Ford Motor Company has ramped up its plug-in vehicle development efforts lately, patenting numerous technologies aimed at improving battery efficiency, regenerative braking systems, as well as providing better charging solutions. The company also recently added 200 engineers to its electric vehicle division, which means it is definitely committed to electrified vehicle technology.
Now, the automaker has patented yet another technology that is supposed to help further improve the EV ownership experience. Various online media have reported that Ford has patented a feature that involves an existing technology, but takes it a step further and makes it a useful component for every electric vehicle.
Displaying Vehicle Status Information
It is a patent for a puddle light display for electric vehicles, that shows key information related to the status of the vehicle, in addition to illuminating the ground around the vehicle in order to prevent passengers from stepping into a puddle, which is the main function of these types of lights.
Ford’s system employs a car’s external ambient lights to project an electric vehicle’s battery status onto the ground, letting the owner know the battery’s charge level before they get in the car. Most vehicles nowadays come with puddle lights, which are usually found on the bottom of the side mirrors or underneath the door handles. Various car makers offer puddle lights that project a car’s model name or the logo of their brand when activated, which is surely a cool feature to have, but Ford has come up with an idea to make it more useful.
Knowing the Car’s Battery Status Before Getting in It
The puddle light patented by Ford displays an electric car’s battery information once the owner unlocks the car’s doors using the key fob. This type of information is usually displayed inside the car, most commonly on the dashboard, so the owner must enter the car and turn the ignition on in order to see the battery’s charge level. With Ford’s light, owners can check the battery level without having to get in the car, so that they can know how many miles they have left and determine whether it’s enough for their planned trip or recharge the battery before hitting the road.
The system offers an option that allows owners to switch between the function that displays the information or the one that just illuminates the car’s surroundings. In the future, these types of features could be used for projecting other information related to the status of various vehicle systems, that would come in handy to every driver.