Ford Patent Imagines a Spare Wheel That Doubles as a Wireless Charging Pad

Ford has filed a patent application describing a setup in which a vehicle’s spare wheel could pull double duty as a wireless charging surface. Rather than treating the spare as dead weight that sits untouched until a flat tire strikes, the design proposes using the wheel itself as part of an inductive charging system. Equipment stowed in or around the spare tire well would generate the magnetic field, letting a compatible device — or the vehicle’s own battery pack — draw power without a physical plug.

The idea addresses a familiar packaging problem in modern EVs and hybrids: wireless charging hardware takes up space, and automakers are constantly hunting for room that does not eat into passenger or cargo volume. By repurposing an area that already exists on many vehicles, the patent suggests a way to add inductive charging capability without carving out new real estate. It also sidesteps one of the practical gripes about wireless charging — that it is slower and less efficient than a cable — by potentially allowing charging to happen while the vehicle is parked and the wheel is not in motion.

The filing does not guarantee production. Patents are frequently exploratory, and Ford has not announced any timeline, model, or confirmed rollout tied to this concept. It is best read as a signal of how the company is thinking about squeezing more function out of existing components, particularly as it expands its electrified lineup. Whether a spare-wheel charger ever reaches showrooms remains an open question.

For now, the patent is a reminder that the next wave of EV innovation may come from unexpected places — including the parts of a car drivers hope they never have to use.