A Ford trademark filing has recently been uncovered showing that Ford is moving forward with what appears to be a name for their own EV fast-charging network named Fastor Charge.
The filing was posted to the MachEClub forum and shows the name and logo that Ford intends to use in regards to:
apparatus and instruments for conducting, switching, transforming, accumulating, regulating or controlling electricity, namely, charging stations for electric vehicles; batteries for vehicles; accumulators and chargers for vehicle batteries
Given the name along with the stated use of the trademark, it is not hard to fathom that Ford is intending to have their own set of EV chargers.
While it was initially filed in 2018, the trademark has now been “published for opposition” and has not been granted yet, but the public can file an opposition if someone feels like the trademark might be damaging to them. I do doubt that many of the public have ever spelled “faster” as “fastor” though.
Strange name aside, it seems like Ford will be planning to break away or at least supplement its partnerships with third-party charging networks like Electrify America and IONITY to create their own network of EV chargers, following the formula that Tesla has set with its Supercharger network.
Assuming that Ford moves forward with using the trademark and having its own charging network, its success will be predicated on how it plans to space out its chargers and how many they will deploy. The Supercharger Network has done well to attempt to have all of its chargers spaced out in such a way that you can basically get anywhere in the United States by only using Superchargers. However, if Ford plans to place their chargers only in major population centers like its partners have already done and not branch out, then there is not much-added value them aside from having extra chargers in big cities.
All we have to go off at this point is the name, so there isn’t too big of point to speculate too much about how Ford will handle their presumed EV charging network, but it could be the catalyst for other automakers to create their own charging networks too.
What do you guys think? Let us know down in the comments below.
