Stellantis Granted Patent for Wind-Powered Turbine System on Vehicles

While browsing the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) website, I came across a fascinating new patent granted to Stellantis (FCA US, LLC) on June 12, 2025. Filed on December 12, 2023, this patent outlines a unique wind harness system designed to generate electricity from the airflow that naturally occurs as a vehicle drives down the road.

Let’s break it down in simpler terms. The system works by using several curved channels, called troughs, built into the front grille of a vehicle. Each of these troughs has multiple small holes or “openings” at the bottom. As the car moves, air is funneled into these openings and directed toward mini wind turbines, which spin to create electricity. That electricity can then be stored or used to power systems inside the vehicle.

To keep the airflow moving efficiently, each opening connects to a duct that routes the air underneath the vehicle, similar to an exhaust system. In some setups, more than one turbine could be installed in a row to maximize output.

This kind of tech might not be designed to power the entire vehicle, especially not a battery electric vehicle (BEV), but it could be useful for recharging a battery, powering accessories, or reducing alternator load on a traditional internal combustion engine.

Stellantis’ patent also mentions flexibility in design: the troughs can be vertical, horizontal, or angled, and the turbines used are described as “mini air turbines.” According to the diagrams, a typical setup would include six troughs on the grille, each with four openings and a turbine in each.

It’s an innovative way to make use of something every car deals with constantly: air resistance. Instead of letting it go to waste, Stellantis is looking at turning that wind into something useful. It’ll be interesting to see if this tech makes its way onto future Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep®, or Ram vehicles, especially as automakers look for every efficiency trick in the book.

Whether it ends up in production or stays in the testing lab, it shows that Stellantis is thinking outside the box when it comes to energy recovery systems.

Source: USPTO