The US Patent Office last week published an application for a patent by Ford innocuously titled “Systems and Methods to Repossess a Vehicle”, which comes straight out of a dystopian sci-fi movie.
The application entails systems in terms of which vehicles, for all practical purposes, would be able to repossess themselves should their owners renege on payments.
According to the document, vehicles’ built-in data connections could be used to disable “a functionality of one or more components of the vehicle” in case of missed payments. This could take different forms from deactivating features like “cruise control, automated window controls, automated seat controls and some components of the infotainment system (radio Global Positioning System (GPS), MP3 player, etc)” to functions such as “the air-conditioning system, a remote key fob and an automated door lock/unlock system” and other incessant irritating warnings.
The most disconcerting feature of the system though, in the case of self-autonomous vehicles, is that with Ford's system, your car could drive itself away to a different location without even informing you.
It is unclear whether Ford is planning to follow through on the patents since it is currently not actively pursuing self-drive technology.
Other auto manufacturers already feature similar technology in their vehicles.
Stellantis and Bolt have announced a partnership to jointly explore the development and deployment of Level 4 autonomous vehicles for commercial operations across Europe, marking a significant step to bring driverless mobility to the continent's streets.
Geely Auto South Africa is preparing to take its rightful place in the local automotive market, with 33 dealerships already operating within a month after the Chinese auto giant’s return to the country.
Zweli Sibiya, Dealer Principal of Hyundai Benoni, is a man who rose from humble beginnings to lead one of the top-performing dealerships.
Advertisement
Advertisement
I have bad reflexes. I was once run over by a car being pushed by two guys
Woody Allen
Stellantis and Bolt have announced a partnership to jointly explore the development and deployment of Level 4 autonomous vehicles for commercial operations across Europe, marking a significant step to bring driverless mobility to the continent's streets.
The 2025 Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the National Association of Automotive Component and Allied Manufacturers (NAACAM) was held as an elective meeting, allowing members to vote for representatives to the National Executive Committee (NEC) and Regional Committees. This process ensures that NAACAM’s leadership continues to reflect the expertise, experience and regional diversity of its membership.
Nissan Motor Co, Ltd and Wayve have announced definitive agreements to collaborate on integrating next-generation ProPILOT technology with Wayve's artificial intelligence software across a broad range of Nissan vehicles.
