Ford Motor Company recently applied for a patent for a new technology that could allow cars to repossess themselves if their owners fail to make payments.
The “Systems and Methods to Repossess a Vehicle” technology would allow a car to detect when a payment is missed and then drive itself to a designated location, such as a repossession lot or other secure facility. The patent application also mentions a “geofencing” feature, which would allow the car to limit its movement within a specific area, preventing it from being driven to unauthorized locations.
It expressly states that the system, which could be installed on any future vehicle in the automaker’s lineup with a data connection, would be capable of “[disabling] a functionality of one or more vehicle components.”
The technology would use a combination of sensors and communication devices to guide the car to the desired location while avoiding obstacles and obeying traffic laws. The car would be able to communicate with other vehicles and infrastructure, such as traffic lights and road signs, according to the patent application, to ensure safe and efficient travel.
For vehicles with autonomous or semi-autonomous driving capabilities, the system could “move the vehicle from a first spot to a second spot that is more convenient for a tow truck to tow the vehicle… move the vehicle from the premises of the owner to a location such as, for example, the premises of the repossession agency,” or, if the lending institution deems the “financial viability of executing a repossession procedure” unjustifiable, the vehicle could drive itself.
The sources for this piece include an article in TheDrive.