Ford tackling aero efficiency with deployable roof rack rails

Ford is looking to patent roof rails and roof racks that can stow away when not in use, helping to reduce aerodynamic drag and potentially improving fuel economy or EV range.

These potential aero-improving features were detailed in separate patent applications published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) July 11, 2024, and filed by Ford at earlier dates.

Ford deployable roof rail patent image

One patent application covers deployable roof rails that would pop up out of channels in a vehicle’s roof on hinges, and then serve as mounting points for cargo carriers and other accessories like the fixed roof rails already offered on many SUVs.

Another patent application covers a deployable roof rack, although in this case the hardware appears tailored specifically to pickup trucks. The roof rack would be stowed behind the back wall of a pickup’s cab, at the front of the cargo bed, and pivot upward onto the roof when needed.

Ford deployable roof rack patent image

Automakers don’t always commercialize features that they patent, Ford wouldn’t be alone in looking for new ways to improve aero efficiency. Hyundai has designed an active air skirt for EVs that drops down ahead of the front wheels to reduce drag. The automaker claims this feature could help improve the aerodynamic performance of SUVs—something that could also be said of Ford’s deployable roof rails.

The need to maximize EV range has rekindled an obsession with aerodynamics first seen nearly a century ago, sparking the creation of streamlined shapes for the Hyundai Ioniq 6 and Volkswagen ID.7, among others. The Mercedes-Benz Vision EQXX concept has also shown that greater emphasis on aero—along with weight reduction—could help dramatically boost EV efficiency.