Ford says its goal is to accelerate the growth of EV technology to deliver improved products. However, unlike Tesla—which has said it would not sue for infringement anyone using its EV patents, Ford will not forsake the monetary opportunity to charge licensing fees.

Ford Electric Car Patents

In 2014, Ford applied for more than 2,000 patents, about 400 of them related to EV and hybrid systems. The Ford electric car patents will be available from the nonprofit foundation Ford established in 2012. The foundation brokers technology exchange agreements among automakers and suppliers or directly from Ford's intellectual property department.

This development is potentially lucrative for Ford; a decade ago, Ford licensed patents for the development of the first Ford Escape Hybrid. The Ford electric car, now in the form of the C-Max, Focus, Fusion, or Lincoln MKZ has excellent gas and electric powertrains.

Ford currently has over 650 EV patents, and has applied for over 400 more in 2014—which constitutes a fifth of all its patent application filings, with another thousand pending.

Ford believes other automakers may be interested mostly in patents for battery charge balancing, extending battery run time and overall life. They are also keen on temperature-sensitive braking and a driver behavior feedback, helping customers learn how to conserve energy.

Common Interest in EV Technology Development

Ford says the automotive industry needs collaboration as well as competition. By sharing ideas manufacturers can solve common challenges and expand improved production overall.

Among Ford's present hybrid and plug-in models are the C-Max, Focus, Fusion, and Lincoln MKZ. Ford plans to launch a new fully-electric car as a rival to Chevrolet's latest EV project based on the Bolt concept car.

Automakers of electric cars and plug-in hybrids know that more customer acceptance of the technology will be a benefit to all involved by encouraging EV infrastructure construction that will break down range anxiety. For that purpose, Ford and Tesla have decided to share their electric-car patents with competitors. Innovation is the goal, says Ford's director of electrification programs, who believes that sharing research with other companies will accelerate the growth of EV technology and drive everybody's sales ever upward.

Licensing Fees

Specific licensing fees for use of Ford electric car patents are not yet known. However, a Ford spokesman has said that some patents would cost hundreds and others thousands of dollars annually. Ford's and Tesla's decisions to license their patents may help other automakers bring more advanced models to today's market. Electrics have failed to gain as many shares as analysts predicted, despite impressive sales by models like the fully-electric Nissan Leaf and the hybrid Toyota Prius.

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