On 23rd February’2023 Ford applied for a patent which would use the connected car technology to initiate vehicle repossession.
The vehicle repossession would be initiated post default on payment of vehicle’s loan or monthly instalment. The process as mentioned in the patent application includes sending messages to the owner, on his phone/electronic communication device or the vehicle itself. Post exhausting the option, it will initiate locking drivers out entirely, disabling functions like air conditioning, geofencing drivers to only operate within a certain time or set area.
In an extreme case it can enable the autonomous car to drive itself to the impound lot — or junkyard if the car’s market value is determined to be below a certain threshold.
More at: The Drive
