Remotely deactivate the air conditioning, stop the radio from working and even drive the car to the nearest dealership. Ford wants to avoid bad debts and has created a technology, for which it has filed a patent application. Purpose: control the vehicle in case of payment failure.
According to Ford’s patent application for technology related to repossession, the cruise control and automatic windows can be deactivated if a consumer fails to acknowledge an overdue car payment notice. Ford could also turn off key controls, door locks, even remotely interfering with the accelerator or the engine.
The use of this type of technology is not a new idea, but the inclusion of the possibility of an autonomous vehicle driving itself to a “more convenient” location to be picked up by a trailer is unprecedented.
“Disabling such components may cause an additional level of discomfort to a driver and vehicle occupants,” states the patent application, quoted by Bloomberg. And even more irritating: they could sound the horn without the driver being able to get rid of the noise without first contacting the creditor.
For now, Ford does not plan to use this technology. But he intends to have it in a drawer and patented for any chance, devaluing its existence among the many patents registered by the giant of the automotive industry. “We submit patents on new inventions as a normal course of business, but they are not necessarily an indication of new business or product plans,” Ford said in a statement.
But consumers are concerned: currently, in the US, car loans have been among the first to suffer from the crisis. In January, the rate of overdue car loans increased and stood at 20.4% year-on-year, according to the Cox Automotive.