Ford’s Modular T3 Electric Truck Revealed In Patent Application?
Ford has engineered the Garanimals of trucks.
The automaker has filed for a patent on a “Vehicle Chassis With Interchangeable Performance Packages And Related Methods” that describes how its future electric vehicle lineup could be assembled with mix and match parts.
The design essentially breaks the chassis into three sections with the frame that carries the battery pack between two sub assemblies that house the electric motors and suspension that attache to each end.
The patent explains a manufacturing process that would allow the vehicle to be assembled in a variety of configurations.
SIDEWAYS CRAWLING ELECTRIC FORD TRUCK REVEALED IN PATENT
Each of the sub assemblies feature a “bridge” that changes the ride height of the vehicle, depending on which way it is installed onto the battery pack section, which itself can be rotated for the various setups and features rails that can be of different lengths to accommodate different size packs.
The powertrain components are also equipped with a variety of “performance packages” and suspension designs and the assembly process ends with the installation of one of multiple “body types” onto the completed chassis.
The multitude of batteries, powertrains and ride height options suggest the proposed vehicle could be offered in street and extreme off-road configurations. The current Ford F-150 Lightning uses a more conventional single frame that houses all of the battery and powertrain components and the truck is only offered in one body and bed configuration.
Ford uses a current F-Series Super Duty body to illustrate, but its next-generation electric truck, which is codenamed T3 (Trust The Truck) has been described by Ford CEO Jim Farley as a “Millennium Falcon with a back porch attached.”
Ford hasn’t officially announced anything regarding this manufacturing method or the specifications for the new trucks and it will be a bit of a wait before it does.
The T3 trucks were originally slated to go on sale in 2025, but have been pushed back until 2026 while a “Bullet Train” three-row SUV with an ultra-efficient aerodynamic design will join the lineup in 2027.
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