Posted on 03/01/2023 5:47:12 AM PST by equaviator
A new patent allows Ford to build cars that take action if the owner falls behind on payments by playing annoying sounds – or even driving themselves back to the seller.
Ford has been granted a patent for a system that allows a car to repossess itself if its owner fails to keep up with payments. The firm envisions the car driving itself back to the showroom – or to a scrapyard if the value of the car is low. But a security expert warns that the proposed system could instead be used to steal cars remotely. The patent, which was filed in 2021 but granted only last week, describes how the system would kick in if the car owner failed to respond to messages informing them they were falling behind with payments. At that point, a series of measures would first be used to make the car unpleasant to drive, then impossible. Finally, as a last resort, the car would return itself to the showroom. The system could begin by disabling features such as GPS navigation, the music system or the air conditioning, in order to create what the patent describes as a “certain level of discomfort” for the owner. If this doesn’t work, the patents suggests enabling the car to create an “incessant and unpleasant sound”, such as a chime or beep, every time the owner gets inside.
(Excerpt) Read more at newscientist.com ...
I thought the same thing! Innovation at Ford. It’s why I don’t own one.
They float this as 'it's just something we can do to get deadbeats to make their car payments'. But I believe the real reason for this is that they want to go to a subscription model. You can buy the car but you want a radio? $15 a month. On you want heat? Get the climate subscription package for just $5 a month!
The really bad part is that they will have to build all the cars with maxed out specs (all the options) which will drive up the costs and then they will nickel and dime you monthly for whatever features you want or your car will be a dog.
Yeah... No one could foil that technology.
Would be funny to see though. Of course it would be ‘cancelled’ for “disproportionately harming communities of color.”
My thoughts exactly.
Maybe Shorty should just ask her partner Shaquille to load it.
Buy and restore almost any car built before 1972. There is no electronic ignition in almost any of these cars. There is not a single “microchip” in them. They use a mechanical distributor with a rotor, points and condenser. The radio might contain transistors. Who cares?
Forget power steering and power brakes. Enjoy cranking windows up and down by hand. Choose a car with a manual transmission.
Convert front brakes from hydraulic drum to hydraulic disc for better stopping and safety.
If it’s a VW Beetle, there is not even a radiator or coolant aboard. It’s air-cooled.
Drive a car YOU control. To hell with chips and sensors.
If America suffers an EMP attack, you will be driving your car while MILLIONS of cars are disabled from EMP-fried computer chips. Carry a siphon hose and pump and help yourself to the gasoline in any of those abandoned and useless vehicles.
Enjoy 10 mpg too.
open the door, stand on the sill...
Wait for a teenager to try and ride it for a Tic Toc shoot always one around.
How about an AI that automatically drives you home when you have had a few drinks?
Kind of like the HP Printer business model. If you use a knock-off printer cartridge in it, it begins to balk and complain until finally it refuses to print at all.
Yaknow, ‘cause printer ink is rocket science.
If ford made a car that was worth more than abandoning, people woukd make the payments.
I’ll drink to that!
Drive itself to the junkyard?
The UAW is finally doing something right?
“Neat thing that I’ve never seen before or even though about.”
A white woman with a negro?
I gather that is all the rage on TV these days.
I think you mean more difficult ;-}
A white woman with a negro?
************
I’ve seen a few of those in my 82 years.
pretty much...
Nope, mine was the choked down 350 two barrel. 14-15 city, 18 hwy. The 455 was the gas hog.
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