has applied for a patent in the U.S. that would give vehicles the ability to repossess themselves, including the potential capability to self-drive directly to a repossession agency., entitled “Systems and Methods to Repossess a Vehicle,” was published on Feb. 23. Repossession usually occurs when a buyer defaults on necessary payments, causing a bank to seize said property without a court proceeding.
In the patent, Ford claims vehicle owners notified of repossession “may attempt to impede the repossession operation.”“In some cases, this can lead to confrontation,” Ford reasons in the patent. “It is therefore desirable to provide a solution to address this issue.”The solution: to install a system that could forcibly repossess a vehicle without the owner’s presence.
If the vehicle is not financially worthy of being fully repossessed, the automated repossession system “may cooperate with the vehicle computer to autonomously move the vehicle from the premises of the owner to a junkyard.”