Future Fords could repossess themselves

The Ford Motor Company has submitted a patent application for a new remote and autonomous vehicle repossession system in the US, but the Blue Oval brand’s Australian subsidiary says there are no plans to deploy the technology.

“We do not have any plans to deploy this,” a Ford Australia spokesperson told carsales.

“We submit patents on new inventions as a normal course of business, but they aren’t necessarily an indication of new business or product plans.”

Initially discovered by US website The Drive, the patent application outlines multiple ways the integrated self-driving system could make the repossession process easier for bailiffs or debt collectors and more difficult for owners who fail to keep up with finance payments.

These range from the deactivation of certain vehicle functions right the way through to fully autonomous repossession, where the car literally drives itself away to another location.

Ford says in its patent filing that vehicle repossessions can lead to confrontation between collectors and uncooperative owners when they hinder the process, making it “desirable to provide a solution to address this issue”.

The system features an in-built module that harnesses the vehicle’s onboard connectivity suite to communicate directly with relevant parties such as finance agencies, medical institutions and police, with virtual instructions or programming sent to the vehicle via remote control.

Vehicles without autonomous driving capabilities obviously won’t be able to drive themselves away or reposition themselves for a tow vehicle, but they can still be controlled remotely when it comes to systems like automated door un/locking and air-conditioning.

Other covert features designed to keep owners from using their vehicle include a nasty repulsion system that emits an “incessant and unpleasant sound… every time the owner is present in the vehicle”.

The discovery of the trademark application preceded Ford’s latest autonomous driving technology announcement by only a few days, with the company this week confirming the establishment of a dedicated autonomous technology subsidiary.

Officially dubbed ‘Latitude AI’, the new division is built on the remnants – staff included – of Argo AI, Ford and the Volkswagen Group’s jointly-run autonomous technology firm, and will initially focus on developing “a hands-free, eyes-off driver assist system” for next-generation Ford vehicles.

Newly-appointed CEO Sammy Omari said Latitude AI’s automated driving technology would “help improve safety”, unlock “all-new customer experiences that reduce stress” and free-up more time for drivers to focus on what they want.

Hopefully that includes common sense when it comes to finance repayments…

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