electric cars available now and in the works?

Battery powered automobiles, such as the Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning, can be extremely useful to the public. But there is significant proof to suggest that BEVs are not very practical for towing, particularly for patrons of Super Duty cars, who often need over 10,000 pounds of sustained hauling capacity.

Ford CEO Jim Farley recently made it clear why the company’s range of heavy-duty workhorses won’t be utilizing BEV technology in the near future: “If you’re towing 10,000 lbs or more, an electric truck is not the ideal solution. And 95% of our customers tow more than 10,000 lbs. This is a crucial segment for our country, and it’ll likely be hydrogen fuel cell before it goes all-electric.”

Hence, we speculate this patent, likely intended for a F-250 Super Duty FCEV, employs a box-type chassis.

If the progress of hydrogen sciences carries on, there is no doubt that it could be adjusted to your Explorer eventually.