Battery on the roof Ford applies for a patent for a car recharger

A few days ago, Ford filed a patent with the US Patent and Trademark Office for an external battery for electric vehicles, giving them an extra charge, a big car charger if you will.

The patent document shows that the spare battery can be installed and removed by the owner with a degree of flexibility. The battery is housed in a roof-top suitcase type case consisting of a cover with a foam-lined tray, with air channels on both sides to cool the battery, as well as being waterproof, insulated and airtight.

This battery has a discharge cable that can be plugged into the car's charging port to charge the car. It also contains a control module that can be connected wirelessly to the vehicle's communication module, making it easy for the owner to control the battery in relation to the car.

　　The problem comes though, the power battery is relatively heavy and mounting/removing it by the user themselves could be a problem, plus mounting such a large battery on the roof of the car with the vehicle's centre of gravity raised could pose an additional risk.