Tesla Inc TSLA CEO Elon Musk on Tuesday laughed at rival automaker Ford Motor Co‘s F patent filing aimed at repossessing vehicles without hindrance in case of missed car payment.
What Happened: Ford in Feb. 2023 filed for a patent for a computer to disable a component of a vehicle such as air-conditioning or the entirety of the car in case of non-payment of care-related dues. In cases where the owner does not respond to initial warnings, the vehicle may also be remotely and autonomously moved to the premises of the repossession agency, the patent application said.
The move was devised as a solution to owners not cooperating with repossession operations.
Twitter has now brought the application back to public attention about a year later with some X users expressing shock at it.
Musk himself responded to the patent on X, formerly Twitter, and said, “I can't tell real from parody anymore.” The comment was adjoined by a laughing emoticon.
See Also: Amid Reports Of Cybertruck’s Struggles In Winter, Elon Musk Says ‘Tesla Is Excellent In Snow’
Why It Matters: Back in 2023, a Ford spokesperson told The Guardian that the company does not intend to deploy the feature. Patents aren’t necessarily indicative of new business or product, they said.
Benzinga has reached out to Ford to clarify if the company has changed its intentions. The story will be updated if Ford responds.
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