Ford Develops The Ultimate One-Size-Fits-All Modular Chassis For Every Kind Of Vehicle

CarBuzz has discovered yet another patent filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office wherein Ford has detailed designs for a new sort of modular architecture that could accommodate just about any sort of vehicle and configuration that the Blue Oval builds. The application is described as a “vehicle chassis with interchangeable performance packages” and sees a single basic main chassis frame design used for numerous vehicle types. The idea is that the base frame would always remain the same while end frames at each extremity would house the suspension and powertrain components and be responsible for determining the overall length and width of the vehicle.

Ford

Ford is one of America’s oldest automakers and one of the oldest in the world, popularized for being the first to effectively mass produce the automobile under Henry Ford with the Ford Model T. In over 120 years, Ford has become a sales leader in a variety of segments, with popular nameplates like the Ford F-150, Transit, and Mustang.

Founded

June 16, 1903

Founder

Henry Ford

Headquarters

Dearborn, Michigan, USA

Owned By

Publicly Traded

Current CEO

Jim Farley

How The Patent Works

Ford describes the main frame as potentially being reversible. In one configuration, the areas of the base frame that connect to the wheel assemblies are angled downward, which would create a taller ride height and more ground clearance. In another, the base frame is rotated 180 degrees so that the wheel assembly connection arms are angled upward, thereby lowering the vehicle’s ride height. Alternatively, the patent suggests that the main base frame is uniform and that the areas connected to the wheel assemblies can be interchanged to alter ride height. Either way, one frame design would be utilized. With this, a Ford F-150 could be configured as a hardcore Raptor off-roader, an electric Lightning model, or a street-biased sport truck using one chassis design.

Ford’s patent suggests that the end frames could also be modular, with a single design used for a combustion vehicle and an electric one. With this, one could also fit differing battery packs without altering the surrounding architecture of the wheelhouses. Other potential benefits include the ability to alter track width and length on a whim, the ability to build long- and short-wheelbase models on a single platform, and the ability to alter horsepower, torque, suspension travel, stiffness, and damping settings, camber angles, cabin size, and storage space. The patent says the components would be joined using fasteners, a chemical adhesive, a press-fit, or welds, which suggests that the patent is designed for ease of manufacture, not ease of after-sale modification.

Why This Matters

Ford has been suffering from quality control issues for years now, so the idea of reducing manufacturing costs may seem counterintuitive. However, greater modularity makes it easier to detect issues and vastly reduces supply costs. As long as the frames (which could be perimeter, ladder, or unibody) are constructed well, there should be no decrease in quality. Should this innovation make financial sense to Ford’s leadership and become adopted, it could be the edge that Ford needs to finally start making a profit on electric vehicles. Ideas like this will also enable more diverse options from existing vehicles without a huge increase in costs, allowing the Blue Oval to release several new trims and vehicle types without huge investment in new platforms. The patent says this construction method could be applied to cars, trucks, and vans alike, and if it were to be combined with a method of gigacasting, it could save Ford fortunes.